The men’s Six Nations may have just finished, but now rugby fans have got the women’s competition to enjoy, which started on March 26th. Women’s rugby is going from strength to strength, picking up an enthusiastic audience of fans and bettors, as well as bringing in a whole new demographic to the sport.
The Irish women’s team lost their first fixture in a hard-fought battle with Wales at the RDS Arena in Dublin, but the team will gain confidence from a stirring first-half showing, against a strong side that fielded professional players for the first time. In the other fixture, England crushed Scotland and will be a feared team as the tournament continues.
Men’s Six Nations – a recap
France lifted the trophy this year, winning the title and the Grand Slam, both for the first time since 2010. They came out as winners for the 18th time, securing the title with a 25-13 victory over England in front of a rapturous crowd at Stade de France. Ireland came in as runners up, with 21 points to France’s 25. Despite coming close to the championship, they did manage to pick up the Triple Crown, vanquishing Scotland, England, and Wales.
Behind France and Ireland there was some distance back to third, with England picking up ten points. Scotland matched that, and Wales ended a dismal campaign – with the defending champions only scoring seven points – and an embarrassing last-kick loss to Italy. The Italians are always the underdogs, and only managed to grab three points this time around.
The Women’s Championship begins
Almost as soon as the final whistle blew on the men’s Six Nations, the women’s tournament began. The first round of games was played last Saturday (March 26th), with Scotland enduring a miserable day at home against England, with a final score of 5-57 for the visitors. The match between Ireland and Wales was a much tighter affair – the first half was especially pulsating, with the Irish women barging into a deserved 14-5 lead – tries from Amee-Leigh, Murphy Crowe and Linda Djougang. But Wales’ quality and stamina shone through in the second half, as they came back to take the points with a 19-27 victory – with Kelsey Jones executing the decisive try.
Winners and losers?
There has been much speculation as to the outcome of the tournament – England goes in as defending champions and heavy favourites, and they will be eager to repeat their success. But other teams will be snapping at their heels – Wales looks good, and has now got 11 professional players among their ranks.
After their victory over Ireland it seems they’ve forgotten all about their poor showing in the last Six Nations, but face a big test against France in their next match. France is always dangerous and is seen as the only side that can mount a significant challenge to the English. Fans and bettors alike are looking forward to the scrap. If you’re in the Emerald Isle and are interested in betting on the action, check out the top sportsbooks that you can bet on rugby in Ireland, selected by professional reviewers – with up to date odds and predictions.
Ireland’s chances
Irish women’s rugby has been going from strength to strength in recent years, and they are fielding their most promising team to date for this year’s Six Nations. But they’ll have a mountain to climb after their loss to Wales, and face a tough encounter at Stade de France against a ruthless and powerful French side who are looking to avenge their loss to England last time out.
But they will take heart from the quality of their performance in the opening match, despite the loss. The first half in particular showcased just how far they’ve come, and win, lose or draw, they’re sure to provide stiff opposition and ask questions of the stronger teams. With dangerous players such as Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Linda Djougang, and Eimear Considine, coupled with boisterous support from a fiercely loyal crowd, they may be outsiders, but they will play with confidence and flair.
Women’s rugby is in the ascendency, buoyed by increased interest from viewers and bettors alike. The Six Nations is shaping up to be more than a two-horse race, as lower-ranked teams look to end the dominance of England and France.
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