Ireland defeated the USA 20-10 Friday night in a women’s test match in Dublin.

The Eagles, who continue to lose close matches where they struggle to finish, but they also ran into a physical and delightfully cantankerous Irish side. Unfortunately, what could have been a nailbiter was also undercut but some key question refereeing decisions.

The two teams seemed evenly matched early on although Ireland appeared to have a bit more of the upper hand physically, especially away from the rucks.

At 14 minutes the Eagles had a prime scoring opportunity when wing Tess Feury broke through and had a two-on-one with Bulou Mataitoga on her outside. The pass, though, didn't go to hand—Mataitoga looked a little tense in trying to catch it—and an excellent try-scoring chance was gone.

Moments later USA flanker Rachel Johnson stepped awkwardly on a heavily-wrapped knee and was down for the county. While Bitsy Cairns came on and performed well, it was still a blow to lose such a capable loose forward as Johnson.

In the first half the Eagles then got another solid scoring chance on a penalty and lineout, but were stopped. Another drop on the wing undercut another chance.

At 24 minutes, Ireland struck. Off a scrum flyhalf Stacey Flood popped a perfect wiper kick out for winger Beibhinn Parsons, who cut back inside. Mataitoga was covering more in the midfield and with fullback Kayla Cannett wrong-footed Parsons was in untouched. Ireland 5 USA 0.

The Eagles came back with a lineout off a penalty. They drove the maul and Hope Rogers peeled off toe take it closer to the line. More forward surges and then hooker Saher Hamdan spun out of a tackle and stretched over.

Try? No. A little kncok-on in the ruck, seen through the TMO, took the try off the board. Never mind that those little kncoks on the ground inside rucks are hardly ever called.

Still, a penalty for the USA, they took another lineout, mauled, drove for the line, and then spun it wide where Mataitoga was over in the corner to tie the game 5-5.

But Ireland hurt the USA just before halftime. A kick from Flood looked like it was going out on the full. Scrumhalf Carly Waters decided to try to catch it, and instead dropped it into touch. Lineout Ireland, and from there they drove, got a penalty, drove again, and shoved massive prop Leah Lyons over. Flood converted and it was 12-5 going into halftime even though the USA had enjoyed the majority of possession and territory.

In the second half the Eagles opened up with a brilliant try. Rogers, who was again a force, powered through some tacklers and offloaded nicely to Mataitoga. The Eagles recycled and a superb offload from Alycia Washington kept them going. Finally the backs got involved with Cannett cutting back and feeding center Katana Howard, and she linked with Cairns to put the flanker over. it was a lovely try to see and made it a 12-10 game.

Ireland got a couple of breaks after that. A penalty in the scrum, with referee Sara Cox saying the USA had angled in on further examination seemed to clearly show it was Ireland's Lyons who angled in. Still, Ireland got the penalty and the lineout. Then Amy Bonte was sin-binned for killing the ball when it was clear, again, that an Irish support runner and fallen straight down onto the ball. Ireland mauled it over, with prop Lindsay Peat doing the honors, for a 17-10 lead.

The Eagles continued to try to attack wide but they dropped the ball twice and were held up once when threatening the Irish line (Kate Zackary was oh-so-close on one run). Finally they got there. A brilliant piece of backline play saw Feury tackled as she stretched for the line. Cox called no try, knock-on. Here was where she made a key error. Despite showing eagerness to check a knock-on to prevent a USA try, Cox did not go to the TMO for this play.

On replay it was clear Feury had touched the ball down just onto the line. Even the Irish announcers (who were very impartial throughout) railed against the non-call. No try for the USA, and, really, it was an inexcusable piece of refereeing not to check in with the TMO.

Ireland added a penalty and that was it, 20-10.

For the USA, their biggest issues are taking care of the ball when in a scoring opportunity, matching the physicality of bigger forwards, and their passes. Overall the USA passing was loopy, inaccurate, and slow. Crisper passing to the hands would have resulted in four or five tries instead of the two.

USA 10
Tries: Mataitoga, Cairns

Ireland 20
Tries: Parson, Lyons, Peat
Convs: Flood
Pens: Flood

Lineups here>>