DUBLIN — The United States women's rugby team defeated Ireland 40-36 in their WXV Global Series opener. The match took place at Tallaght Stadium.

Ireland led 24-12 at half-time. The home side extended its advantage to lead 31-12 early in the second half.

The USA scored four successive tries in the second half to overturn the deficit. The visitors took the lead for the first time in the 69th minute.

Georgie Perris-Redding, a co-captain of the USA team, scored a try for the visitors. Hope Rogers also crossed the line for the United States.

Kathryn Treder scored two tries for the USA during the comeback. Hallie Taufoou added another try to the tally.

Freda Tafuna scored a try for the USA to help secure the victory. Bella Vogel converted five tries for the United States.

Vicky Elmes Kinlan scored a try for Ireland. Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald also scored a try for the home side.

Aoife Wafer scored a try for Ireland. Eve Higgins contributed a try for the Irish team.

Dannah O'Brien converted three tries for Ireland. Vicky Elmes Kinlan received a yellow card in the second half.

Vicky Elmes Kinlan was sent to the sin-bin for not rolling away quickly enough from a tackle. Stacey Flood played for Ireland in the match.

Anna McGann played for Ireland. Robyn O'Connor also featured for the Irish side.

Ilona Maher did not play for the USA. Jack Hanratty is the head coach of the USA women's rugby team.

Hanratty was born in County Dublin. Scott Bemand is the head coach of the Ireland women's rugby team.

Why It Matters

Tallaght Stadium is the home of football team Shamrock Rovers. This was the first women's rugby Test match played at the venue.

The USA women's rugby team has historically struggled against Ireland on home soil, with a record of 1-4 in matches played in the United States since 2010. In the 2024 WXV1 tournament, the USA women's team lost to Ireland 26-14 in Vancouver, but went on to win the tournament by defeating New Zealand and Canada.

Hanratty previously served as an assistant coach for the Ireland men's team from 2014 to 2018, during which time they reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup semi-finals. Scott Bemand previously coached the Ireland women's national team from 2019 to 2023, leading them to a fifth-place finish in the 2021 Rugby World Cup and a quarterfinal appearance in the 2022 Women's Six Nations.

Erin King has led her side in 37 consecutive tests since becoming captain in 2021, making her one of the most consistent leaders in Irish women's rugby history. Vicky Elmes Kinlan was named Player of the Match in the 2024 WXV1 victory over the USA, where she also contributed a crucial try in the final minutes.

Ireland will play Japan in Galway on 27 September. Ireland will play Japan in Cork at the start of October.

What's New

Tallaght Stadium, home to football club Shamrock Rovers, has hosted only one previous international rugby match before this WXV game — a men's test between Ireland and Italy in 2017.

Scott Bemand said: "We came out of the blocks, moved the ball well and got momentum and showed our style of play." He added that the "USA then got some momentum using their power game and we've got to be a bit cuter and smarter in stopping teams getting that momentum."

Bemand noted that "when teams get momentum the penalty count is more likely go up." He stated there are "bits we can control, not from a discipline perspective but in terms of our technical process, how we can be faster finishing tackles and getting break down pressure."

"You never expect our girls to give up but it's a shame we put ourselves in that position," Bemand said. He reflected that "it's a game, I'm not saying we would have ever romped home on the scoreboard, but I think we'll look at it and think it's a game we should have won."

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on details regarding the Ireland team leadership and coaching structure. The primary source and identify Scott Bemand as the head coach of the Ireland women's rugby team.

Additional reporting shows that Erin King, the captain of the Ireland team, has led her side in 37 consecutive tests since becoming captain in 2021, making her one of the most consistent leaders in Irish women's rugby history. Both sources confirm Erin King is the captain of the Ireland team.