Clara rugby sensation wins Player of the Match award

Clara rugby sensation, Aoife Dalton, was named as the Guinness Player of the Match after Ireland defeated Italy on a 54-12 scoreline in Round 2 of the Women's Six Nations at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

In a standout performance, Dalton excelled in both attack and defence throughout the high intensity game. She made over seven carries, racked up more than 40 metres, and also put in a relentless defensive shift, completing over 15 tackles.

In an interview after the game, the Offaly woman played down her role in Ireland's success, stating that she was “definitely not the star in the backline” on the Six Nations squad. “All the 7s girls are here now, the girls are brilliant and I'll go back and share this with them,” she said, acknowledging that there was probably “a good few names” up for the Player of the Match award.

Along with complimenting her teammates, Dalton also paid tribute to the backroom staff and said Sunday's win was the culmination of “a lot of hard work behind the scenes” from players and staff alike.

Having suffered a 27-15 defeat to France in the opening round of the Women's Six Nations tournament in Belfast the previous weekend, the pressure was on Ireland when they travelled to Parma to face Italy on Sunday, and Dalton played a central role in the magnificent bonus points win which saw them score seven tries. Anna McGann scored three of tries in a memorable day for the Athlone native.

The Ireland Women's Six Nations team face champions, England, at Cork's Virgin Media Park on Saturday, April 12, with a kick-off time of 4.45pm.