It didn’t take long for the hosts to break the deadlock during their first foray into the Irish 22. A clever grubber kick from Lleucu George caused chaos for Irish winger Amee-Leigh Costigan, and a follow-up hit from Jasmine Joyce-Butchers dislodged the ball. Carys Cox was quickest to react, diving on the loose ball for the opening try. Keira Bevan added the extras with a brilliant conversion to put her side 7-0 up with maximum points.

Ireland hit back with a powerful response to level the scores. A sharp break down the left from halfway saw No.8 Aoife Wafer tear up the touchline, dragged down just five metres short but managing to stay in play. Quick recycling followed, and Linda Djougang powered through two tackles to crash over. Dannah O’Brien made no mistake from the tee, all square at 7-7.

As the clock hit 30 minutes, Ireland edged in front for the first time in the contest. Sustained pressure and relentless carrying from the Irish forwards laid the platform and, despite Wales’ dogged resistance, they couldn’t keep out the unstoppable Wafer from close range. O’Brien added the extras once again to make it 7-14 in the visitors’ favour.

With half-time looming, TMO Ian Tempest intervened to review a potential high shot from Ireland fly-half O’Brien on Alex Callender. After a thorough check, the referee deemed it high danger, enough to warrant a yellow card, with the incident sent to the bunker for further review. Ireland were down to 14 as the opening 40 minutes drew to a close. (The decision was made following a bunker review; the yellow card for O'Brien would remain a yellow)

Deep into first-half added time and down to 14, Ireland weren’t done yet. A string of Welsh penalties gifted the visitors prime attacking territory, and they made it count. Dorothy Wall, following a quick tap penalty, powered over from close range for Ireland’s third try. With O’Brien in the bin, Enya Breen took over the kicking duties and slotted the conversion with confidence. Ireland headed into the sheds 21-7 up.

Ireland wasted no time picking up where they left off after the break. A dominant driving maul proved too much for the Welsh defence, sweeping them aside. Wall was the beneficiary, crashing over for her second try of the day, and an all-important bonus-point. Breen’s conversion attempt from out wide was just off target, but Ireland stretched their lead to 26-7.

Ireland cruised to their fifth of the day, Djougang, who grabbed her second of the day. Receiving the ball just over five metres from the line, she powered over with ease to score under the posts. Wales couldn't live with the pace and physicality of the Ireland attack. The conversion was added, and Ireland’s commanding lead grew to 7-33 a 26-point cushion.

Wales finally got on the scoreboard in the 58th minute, thanks to a powerful impact from their bench. Hannah Bluck, called up to the squad after a pre-game injury, showcased her pace to break through the Irish defence and score. Bevan added the extras, bringing the score to 33-14.

Ireland hit back immediately after a Welsh error handed them a prime attacking scrum just five metres out. It was the perfect platform for an attack, Aoife Wafer, Ireland’s talisman, picked up the ball at the base and powered over from close range to score her second try of the day. Breen nailed another superb conversion from the touchline, extending Ireland’s lead to 40-14.

Wafer’s try proved to be the final act of a captivating match in Round Four of the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations. Ireland will now turn their focus to their Round Five clash against Scotland, aiming to secure third place in the standings. Meanwhile, Wales will head to Parma on Super Saturday, where they’ll battle Italy for the wooden spoon.

Guinness Player of the Match: Aoife Wafer (Ireland)