HIT FOR SIX

Wales hit back to stun new look Ireland

Ireland 19

Wales 27

THE new era for Irish women’s rugby started with a record crowd but a dispiriting defeat at the RDS.

The Welsh are preparing for the World Cup in the autumn while Irish head coach Greg McWilliams was taking charge for the first time as the team aims to recover from their failure to qualify for that tournament and overcome a turbulent period on and off the pitch.

Over 6,000 made their way to the Dublin venue for the start of the TikTok Women’s Six Nations campaign against a team Ireland had beaten 45-0 just 12 months earlier.