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Ireland's Fiona Coghlan, Lynne Cantwell and Joy Neville celebrate after the game. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan.

Ireland Women's side capture first ever Triple Crown after Scottish win

The Irishwomen also secured World Cup 2014 qualification with an impressive win over Scotland.

IRELAND WOMEN’S TEAM have clinched their first ever Triple Crown trophy with an outstanding 30-3 win over Scotland in Edinburgh.

The emphatic win for Phillip Doyle’s side, confirmed after brilliant performances from Niamh Briggs and Alison Miller, is their third in a row.

They will be targeting a home win over France in two weeks’ time and a potential Grand Slam if they can also overcome Italy on the final weekend.

The home side hit the front after the opening skirmishes when inside centre Lisa Ritchie slotted over a penalty.

Good work in attack from Niamh Briggs and Ashleigh Baxter got Ireland into a promising position. A penalty was conceded and Briggs levelled the scores.

Alison Miller, scorer of a wonderful hat-trick against England earlier in the month, scored her fourth try of the campaign as she dived over in the corner to make it 8-3 at half-time.

An early penalty miss from Ritchie kept the Irish advantage at five points and a further boost would be forthcoming.

Scotland outhalf Tanya Griffith was sin-binned for deliberately, and illegally, slowing down an Irish attack and Briggs made it 11-3.

The Irish Women’s team line up before their win. (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)

Miller time

Miller then scored her second try of the game as she finished off a fine team move by dashing under the posts.

Briggs, who set up the try with an excellent break, added the extras to make it 18-3.

The win was confirmed when Niamh Kavanagh sprinted clear of the Scottish defence. Her breakaway yielded a score under the posts by Siobhan Fleming. Briggs made it 25-3 with a conversion.

Briggs rounded off a fantastic personal game with a try of her own under the posts to make it 30-3.

The victory has also assured Ireland of qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

More to follow.

Snapshot: Ireland’s women ready for battle ahead of Triple Crown decider in Scotland

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48 Comments
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    Mute The Green Monkey
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:07 PM

    Great stuff, congrats………

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    Mute john stone
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:23 PM

    It’s not real rugby

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    Mute David o Gorman
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:55 PM

    John have you ever watched women’s rugby matches cause I can tell you they are as intense and physical as men’s rugby but give the girls credit will you they are after winning a triple crown it’s no easy fate in either discipline

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:27 PM

    @John Stone, you wouldn’t dare make that comment if you were surrounded by a few of those fine ladies. You’d get the hole kicked off you… and rightly so. Well done Ireland. Well deserved victory. Congratulations.

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    Mute Aisling Farrell
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 10:03 PM

    Way to get behind the team John!

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 10:25 PM

    John’s comment is patently stupid but David it’s not “as physical” as men’s international rugby

    John, what would make it real enough for you?

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    Mute David o Gorman
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 10:47 PM

    Chuck I believe it is as physical as men’s rugby I’m in a position where I know both members of the men’s and women’s team and I believe that if you take the build of women and consider the difference in muscle mass is the main difference but it is physical

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Feb 24th 2013, 1:14 AM

    David if you take build and muscle mass into account you will realise it can’t possibly be “as physical”

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    Mute David o Gorman
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    Feb 24th 2013, 1:15 AM

    @ chuck yes or no do you play rugby and if so at what level

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Feb 24th 2013, 2:11 AM

    Not that I see the relevance but I played AIL div 3

    Did you study physics at school? If so, at what level?

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    Mute David o Gorman
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    Feb 24th 2013, 7:52 AM

    Right chuck the reason I asked is cause I have this argument the whole time with non sports players you said used to play division 3 so that would be pre 2011/2012 season but reason I asked was that surely you know the gym work involved in keeping fit and prep that goes into the game, joy Neville is my college coach and Niamh kavanagh the su president of the college I attend and their dedication is equal to that of a full time rugby player Irish women’s rugby is at an amateur level equivalent to ail rugby so from that perspective that’s why I’m making the comparison between men’s and women rugby

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Feb 24th 2013, 11:23 AM

    But it’s not “as physical” as the men’s game. AIL div 3 may not be much but I’d fear for the safety of a woman put into the middle of it. Not because of dedication or skill levels, because of the physicality

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    Mute Dermot Mc
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:09 PM

    fantastic! Maybe now RTE might make a token gesture and give them a 5 min spot on Against the Head

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    Mute Gillian Doyle
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:07 PM

    Congratulations! Well deserved!!!

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    Mute John O'donnell
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:11 PM

    Well done ladies your a credit to us .. Very proud of you all..

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    Mute Jo Mc Namara
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:19 PM

    Brilliant result. Well done. Wish there were options to watch it/live blogging. Maybe The Score might consider live updates for the next games? That would rock! :-)

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    Mute @HughLynchsBar
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:11 PM

    Great Stuff, we are delighted for one and all today !

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    Mute Daniel O Keeffe
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:38 PM

    It must be the DAINGEAN berries ye serve in awfully :)

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    Mute Elrat
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:17 PM

    Excellent – Bravo Girls – super result!

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    Mute Shane Coghlan
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:53 PM

    Must congratulate my sis and team the hard work had paid off none of the girls get paid they play because they enjoy the sport and a sense of pride pulling on the green jersey

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    Mute Paul M. Barrett
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:25 PM

    Fantastic result! Congrats! It’s a shame that RTE gives it zero coverage.

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    Mute The Girl Away
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:23 PM

    Fantastic, well done ladies. Very proud

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    Mute Róisín McGuinness
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:26 PM

    Incredible stuff, fair play to the girls in green! We’ll probably only see a tiny amount of coverage of this on the news or in the media tomorrow, such a shame for such an achievement!

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    Mute sluazcanal
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:30 PM

    True. The games dont draw crowds into the stands. The interest just there for the majority. You will see paragraph in the papers and a quick mention on RTE if your lucky.

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    Mute Conor Brady
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:10 PM

    You could just as easily argue that if it was more accessible – i.e. shown on tv – then more people will start following it and the stands will fill up.

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    Mute Abi Dennis
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:26 PM

    COYGIG!

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    Mute Westmeath
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:23 PM

    Well Done Ladies. At least you won silverware unlike the men

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    Mute Matt Dobson
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:04 PM

    great achievement , beating the English team was unbelievable too.

    they deserve much more coverage but it annoys me that people only get upset over a lack of coverage when women are successful. they’ve represented Ireland with pride for years but it’s only when they win the thing that people want to watch them. Katie Taylor was winning euro and wild titles for years and nobody cared about her till the Olympics . typical Irish , get behind teams when they’re winning and ignore them otherwise

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    Mute Matt Dobson
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:06 PM

    world titles even …

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    Mute Daniel O Keeffe
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:34 PM

    Congrats to all . A great step forward. Well done.

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    Mute david harold
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:26 PM

    Fantastic result and history made. Jobs only half done in terms of the championship. Maybe rte who own the rights might actually take notice and show the ladies matches or at least let Setanta (who want to show them and are willing to pay) show them.
    Get out to Ashbourne and support the girls in green against France. History beckons.

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    Mute Clár Ní Riain
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:40 PM

    History in the making. Well done the women :-)

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    Mute Pat Murphy
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:00 PM

    wot an achievement!!!! my congrats to the women of Irish rugby!!! very, very well done!!!!!

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:25 PM

    Come on people get real. While it was a great achievement you were never going to watch it if it was on tv.

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    Mute Shane King
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:18 PM

    Do the get cauliflower ears now that would be a site.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 9:10 PM

    They….sight…. If your going to try and wind people up, at least learn to spell….

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    Mute Dermot Fennelly
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 4:50 PM

    Well done ladies

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    Mute Niall Lonergan
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:45 PM

    All 14 of their supporters are delighted!

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    Mute B Collins
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 7:40 PM

    Only a moron would come out with a spiteful comment like that.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 9:09 PM

    +1 B

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    Mute Niall Lonergan
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 10:22 PM

    How much are the players paid? How many people were in attendance for the “major sports event?”. Exactly…

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    Mute Anne Cooke
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:25 PM

    Well done to the Irish team. Great achievement to beat the teams they played. They are an inspiration to others.

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    Mute Larissa Feeney
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:46 PM

    Well done girls

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    Mute Martina Malone
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:53 PM

    Cool

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    Mute Clarence Sweeney
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 9:40 PM

    Well done lads.

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    Mute Geraldine O'Neill
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 5:33 PM

    Well done. Congrats to you all. Great achievement.

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Feb 23rd 2013, 8:23 PM

    Excellent! Well done, ladies. You’ve done us proud!

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Feb 24th 2013, 11:24 AM

    Does anyone even have the rights to show the Grand Slam game live? I’m sure there’s an audience for it

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