The China Mail - Ireland thrash Scotland 54-5 in Women's Six Nations to finish third

The Irish overwhelmed the Scots in a remarkable first half where they scored seven tries, with No 8 Aoife Wafer crossing twice, to lead 47-0 at the break.

It took Cliodhna Moloney-McDonald just five minutes to score Ireland's first try.

And it was not long before Robyn O'Connor added a second, with Brittany Hogan, captain Erin King, Wafer (two) and Stacey Flood also scoring tries in an opening 40 minutes where fly-half Dannah O'Brien landed six conversions.

Ireland, who won all three of their home games this tournament, had to wait until the hour mark for their eighth try, when blindside flanker Hogan scored her second of the match in front of a crowd of over 31,000.

Scotland avoided being 'nilled' through Aicha Sutcliffe's try with the last play of the game but that was scant consolation as they suffered a fourth defeat in five games this Championship.

"The first half was the best version of us and we were excellent," Ireland coach Scott Bemand told the BBC.

He added: "Today was a special day to play in front of such a big crowd and next year we want to get closer to England and France."

Scotland captain Helen Nelson said her side were "bitterly disappointed" with their first-half performance.

"It has been a tough campaign for us, there is no shying away from that," Nelson said.

World champions England, on a record 37-game unbeaten run, are away to France in a Grand Slam-decider in Sunday's finale as they bid to win an eighth successive Six Nations title.

- Wooden spoon Wales 'have to be better' -

Earlier, Wales suffered a record ninth successive defeat as Italy scored seven tries in a decisive 43-24 win in Cardiff.

Wales actually led 19-17 at half-time, with tries from Courtney Keight, Carys Cox and Kelsey Jones cancelling out Italian efforts from Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Francesca Granzotto and Alyssa D'Inca, as the boot of Keira Bevan gave the hosts a slender advantage.

But Italy deservedly pulled clear after the break, with Ostuni Minuzzi crossing for a second try, and Francesca Sgorbini and Veronica Madia also going over Wales' line before D'Inca completed a try double.

Kayleigh Powell scored a late consolation try for Wales. But for the second successive Six Nations they had lost all five of their games, with Wales finishing bottom of the table for a third season in a row.

Defeat left Wales coach Sean Lynn with a record of just one win in 15 Tests since he took charge in January last year and he made no attempt to sugar-coact Sunday's performance, saying: "What I've just said to the players is that we've just got to be better."

Italy's second win of the campaign was the ideal way for retiring lock Valeria Fedrighi to bow out of international rugby, with the Azzurre finishing the Championship in fourth place.

Y.Su--ThChM