Ireland held firm in the driving rain as they battled to a hard-fought 27-10 win over Wales in their 2025 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series opener.

Tries from Sophie Barrett, Robyn O’Connor, Hannah Clarke, Jemima Adams-Verling and Ellie O’Sullivan-Sexton did the damage for the team in green at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly.

Wales showed determination throughout the physical encounter, reducing Ireland’s advantage to 10-5 and 15-10 during the match through scores from Savannah Picton-Powell and Seren Singleton but the hosts were ultimately unable to stop Ireland’s march to victory.

Both sides matched each other’s intensity in the tackle during the opening exchanges, but Ireland were able to withstand Wales’ early pressure as the game remained scoreless after 20 minutes.

Wales, down to 14 after Freya Bell’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle, were then made to rue giving away a penalty in the centre of the field for not releasing, as the resulting Irish kick to touch drove them back to within five metres of their tryline.

From the line-out, a maul ensued and prop Barrett was on hand to crash over to give Ireland the lead.

Skipper Jane Neill and her charges grew in confidence following their opening score, and doubled their advantage through a well-worked team move.

From a scrum close to the Welsh tryline, Ireland worked the ball neatly from right to left and eventually found O’Connor in space to score.

However, the home side regrouped and halved the deficit on the half-hour mark when Chiara Pearce, fresh off the bench, offloaded to the charging Picton-Powell to dot down.

Two ruled-out tries either side of half time, both for obstruction, could have extended Ireland’s five-point advantage, but they weren’t to be denied a third score, duly getting it on 53 minutes; winger Clarke finished off a cross-field Irish move after being played in by Niamh Gallagher.

Wales hit back just four minutes later as Singleton crashed over in the corner following good work to get the ball out wide on the right to reduce the gap back to five points.

Adams-Verling, named Player of the Match, re-established Ireland’s two-score buffer on 58 minutes - showing guile to burrow over from close range – with Caitriona Finn adding the extras, before O’Sullivan-Sexton’s late effort rounded off the scoring.

Next up for Ireland is a clash with France in six days’ time while Wales take on Scotland.