The 70 minute match which included a first-half try for RGC wing Nel Metcalfe and second-half scores for Dragons hooker Molly Wakely and Scarlets centre Lowri Elias who added a conversion, followed wins over Scotland (24-0) and Italy (14-0) in 35 minute games.
Wales Women U18 assistant coach Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin said, “It was a great finish for the tournament and what the girls deserve given the work they’ve put in. We went into the game with confidence but the game was equally matches and both teams competed fearlessly. The players’ game understanding has come on so much this week and they’ve put what they’ve learned on the training park into practice in matches, there has been so much progress in all areas.
“It’s honestly the proudest I’ve felt as a coach, not only for the performance gains but for the group’s cohesion and team spirit throughout the week.
“They will kick on from here, they’ve experienced a higher standard and intensity of rugby and gained so much from the developmental format of this festival. That can only help them be the best players they can be in the future.
“This is the first step at this level of the international pathway but you can already see the potential, not only of our players but of all the players involved this week.
Co-captains against Ireland, Gwennan Hopkins and Jenna De Vera were equally proud of their team.
Hopkins said, “It was a really physical game but we felt we matched Ireland in that respect. We’ve come so far in the last five or six weeks. Everyone has given 100% and you can see that with the results.”
De Vera added, “It’s been great to train and mix with the other teams, we’ve learned so much from that. It’s really exciting to see what can happen in the future now.”
The players have also been inspired by the developments in the senior game. Gwennan added, “It’s a really exciting time to be a Welsh rugby player. Having senior players like Siwan Lillicrap, Elinor Snowsill and Cerys Hale come into our camps has been really inspiring.”
