Wales Women No.8 Shona Powell-Hughes believes her team honoured the memory of Elli Norkett with a hard-fought defeat to Grand Slam-chasing Ireland.
Powell-Hughes scored Wales’ only try as they were edged out 12-7 at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, leaving Ireland just one game away from a clean sweep.
The teams took part in a minute’s applause before the anthems in tribute to Norkett, the 20-year-old Ospreys and Wales winger who died in a crash crash two weeks ago.
Powell-Hughes said: “Playing on your own ground and not coming away with a win is always tough, but the girls dug deep and showed passion all the way through.
“With such a tough week, we performed but it didn’t go our way, and we know we would have made Elli proud.
“It was very emotional, but if her family can get through it, then we can, we’re a team and we’re one unit, so proud of the girls.
“We’ve all admitted it wasn’t our best performance in Scotland, but we tried to put the wrongs right and I think we did that.”
Ireland captain Paula Fitzpatrick said: “It was a really close game and the Welsh really put it up to us with a great first half, a huge performance from them and they’ve really done credit to Elli Norkett.
“We came close with a couple of chances but we really had to grind it out, they had a good defence and we really had to work for it.
“I’m really looking forward to playing England, it should be a big crowd on Paddy’s Night and hopefully we can fill Donnybrook, get the crowd behind us and it’s going to be a cup final.”
The Irish took the spoils thanks to a try by wing Hannah Tyrell after 62 minutes of a tight encounter.
The visitors had led 7-0 at the break thanks to loose-head Lindsey Peat’s close-range score before Wales levelled through Powell-Hughes.
However, they were unable to get in front and the Irish now go into final weekend for a Grand Slam showdown with the also unbeaten English.
Rowland Phillips’ side set about trying to respond to defeats to England and Scotland and the pack started strongly only to come up against resolute Irish defence.
There was no score as the game moved into the final minute of the first half, when Ireland kicked a penalty to the left corner and turned their lineout into a try for prop Peat that was converted by fly-half Nora Stapleton.
Wales didn’t take long to respond after the restart with a searing break by Dyddgu Hywel putting them in prime attacking position with Peat sin-binned after a series of offences.
The hosts took advantage with number eight Powell-Hughes powering over for a 45th-minute try that Robyn Wilkins improved.
Wales lost prop Amy Evans after she was yellow-carded for a high tackle and they were forced into scrambling defence.
Irish pressure eventually told with the ball worked wide to the right for Tyrell to cross for what proved to be the winner.
Wales will be keen to finish the Six Nations strongly against France in Brive on Saturday as they continue to prepare for the summer World Cup in Ireland.
Wales: Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets); Elen Evans (Scarlets), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Rebecca de Filippo (Newport Gwent Dragons), Adi Taviner (Ospreys); Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Caryl Thomas (Scarlets), Carys Phillips (capt) (Ospreys), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Rebecca Rowe (Dragons), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Sioned Harries (Scarlets), Rachel Taylor (Scarlets), Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys).
Replacements: Lowri Harries (Scarlets), Cerys Hale (Dragons), Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Rhiannon Parker (Cardiff Blues), Elinor Snowsill (Dragons), Gemma Rowland (Dragons).
Ireland: Kim Flood; Hannah Tyrell, Jenny Murphy, Sene Naoupu, Alison Miller; Nora Stapleton, Mary Healy; Lindsay Peat, Leah Lyons, Ailis Egan; Sophie Spence, Marie Louise Reilly; Ciara Griffin, Claire Molloy, Paula Fitzpatrick (capt).
Replacements: Ciara O’Connor, Ilse van Staden, Ruth O’Reilly, Ciara Cooney, Nichola Fryday, Larissa Muldoon, Mairead Coyne.
