USA fight back from 19 points down to stun Ireland in Dublin

The United States came from 19 points down to beat Ireland 40-36 in their WXV Global Series opener at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Sunday, 20 September.

It was a ten-try thriller. Ireland led 24-12 at half-time and stretched that to 31-12 early in the second half. The Americans then scored 28 unanswered points to stun the home crowd, according to BBC Sport.

The match kicked off at 1:45 p.m. local time at the home of Shamrock Rovers. It was the first women's Test played at Tallaght, and part of the Vodafone Ireland WXV Series, according to Irish Rugby.

Ireland started fast. Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Aoife Wafer and Eve Higgins all crossed in the first half. A try is worth five points, scored by grounding the ball over the tryline. Dannah O'Brien added two conversions, kicks worth two extra points, to make it 24-12 at the break.

Erin King then scored Ireland's fifth try soon after half-time. At 31-12, Ireland looked comfortable. They did not stay comfortable for long.

Elmes Kinlan was sent to the sin-bin for not rolling away quickly enough from a tackle. The sin-bin means ten minutes off the field, leaving her team a player short. The USA took full advantage.

Georgie Perris-Redding, Hope Rogers and Kathryn Treder, with two, kept the Americans in touch. Treder's second score closed the gap during that extra-player period. Then Hallie Taufoou crashed over on 69 minutes to put the USA ahead for the first time. It was a two-point lead.

Freda Tafuna extended it late on. Dorothy Wall hit back for Ireland, but the comeback fell just short. Bella Vogel kicked five conversions for the USA. O'Brien finished with three for Ireland.

What makes this stand out is the scale of the swing. Nineteen points is a huge margin in rugby. Ireland had momentum, a loud home support and a two-score cushion. The USA found a way through with power close to the line and calm kicking when it mattered.

For fans, this means bragging rights with a twist. USA head coach Jack Hanratty is Irish. His side won without star name Ilona Maher, who did not feature in Dublin.

Ireland, coached by Scott Bemand, now regroup quickly. They face Japan in Galway on 27 September.