Moloney-MacDonald crossed over from a driving maul in the opening minutes, and Ireland never looked back. In what marked the first stand-alone women's rugby match at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Head Coach Bemand's side delivered exactly the performance they had been desperate to showcase, dismantling Scotland 54-0 in a dominant display that underscored the momentum building around women's rugby in Ireland.
Scotland were put under pressure from the first whistle and conceded an early penalty that set the tone for what would become a relentless afternoon. O'Connor danced around multiple blue shirts to touch down after neat build-up play from King and Wafer, extending Ireland's lead. Wafer, riding high after scoring twice in the victory over Wales in Belfast, continued her fine form to drive Ireland forward, while Hogan forced her way over when held up on the line. The bonus point was secured inside 20 minutes when King crossed over from close range, leaving Ireland with a commanding start that would only accelerate.
The scale of Ireland's dominance became clear as the first half progressed. King's try marked Ireland's 21st of the Championship—a new record for the side—but the team showed no mercy. Scotland struggled to escape their own 22 and conceded penalty after penalty. Flood displayed lovely footwork to find space and dive over after one such infringement. Wafer, who would finish the campaign with four tries, charged over after a clever dummy to give Ireland a staggering 47-0 lead at the break. One disallowed try—Moloney-MacDonald's second, ruled out by the television match official for being involved in the ruck before picking up the ball—was the only thing to slow Ireland's try-scoring barrage.
After Head Coach Bemand made six changes early in the second half, the tempo naturally dropped as Scotland managed to close down chances created. But Hogan added her second try just before the hour mark, with O'Brien converting her seventh of the afternoon. In the final moments, with Ruth Campbell in the sin bin for an accumulation of penalties, Scotland finally got on the board when Sutcliffe scored her first try in a blue shirt—a consolation in an otherwise one-sided affair.
The record crowd that packed the Aviva Stadium witnessed not just a victory, but a statement about the state of women's rugby in Ireland. The performance reflected years of investment and development in the game, and the energy of the crowd suggested that momentum shows no signs of slowing. As Ireland looks ahead, performances like this one—clinical, dominant, and utterly convincing—signal that the women's game at the elite level continues to capture the imagination of Irish rugby fans.