Ireland in 13-try romp

Mike Mullins grabbed a hat-trick of tries in Ireland's win

USA 3-83 Ireland (HT 3-31)

Ireland romped to a record-breaking 13-try demolition of the USA in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday.

The Irish never let up, despite a series of second-half substitutions, and surged to their highest ever points tally in an away match.

Centre Mike Mullins led the scoring with a hat-trick of tries, and there were also two touchdowns each for debutants Geordan Murphy and Guy Easterby, as well as the latter's brother Simon, as Ireland showed no mercy to the outclassed Americans.

Flanker Simon Easterby got things under way with the first try in just the second minute only for his team to be pegged back to 5-3 by a Grant Wells penalty.

Double: Simon Easterby grabbed two tries

Leicester Tigers fullback Murphy was quickly on the scoresheet too, crossing for his team's second try by surging over after Mullins had clung on to a low Ronan O'Gara pass and drawn the cover.

O'Gara landed the conversion for 12-3, and Ireland's third try soon followed.

Quick hands by Guy Easterby and O'Gara carved out room for Mullins to romp over unopposed, with O'Gara tagging on the conversion. Guy Easterby emulated Murphy's debut try, neat inside passes by O'Gara and the Leicester back paving the way for him to plunge over in the corner.

Malcolm O'Kelly grabbed a fifth Irish try, the lock taking advantage of slackness by Wells and winning the race to touch down before the ball ran dead.

Humiliating

O'Gara's conversion made it 31-3 at half-time, and the Eagles were already staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat.

Ireland were not about to miss their opportunity for a continuing avalanche of points and they started the second half in unstoppable style.

Mullins finished off another confident passing move through the backs for his second try within seconds of the restart, and O'Gara once again converted.

The seventh try came after good work from the forwards, and Saracens prop Paul Wallace was the man to benefit with the touchdown following a driving maul. O'Gara duly added the extra two points.

Hat-trick

Guy Easterby then broke through midfield for Mullins to complete his hat-trick as Ireland chalked up their half-century - and O'Gara continued his impressive strike rate with another successful conversion.

Next it was Guy Easterby's turn again, the scrum-half adding his second try under the posts after the ball was spun in through the backs from a line-out.

O'Gara converted and once again showed his prowess with the boot, converting Ireland's 10th score from wide out after wing James Topping crossed as the USA tired.

Pressure

One last effort at resistance saw an unlikely period of pressure for the hosts which was broken only when Simon Easterby drove over after a line-out to make the score 71-3. David Humphreys had come on for O'Gara and failed with his conversion attempt.

He gave himself another opportunity, though, two minutes from time when he went over himself after a solo charging run.

Humphreys was again unable to convert. But, after Murphy scored his second try, O'Gara's replacement finally found his range and had the final say by adding two more points to round off proceedings.

Perhaps the only surprise was that captain Keith Wood failed to get on the scoresheet - last time the two sides met he scored four tries.

USA - Pen: Wells.
Ireland - Tries: Mullins (3), S. Easterby (2), Murphy (2), G. Easterby (2), O'Kelly, P. Wallace, Topping, Humphreys. Cons: O'Gara 8, Humphreys.

Ireland: Geordan Murphy, James Topping, Mike Mullins, Rob Henderson, Tyrone Howe, Ronan O'Gara, Guy Easterby, Eric Miller, David Wallace, Simon Easterby,-Jeremy Davidson, Malcolm O'Kelly, Paul Wallace, Keith Wood, Justin Fitzpatrick Replacements: Peter Stringer, David Humphreys, Kevin Maggs, Andy Ward, Robert Casey, Marcus Horan, Frank Sheehan