Good evening,
And welcome along to our coverage of Ireland’s second leg clash with Georgia in their opening Euro 2025 play-off.
The aim of tonight’s fixture is to take another step towards qualifying for their first-ever European Championships. And since Eileen Gleeson’s side carry a 6-0 lead from the first meeting in Tbilisi on Friday, this should hopefully be another straight forward win.
From there, Ireland will look forward to another two-legged play-off against Slovakia or Wales [kick-off, 7.15pm] on 29 November and 3 December, with the winners stamping their ticket to Euro 2025.
We’ll have team line-ups for you shortly as we edge closer to the 7.30pm kick-off.
Here’s how Ireland will line out:
Ireland have made three changes as Courtney Brosnan back in for Moloney, Jessie Stapleton in for Tyler Toland and Marissa Sheva starts in place of Lily Agg
STARTING XI | Ireland v Georgia
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 29, 2024
Courtney Brosnan is back in goal, with Jessie Stapleton and Marissa Sheva coming into the starting eleven 👊
Kick off is at 19:30 on RTÉ2 📺 #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/C1Vbh0rzWo
And here is how Georgia will line out:
Tatia Gabunia; Gvantsa Kadagishvil, Mariam Kalandadze, Salome Gasviani; Sopiko Narsia, Natia Danelia, Nino Bukhrikize; Irina Khaburdzania, Teona Bakradze, Ana Cheminava.
Before the game gets underway, have a look at Emma Duffy’s preview here:
Ireland out to put on a show at sold-out Tallaght but tonight’s main event is in Cardiff
Her match report will follow the coverage of our liveblog along with other insights from Paul Fennessy. Both are reporting live from Tallaght Stadium.
Kick-Off! Republic of Ireland v Georgia
1 min: Ireland 0-0 Georgia
Katie McCabe involved in a collision after the kick-off but doesn’t seem to be anything serious as Ireland work the ball out through Courtney Brosnan, who is back in goal following a suspension.
GOAL! Ireland 1-0 Georgia (Julie-Ann Russell ’3)
4 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
We’re already off the mark as Julie-Ann Russell continues her hot run of form to pounce on a rebound after a powerful shot from Marissa Sheva was saved. That puts Ireland 7-0 ahead on aggregate.
6 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
O’Sullivan clips the ball across the Georgia area but there’s no-one in an Irish shirt available to tap the ball home.
8 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Ireland earn the first corner of the game after a period of sustained pressure. McCabe to take.
11 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Kyra Carusa gets her head on the delivery but it just grazes off her and bounces over the end line. Ireland are keeping the ball in Gerogia’s half of the pitch though as Larkin wins a free for a pull on her jersey.
McCabe steps up again to whip the ball in off her left.
12 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Caitlin Hayes gets her head on the ball this time but fails to get the right connection on it.
14 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Larkin and O’Sullivan combine along the wing as Ireland switch the play over to the other channel. An attempted cross from Sheva goes out for a corner.
Julie-Ann Russell gives Ireland an early lead. It looks as if the Georgians are in for a long night at Tallaght Stadium.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 29, 2024
📺 Watch: https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ
📱 Follow: https://t.co/QacRAVBzfj pic.twitter.com/MiVa2fPyxh
18 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Lovely pass from Larkin as bodies scramble over possession. McCabe gets on the ball momentarily but she’s dispossessed after legs get tangled up.
McCabe then goes down in the penalty area as a long ball is sent in. Calls for a penalty follow but the referee isn’t interested.
Ireland corner coming up.
19 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
McCabe runs it short to O’Sullivan, trying to set up a shot for herself from the edge of the box but Georgia are alert to it.
And for the first time in the game, the visitors are finally in Ireland’s half of the pitch.
22 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
The ball goes out for an Ireland throw as Russell takes on Natia Danelia and flies past her. The boot comes out to bring down the Galway United player, and a free is awarded.
23 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Jessie Stapleton sends the ball in but it’s too high for Carusa. The players have been granted a water break while a Georgia injury is addressed.
Meanwhile, it’s 1-0 to Wales against Slovakia, which makes it 2-2 on aggregate.
26 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
Good inter play between McCabe and Anna Patten. Ireland look comfortable working possession across the pitch.
The move ends with Aoife Mannion sending in a lovely cross. But Sheva can’t get the right touch on it to try for Ireland’s second goal.
29 mins: Ireland 1-0 Georgia
A misplaced pass from Hayes marks the end of another Ireland attack as the ball drifts out over the endline.
GOAL! Ireland 2-0 Georgia (Kyra Carusa ’31)
PENALTY! Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Ireland finally have their second goal, and they could be about to have their third as Carusa is brought down in the area. Referee points to the spot.
PENALTY MISS! Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Katie McCabe skies her shot and she gets too much under the ball, sending the ball soaring above the bar.
36 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
A dramatic few minutes there. Kyra Carusa doubles Ireland’s lead following a ball in from Anna Patten that’s helped on by a lovey touch by Jessie Stapleton.
Carusa features again in the next play as she wins a penalty after being fouled in the box. McCabe takes but fails to convert.
Ireland lead 8-0 on aggregate
40 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
CLOSE!
Russell almost gets her second goal of the night after a brilliant pass from Larkin. But credit to Gvantsa Kadagishvil who tracks her run the whole way and gets the vital deflection in.
42 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Another jersey tug on Julie-Ann Russell and this time it’s Ana Cheminava. She becomes the third Georgian player to receive a yellow card in the first half.
43 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
An Ireland corner puts the Georgia keeper Tatia Gabunia under pressure. She drops the ball and there’s a big scramble for the loose the ball. Georgia eventually hoof it clear but there are a few injuries to deal with as a result.
Ireland get going again through Aoife Mannion who targets Carusa with a long delivery.
Four minutes of added time are announced.
43 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
MISS!
Russell should have her second. Again, it was a gift from a rebound but she puts more of an emphasis on the power from short range and it blazes wide of the far post. Stapleton was unlucky not to see her effort settle in the net with a ripper from outside the box.
Russell has her head in her hands when she fails to finish the saved shot to the net.
Ireland lead Georgia 2-0, with Kyra Carusa finding the back of the net following a delightful flick from Jessie Stapleton.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 29, 2024
📺 Watch: https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ
📱 Follow: https://t.co/QacRAVBzfj pic.twitter.com/f8s6ZB12ZY
Half-Time! Republic of Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Ireland comfortably the better side after that half. And more dominant than the first half of their first leg encounter.
Could easily be 4-0 up after McCabe’s miss from the penalty spot and Russell’s close range shot fizzed out wide. But a two-goal lead is still a strong reflection of their authority in the game. Russell found the net after just three minutes, and Kyra Carusa’s effort after the half-hour mark was the perfect compliment to Jessie Stapleton’s lovely flick pass.
Katie McCabe attempts to find the top corner with her spot-kick, but the ball sails over the crossbar.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 29, 2024
📺 Watch: https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ
📱 Follow: https://t.co/QacRAVBzfj pic.twitter.com/ncj87cfLe0
Half-time: Republic of Ireland 2-0 Georgia
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 29, 2024
Jessie Stapleton and Julie-Ann Russell almost add to Ireland's goal tally just before the break.
📺 Watch: https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ
📱 Follow: https://t.co/QacRAVBzfj pic.twitter.com/ppNdc4uxQN
Second Half: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
46 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
One change for the hosts as Lily Agg comes on for Aoife Mannion.
50 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Anna Patten wins a corner for Ireland. The ball is knocked away from McCabe’s kick and Georgia eventually get the ball out as far as the halfway line before Ireland recover possession.
53 mins: Ireland 2-0 Georgia
Good hold up play from Carusa to allow O’Sullivan gather the ball. Ireland send over the other side towards Sheva. The ball eventually comes to O’Sullivan and Lily Agg gets on the ball in the Georgia penalty area.
A half block on the shot sees it out for a corner.
GOAL! Ireland 3-0 Georgia (Katie McCabe ’54)
56 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
McCabe gets her goal and it’s powerful low shot that squeezes inside the post after combining with O’Sullivan from the corner.
That’s a relieving score for the Ireland skipper after missing the penalty.
57 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Kyra Carusa is replaced by Heather Payne and Izzy Atkinson comes in for Abbie Larkin.
59 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Brosnan’s services are required for the first time tonight and makes a save to keep her net clean as Teona Bakradze unleashes an attempt at the far post.
64 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Katie McCabe puts her earlier penalty miss behind her to give Ireland a 3-0 lead over Georgia.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 29, 2024
📺 Watch: https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ
📱 Follow: https://t.co/QacRAVBzfj pic.twitter.com/QspTTRCFEG
70 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Russell tries to link up with Agg in front of the posts but her shot is caught by the Georgia goalkeeper.
71 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Sheva unlucky to see a ball in hit off her hand on the bounce. Meanwhile, McCabe makes way for Leanne Kiernan.
75 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Ireland not letting their foot off the gas as they keep pushing the Georgians back.
Meanwhile, the clash between Wales and Slovakia is heading for extra-time. The winners of that will face Ireland.
77 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Lots of encouraging play from Russell, Kiernan and Agg. Kiernan releases a brilliant low shot, but it’s booted away.
80 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Ireland make one more change for the final 10 minutes. Ellen Molloy is coming on for Russell.
87 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Kiernan eager to get her name on the scoresheet as she tries one from distance. But her shot is blocked away. The ball eventually comes out to Izzy Atkinson who tries to loop the ball in but she puts too much air under it and floats out over the bar for a goal kick.
91 mins: Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Unlucky for Molloy as she drills her shot first time that takes the paint off the crossbar. More good work from Atkinson to cut the ball across for Molloy’s chance.
Full-Time! Republic of Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Republic of Ireland 3-0 Georgia
Job done, and another big one to follow.
The players will likely retreat to the dressing room quickly to find out who their opposition will be in their next two-legged play-off. Wales and Slovakia are 2-2 on aggregate at half-time in extra-time. The winners of that clash will face Ireland with a ticket to the Euros on offer.
Goals from Julie-Ann Russell, Kyra Carusa and Katie McCabe wrap up the play-off with a 3-0 win in the second leg, and 9-0 on aggregate.
More positives than negatives to take from the game, the win could of went to either team, and remember Lancaster is in his third season Joe’s in his first so Ireland have plenty of room for improvement. To run New Zealand so close and narrowly lose to a very good English side in Twickenham in your first six games is good going in my book, onwards and upwards the future is looking good for Irish rugby.
I don’t think Lancaster cares if he wins the six nations. He only has eyes for the World Cup with a group of talented “young” players.
Ireland only seem to want to win the six nations with the backbone of what has been there for ten years.
Can’t see the Italian game bringing in much new blood. Maybe Ryan on the bench but I don’t think much else.
Watch Lancaster at the final whistle….he cares
Ken he cares but your right to an extent! Lancaster has one eye on the World Cup
Ken you’re right. He cares enough, but more so in how it sets up preparation for the World Cup.
Nations such as England and France have their eyes on a bigger prize, the World Cup, and tend to use the Six Nations as a platform for that. It’s really a glorified training exercise for them.
Ask French and English rugby fans if they would rather have four Grand Slams or one World Cup, and most will opt for the latter.
Lessons learned. Overall, it was an excellent match and the English really were something else to watch. We’ll pay the French with Saxon coin in a few weeks time.
A draw would have been a fairer result. Joubert decisions in the end let us down. A clear penalty not given near the end was crucial.
I’m really disappointed that this overheated babble about Joubert has distracted from Irish weaknesses and English strengths on the day. That tackle looks a lot worse when you watch it on endless replay. The man’s a pretty fair ref and this traditionally isn’t a sport where we moan about the ref in the first place.
Fergal, yes Ireland had some problems on the day, notably sextons kicking. In the end however, it came down to a bounce of the ball and refereeing errors. England by no means were better than Ireland. Plus it is very much in Irelands hands still to win the This tournament outright.
It’s not so much the Farrell tackle that is the issue re Joubert. It is the hand use in the scrum (used by a white player to flick the ball back) and the ridiculous positions of the English players when we mauled inside their 22. Watch it again. Each should have been a penalty to us but Joubert chose to not notice these blatant infringements happening right in front of him, which is unacceptable.
Hilary – the hand in the scrum DID NOT happen right in front of Joubert, he was on the other side of the scrum – it was only on the reverse TV angle we could see it, not the angle from Joubert’s side. It happened on the side that, mon dieu, Mr. Poite was policing!
Joubert has form as a home towner. Remember his disgraceful performance in the World Cup final, absolutely robbed France.
This year’s 6 Nations is turning into the BOD farewell tour. Would any other serious rugby nation allow this to happen? I admire BOD hugely both as a player and as a person however Ireland is 18 months away from a World Cup that he will not play in. This means that the first opportunity his successor will get to play in a meaningful match is 6 months before the tournament takes place. Maybe his successor isn’t Irish-qualified yet hence the desire to run BOD out there no matter what?
@Keano
Completely agree with you. It certainly seems like the long goodbye. O’Driscoll has been the best player ever to wear the green but he seems to be calling the shots in terms of him playing or not.
He missed training last week because he was sick. Yet he starts. POC was sick before Scotland game and didn’t play.
Is it more about breaking records or been the best choice at outside centre?
@ Frank
Is that all you can contribute?
The comments section is for people’s opinion. How about you say you don’t agree rather than calling someone an idiot?
O’Driscoll was sick at the start of the week, where as O’Connell took ill the night before the match and didn’t sleep, what an idiotic comparison to make completely undermines the legitimacy of your argument.
@Sean
All I’m saying is, if a player other than O’Driscoll was in the same situation I think the chances of them playing would be far less.
Is there pressure on the management team to pick him even if he is not 100% as it is his last 6 nations?
As I said O’Driscoll has been the best ever player to wear the green shirt but he is not going to be around for long more. Is it right to pick him to start if not 100%.
Is all conjecture anyway none of us where there when these decisions were made.
@Mark no matter how you put your point across no matter how correct you are people will think you an idiot.
The 11th commandment is Brian O’Driscoll is god, can not be replaced, is infallible, he can walk on water.
Ireland may win the 6 nations but as is the story every RWC the other nations will take the big spoils.
Brian O’Driscoll should have graciously stood down in 2013.
Joe Schmidt missed an opportunity to build a squad for the RWC by focusing on winning the six nations.
@ Chris
Well done. Personal abuse because you disagree with my views. Sorry for offending you. I’ll leave one this with the Moderators.
7 comments in and no mention of Zebo!?!
Whoops!
So refreshing to hear actual opinions from the Irish manager, a welcome change from Kindney’s waffling
What? Ireland lost? I never would have known with the lack of coverage!! Surely The Journal doesn’t need to milk this story anymore? How are the Italians, who’s a threat, will the French game be a championship decider?
It hasn’t even been a week since the match. It’s still fair game for commentary and reporting.
I know it’s been less than a week but I can’t understand why Sexton and Murray’s brain farts during the game need to be reported on over and over again. Surely The Journals lazy attempt at a witch hunt could be time better spent offering alternatives to how Ireland can still win the championship?
England butchered three try opportunities .????
The harsh reality was that if England had a 10 with a bit of vision; who wasn’t so play-by-numbers; we’d have played as well as we did and lost by 10-15. Right now, in attack we are playing against our opponents AND our own midfield; compounded by a lack of pace out wide which might compensate.
If me Granny had balls she’d be my Grandad, you could make the same sort of arguments for Ireland, if our centers threatened the line as well as they defend or if our 10 played to his full potential we may have won by 10 points, we lost by a score in a tight game against the English side that we played on the day, they are the facts, any if’s are completely pointless.
That 53rd minute scrum had England in trouble and going backwards… Murray missed a tackle and then got his defensive line wrong… two many missed tackles (22?)..
Do we really have to keep picking over the entrails of this game, its getting tiresome, its over finished,lets move on we have work to do, lets focus ahead to Italy and the French game which although formidable is not as daunting a task as in prevous years.
There were positives, both the scrum and line out were perfect as of won all our own throws and feeds. We are probably the strongest in the 6 nations by some distance in that area at the moment. But the negative is that we just didn’t seem to be threatening enough in the backs. I know we’re missing Earls Bowe Fitzgerald and Zebo and Marshall at 12 might make a difference re go forward ball. But we just didn’t look dangerous in those areas against England.
Actually think it’s an excellent article and nice to see JS give us some real insights and reality into his thinking …
Lot to be positive about… Lot to work on but I feel the team are a different mindset now
French game is actually a huge one now for both sides but again we are away n while French looked a shambles we all know how they turn these situations around
Agree with the comments on BOD n really feel we are wasting development time for his replacement …. That’s not a critisism of bod btw …
Despite the bod topic i would not buy into Ireland don’t have an eye on the WC….looking at the potential of this side n a hot therm hemisphere tournament I would imagine JS is very aware of it….. Think we tend to forget how short a time he is in the job
Yawn……get over it…..
In the past now lads…on to the next match..