Ireland 3 USA 40:Ireland will play Scotland on Sunday in the seventh-place play-off at the World Cup after they were comprehensively outplayed by the Americans in this afternoon's fifth-place semi-final at Guildford Sports Park in Surrey.
Ireland enjoyed a 22-3 victory over their opponents in the earlier pool stages but this proved a complete turnaround as the Eagles ran in six tries, with Niamh Briggs’s 29th-minute penalty the only score registered over the 80 minutes by Phillip Doyle’s side.
Tries from Victoria Folayan, Amy Daniels and a penalty try helped the USA into a 21-3 lead at half-time, with outhalf Christy Ringgenberg slotting over all three conversions.
Daniels and Folayan picked up second tries after the interval before Vanesha McGee wrapped up the rout, going over five minutes from time.
The USA will now meet Canada in the fifth-place final on Sunday after they hammered Scotland 41-0 in the earlier game.