'We'll come back stronger from this' - Erin King calls for Ireland positive response to second-half WXV Global Series woe against USA

King’s try six minutes into the second half at Tallaght Stadium – her sixth in 13 international Test appearances – signalled cause for cheer before visitors USA crossed for a string of converted scores with Vicky Elmes Kinlan in the sin bin before Freda Tafuna cemented defeat.

Now Ireland must regroup and recover for a clash with Japan in Galway’s Dexcom Stadium on Sunday.

"It's disappointing...we came out of the blocks and we showed what we're capable of, we're frustrated that we didn't show that for 80 minutes,” said King on the official Irish Rugby website. "You know, it's our first game of the season and we were definitely looking to hit the ground running and we know what we're capable of.

"So, yeah, lots of learnings and we say that you get your best learnings from your losses probably...if we can take them and bring them into next week against Japan, we'll be happy with that."

Early gains on Sunday included tries for Kinlan, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and Aoife Wafer within the first 20 minutes – with Eve Higgins and Dorothy Walls adding to the scoreboard alongside Dannah O’Brien’s conversions.

“The USA are a big, strong, powerful team and we're probably a bit quicker,” said King. “In the first half we played to our strengths...going out wide, getting the ball to the wingers.

"But probably just our discipline slipped a little bit and that gave them some easy 'ins'.

"We'll come back stronger from this...definitely loads of positives but a lot of learnings and we're probably a little bit frustrated.

"We have so much potential in our squad, I love playing with this team, we have so much talent and it's a joy to get to captain this team.

"I think the girls show day in and day out what they're capable of, so we'll be a little bit frustrated but I have no doubt that we're going to come together and come back stronger as a team. "They got the momentum there and they kept the momentum...if we're going to get anything out of that game, it is going to be the learnings and definitely try to shift that momentum.”