Ireland Women’s Team Named For Scotland Clash

Ireland Women’s head coach Tom Tierney has named the team, sponsored by Aon, to face Scotland in Friday’s Women’s Six Nations opener at Broadway Stadium in Glasgow (kick-off 6.35pm).

There are five uncapped players named in the matchday 23, with Railway Union’s Ailsa Hughes winning her first cap as the starting scrum half.
 
In the replacements, all three of the front row forwards are uncapped, with hooker Jennie Finlay and props Ilse van Staden and Ciara O’Connor all in line to wear the green jersey for the first time.
 
Eimear Considine, who has been capped for the Ireland Sevens side, will be looking to win her first international cap in the 15-a-side game on Friday evening.
 
In the starting XV, Highfield hooker Leah Lyons, who won her first cap back in November, is partnered in the front row by props Lindsay Peat and Ailis Egan. Experienced campaigner Marie Louise Reilly will have Orla Fitzsimons of St. Mary’s as her second row partner.
 
The back row will see flankers Ciara Griffin and Claire Molloy pack-down with number 8 Paula Fitzpatrick, who will captain the team in absence of regular skipper Niamh Briggs who is continuing her rehab from injury.
 
In the back-line, the uncapped Hughes will link up with her Leinster colleague Nora Stapleton at half-back, while Sene Naoupu partners the returning Jenny Murphy in the centre, and the back-three sees Alison Miller and Niamh Kavanagh on the wings with Mairead Coyne at full-back.
 
Speaking ahead of the squad’s departure for Scotland, Tom Tierney said: “The first game of the Six Nations is always a big challenge, as it’s very difficult to know what the opposition are going to throw at you.

“Scotland, in front of their home crowd, will be looking to give their fans something to get excited about, so it’s really important that we go into the game fully focused.

“There’s some new caps in the side for this Friday, and those players have performed really well in the camps that we’ve had over the previous number of weeks, so now it’s their chance to transfer what they’ve been doing in training into the international arena.

“It’s very exciting that all the matches in this year’s Championship will be broadcast live, so we hope everyone will tune in (to RTE 2) on Friday evening to watch the game.”

IRELAND WOMEN’S Team & Replacements (v Scotland, 2017 Women’s Six Nations Championship, Broadwood Stadium, Glasgow, Friday, February 3, kick-off 6.35pm):
 
15. Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
13. Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
12. Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls)
11. Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht)
10. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
9. Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/Leinster)
1. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster)
2. Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
4. Orla Fitzsimons (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
6. Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
8. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster) (capt)

Replacements:
 
16. Jennie Finlay (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
17. Ilse van Staden (Cooke/Ulster) *
18. Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht) *
19. Elaine Anthony (Highfield/Munster)
20. Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht)
21. Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht)
22. Claire McLaughlin (Cooke/Ulster)
23. Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
 
* Denotes uncapped player

IRELAND WOMEN’S Management –

Anthony Eddy – Director of Women’s Rugby
Tom Tierney – Head Coach
Declan O’Brien – Assistant Coach
Derek Dowling – Scrum Coach
Tanya Abbas-Curran – Team Manager
Ed Slattery – Strength and Conditioning Coach
Nathan Buckley – Video Analyst
Emma Gallivan – Physiotherapist
Alan Farrell – Team Doctor
Marcus Shortall – Nutritionist
Rory Wilson – Squad Co-ordinator
Sam O’Byrne – Media Officer

IRELAND WOMEN’S Six Nations Fixtures:

Friday, February 3
Scotland Women v Ireland Women, Broadwood Stadium, Glasgow, 6.35pm (live on RTE)

Sunday, February 12
Italy Women v Ireland Women, Stadio Tommaso Fattori, L’Aquila, 2pm local time/1pm Irish time (live on RTE)

Sunday, February 26
Ireland Women v France Women, Donnybrook Stadium, 12.45pm (live on RTE)

Saturday, March 11
Wales Women v Ireland Women, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, 11.30am (live on RTE)

Friday, March 17
Ireland Women v England Women, Donnybrook Stadium, 8pm (live on RTE/Sky Sports)