Considine Called Up To Ireland Squad As Injury Cover

Head coach Scott Bemand has called up Eimear Considine to the Ireland Women’s squad (sponsored by Aon), ahead of Irish Rugby’s 150th Anniversary Test match against Australia in Belfast.

Considine, who won the last of her 26 Ireland caps in April 2022, linked up with the squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Monday, coming in as injury cover for Méabh Deely.

Following a scan on the ankle injury she sustained playing for Connacht in their 33-19 play-off win over Ulster, Deely has been ruled out of contention for the clash with the Wallaroos at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday week (September 14) (kick-off 2.30pm).

“We’ve got some returning experience with Eimear Considine coming in,” said Bemand. “It was a couple of years since she was last capped, but she’s been going well for Munster and has been showing bits in training that we’ve been able to see.”

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Considine joins the extended Ireland group in preparation for the upcoming visit of Australia to Belfast, and Ireland’s maiden WXV1 campaign in Vancouver later this month.

Meanwhile, Munster’s Jane Clohessy – who was due to train with the squad as a training panellist – has returned home following the knee injury she suffered during Saturday’s final defeat to Leinster.

Bemand also gave an update on Sam Monaghan, one of Ireland’s co-captains from last season. She suffered a significant knee injury during Gloucester-Hartpury’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final win over Bristol Bears in June.

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“Unfortunately it is an ACL,” confirmed Bemand. “Will she miss the Six Nations? That will depend on rehabilitation times and how the process goes. Rather than a time, it’s a step process.

“At the moment it’s still on the cards, but we’ll have to see how the next few months play out. It’s going to take her a wee while for her to come back from it. Pretty gutted for her, really.

“What she’s done over my tenure here, over 12 months, assuming the captaincy role and leading both on and off the pitch, she’s been excellent.

“Look, injuries happen, that’s nature of our sport. What it does do is it gives somebody else a chance to step into a space and grow and own it. We’ve always said going into a World Cup that we’re going to need a really, really competitive 45 (players).

“So, albeit it’s not great for us, not great for Sam, but this now becomes the next opportunity to develop further depth, so by the time we get to the World Cup we can have three-deep in every position.”