Bemand Names Ireland Team To Face Italy In Parma
2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations Championship Round 1, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast 22/3/2025 Ireland Women vs France Women Ireland's Edel McMahon speaks to the team huddle in the dressing room ahead of the game Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Head Coach Scott Bemand has named his Ireland Match Day Squad, sponsored by Aon, for Sunday’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash against Italy in Parma (Kick-off 3pm Irish time).
Edel McMahon returns to the starting XV to captain Ireland for the Round 2 trip to Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
Bemand has selected an unchanged back three as Stacey Flood continues at fullback and Anna McGann and Amee-Leigh Costigan are named on the wings, while Eve Higgins and Aoife Dalton once again make up the midfield pairing.
After making her injury comeback off the bench last week, Aoibheann Reilly starts at scrum-half in a half-back partnership with Dannah O’Brien.
In the pack, Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones and Linda Djougang are in an unchanged front row, with Ruth Campbell and Fiona Tuite in the engine room.
McMahon leads the side from blindside flanker, with Erin King at openside and Aoife Wafer – who was last weekend’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Round – completing the Ireland starting XV at number eight.
On the bench, Cliodhna Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Christy Haney, Grace Moore, Dorothy Wall and Brittany Hogan provide the forward reinforcements, with Emily Lane and Enya Breen the backline options.
Sunday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and BBC Two Northern Ireland.
Ireland:
15. Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)(15)
14. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC)(7)
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(19)
12. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)(22)
11. Amee-Leigh Costigan Railway Union RFC/Munster)(14)
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(20)
9. Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(13)
1. Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(12)
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)(31)
3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(42)
4. Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(3)
5. Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(11)
6. Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(31)(captain)
7. Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)(5)
8. Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(12)
Replacements:
16. Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs)(39)
17. Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster)(5)
18. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(20)
19. Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby)(18)
20. Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster)(33)
21. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(28)
22. Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)(11)
23. Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(26).