If the Ireland Women can repeat their flying two-try start from the Scotland game, it could set them up for a successful revenge mission against Wales in round two of the Women’s Six Nations.
2020 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 9
IRELAND WOMEN (3rd) v WALES WOMEN (5th), Energia Park, 1pm (live RTÉ 2/www.rte.ie/player/RTÉ Radio 1 Extra/S4C)
Team News: Eimear Considine returns from injury to feature at full-back in the Ireland Women’s team selected for today’s Six Nations match against Wales at Energia Park. Tickets are available to buy online here.
The fit-again Considine comes in for her first appearance of the 2020 Championship after missing last week’s 18-14 win over Scotland. She is one of three personnel changes for the visit of the Welsh.
With Ellen Murphy ruled out with a calf injury, Cork native Claire Keohane, an experienced Sevens international, slots in at out-half for her first 15s international start. She made her debut off the bench during the second half against Scotland.
There is a Six Nations debut for powerful Blackrock lock Judy Bobbett, who joins forces with Aoife McDermott in the engine room. The Meath youngster won her first cap as a start against Wales at nearby UCD in November.
Considine’s inclusion sees Lauren Delany shift to the right wing, with Beibhinn Parsons, the scorer of that decisive intercept try last Sunday, on the left. Leinster duo Sene Naoupu and Michelle Claffey combine again in midfield.
Keohane will have Old Belvedere’s Kathryn Dane alongside her at half-back, while Cliodhna Moloney, another of the try scorers from the first round, has come through the return-to-play protocols to continue in the front row, flanked by Lindsay Peat and Linda Djougang.
Having recovered from a stomach bug, Ciara Griffin is back to full fitness and will captain the team from the back row. Edel McMahon, last Sunday’s player-of-the-match, and number 8 Anna Caplice complete the starting line-up.
Anne-Marie O’Hora and Larissa Muldoon have been added to the replacements, with the latter, who now covers the out-half position, set for her first appearance since the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Pacy outside back Aoife Doyle is also hoping to make an impact off the bench.
Looking forward to the second round fixture, head coach Adam Griggs said: “It was great to start the campaign with a win last Sunday afternoon. We started the game against Scotland well, but we have areas to work on for this weekend.
“Wales are a familiar side, we played them in November, and we lost to them in the final minutes of that game. We know how strong they are and where the threats are. I’ve no doubt Wales will be looking for a result on Sunday. If we get the small things right, I am confident we will have a successful outcome.”
Meanwhile, flankers Manon Johnes and Alisha Butchers will make their first international starts of the season as Wales’ two initial changes to the side that went down 19-15 to Italy in Cardiff in the opening round.
Former Glantaf pupil Johnes missed the autumn series through injury, while Butchers spent the autumn playing Sevens for Adelaide University along with team-mates Jasmine Joyce and Hannah Jones, one of Wales’ try scorers against Italy last weekend.
In a late switch, Kayleigh Powell has been ruled out so fellow Osprey Lauren Smyth will start at full-back. Welsh captain Siwan Lillicrap led her team to a late 15-13 win over Ireland at UCD in November and is expecting another closely-fought encounter.
“Ireland are a good side who enjoyed a good win over Scotland last weekend. They are still trying to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, so we know they are going to be up for it,” she said.
“But I know from everything we’ve analysed from our game against Italy that we can go out there and have a great performance. The storm will certainly affect the conditions and we will prepare accordingly. We have got to believe in ourselves.
“We are hungry for it. We were emotional after the defeat to Italy – because we were frustrated we didn’t take more from the game. That feeling has translated into our training this week.”
Women’s Six Nations Fixtures/Results
Women’s Six Nations Table
IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Lauren Delany (Firwood Waterloo Ladies/IQ Rugby), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Michelle Claffey (Blackrock/Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Connacht); Claire Keohane (Railway Union/Munster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster), Judy Bobbett (Blackrock/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt), Edel McMahon (Wasps/Connacht/IQ Rugby), Anna Caplice (Harlequins/IQ Rugby).
Replacements: Victoria Dabanovich-O’Mahony (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Laura Feely (Galwegians/Connacht), Anne-Marie O’Hora (Galwegians/Connacht), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Railway Union/Munster), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union/Leinster), Aoife Doyle (Railway Union/Munster).
WALES WOMEN: Lauren Smyth (Ospreys); Jasmine Joyce (Worcester Warriors/Scarlets), Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Scarlets), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Lisa Neumann (Firwood Waterloo Ladies/RGC); Robyn Wilkins (Cardiff Blues), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Gwenllian Pyrs (RGC), Kelsey Jones (Ospreys), Cerys Hale (Cardiff Blues), Natalia John (Ospreys), Gwen Crabb (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Worcester Warriors/Scarlets), Manon Johnes (Cardiff Blues), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys) (capt).
Replacements: Molly Kelly (RGC), Cara Hope (Ospreys), Ruth Lewis (Ospreys), Georgia Evans (Cardiff Blues), Bethan Lewis (Scarlets), Alex Callender (Scarlets), Ffion Lewis (Scarlets), Paige Randall (Cardiff Blues).
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Sara Cox (England), Beatrice Benvenuti (Italy)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland Women to win: 4/11; Draw: 19/1; Wales Women to win: 23/10
Pre-Match Quotes – Anna Caplice (Ireland Women): “That was very disappointing in November but, as much as you want to win in every Test, you’ll take the learnings over anything else. Our defensive effort last weekend, we’re very happy with.
“Managed aspects of it and also there’s still more to work on and still work to add in and tweak. Things like that. Personally, we all will have gone away and seen, ‘Okay, what can I do better?’, and reviewed that. Then at the same time, work as a unit.
“All the back rows will have been communicating all week about, ‘Okay, did you see this at 1 minute 20 seconds’, whatever it was. ‘What can we do better here?’ There’s a lot of really good, positive conversations going on about how to improve in defence and attack.
“We’ve reviewed lots of aspects (of the Scotland game), but I think releasing our wingers (will be key). Giving them a bit more to do this weekend. We’ve some brilliant players on the wing.
“To release them and give them a bit more time on the ball, will get us hopefully on the front foot. Continue that good stretch throughout the first half into the second half and close out the game fully.”
Chris Horsman (Wales Women): “We are extremely lucky with the riches we have available to us in the back row. It’s a hotly-contested area and it’s a case of giving these players a chance to shine and provide the right balance in this match.
“Beth (Lewis) and Alex (Callender) will also play a key part as Manon and Alisha did from the bench last Sunday. We are comfortable with where we are as a group. We showed how dangerous we can be in the first half against Italy, our scrum was excellent against a bigger Italian team and defensively we were very good.
“But we need to manage our possession better and be more clinical with ball in hand. The girls should be confident going into the weekend. We did well to come back into the game and be with a shout of sneaking the win and we learned a lot from the game.
“All the round 1 games were extremely tight which shows how competitive the Six Nations is this year. It’s all about how you perform on the day which is what we’ve been working on.”
Pre-Match Links –
2020 A Huge Year For Women’s Rugby – Eddy
Dane Eyes Further Improvements With Wales Coming To Town
Keohane Ambitious For More
Hallett: We’re Making Good Progress, But Still A Lot To Work On
Caplice: We’re Looking To Release Our Wingers More
In Pics: Ireland Women Edge Out Scotland At Energia Park
Recent Meetings –
2017: Women’s Six Nations: Wales Women 7 Ireland Women 12, Cardiff Arms Park; Women’s Rugby World Cup – 7th-8th Place Play-Off: Ireland Women 17 Wales Women 27, Kingspan Stadium
2018: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 35 Wales Women 12, Donnybrook
2019: Women’s Six Nations: Wales Women 24 Ireland Women 5, Cardiff Arms Park; November Test: Ireland Women 13 Wales Women 15, UCD Bowl
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