Ireland Women’s Team Announced For Play-Off
The Ireland Women’s team to play the USA in Wednesday’s 5th-8th place play-off shows a number of changes from the side that faced Kazakhstan in their final pool game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
In the front row Yvonne Nolan will start her first game of the tournament, having been on the replacements bench last time out. The versatile Gillian Bourke moves to prop as Nolan comes in at hooker.
Sinead Ryan starts in the back row alongside, with Claire Molloy named on the bench.
With Tania Rosser ruled out of the tournament by a shoulder injury, Louise Beamish starts again at scrum half, while Joanne O’Sullivan moves to out-half in place of Helen Brosnan, who picked up an ankle injury in the win over Kazakhstan.
Shannon Houston forms a new centre partnership with Lynne Cantwell who won her 60th cap against the Kazakhs.
The girls in green beat the USA 22-12 in the pool stages as well as picking up a big win over Kazakhstan but they missed out on a top four spot on points difference.
They now face the USA again in a play-off to determine the 5th to 8th placings at the tournament. The winners of this game will take on either Canada or Scotland in next Sunday’s 5th-6th place play-off.
IRELAND WOMEN’S TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v USA Women, 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup play-offs, Surrey Sports Park, Wednesday, September 1, kick-off 4.30pm):
15 – Niamh Briggs (Clonmel/Munster)
14 – Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
13 – Lynne Cantwell (UL Bohemians)
12 – Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster)
11 – Eliza Downey (Cooke/Ulster)
10 – Joanne O’Sullivan (Richmond/Exile)
9 – Louise Beamish (UL Bohemian/Munster)
1 – Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt)
2 – Yvonne Nolan (Blackrock/Leinster)
3 – Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster)
4 – Kate O’Loughlin (Clonmel/Munster)
5 – Marie Louise Reilly (Navan/Leinster)
6 – Orla Brennan (Blackrock/Leinster)
7 – Sinead Ryan (Blackrock/Leinster)
8 – Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Replacements:
16 – Chris Fanning (Highfield/Munster)
17 – Louise Austin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18 – Caroline Mahon (UL Bohemians/Munster)
19 – Carol Staunton (Galwegians/Connacht)
20 – Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
21 – Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
22 – Mairead Kelly (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Ireland Women’s Rugby World Cup Results/Fixtures:
Pool B –
England 27 Ireland 0, Surrey, Friday, August 20
USA 12 Ireland 22, Surrey, Tuesday, August 24
Ireland 37 Kazakhstan 3, Surrey, Saturday, August 28
Play-Offs –
Ireland v USA, Surrey, Wednesday, September 1
Ireland/USA v Canada/Scotland, Sunday, September 5