Buy Your Ireland v Japan Tickets
Ireland and Japan are both seeking their first wins of the inaugural WXV Global Series campaign, having lost last week to the USA (40-36) and Italy (55-21), respectively.
Connacht Rugby's Dexcom Stadium will play host to Sunday's Vodafone Ireland WXV Series clash between the teams, with tickets available to buy here.
The team to play Japan has been announced, and there are six changes with prop Eilís Cahill making her first start. Her Munster front row colleague, Beth Buttimer, is standing by for her debut off the bench.
Led by Erin King, Scott Bemand's charges have fond memories of the Galway ground where a Béibhinn Parsons hat-trick inspired April's 57-20 Six Nations victory over Italy.
Speaking about the mood in camp as the girls in green head west, backs and kicking coach Gareth Steenson said: "I think the first day we came in there was a lot of frustration obviously, a lot of hurt around it (the defeat to the USA).
"So, it is about channelling that in the right direction. The reality is we're coming off the back of a loss. We've got another home game this weekend against a team that, the last time we played in the World Cup, it went well against.
"We have put a lot of time into really being clear in what we want to go after this week, and I think there's a real clarity around how we want to approach the game, with and without the ball, and with and without wind.
"We feel we're equipped. It's not going to be perfect, we don't expect it to be perfect. I just think if we get the right sort of attitude around what we want to do, we can go and express ourselves in the best way possible."
Wexford native Niamh O'Dowd is pictured during Thursday's training session for the Ireland squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre
Head coach Scott Bemand described Ireland's loss to the USA - the home side were 19 points in front on two occasions - as the 'first blip that we've had, but it is not going to be a problem'
Erin King is ready to captain the Ireland 15s team for the seventh time, having taken over the role ahead of the 2026 Guinness Women's Six Nations
Aoibheann Reilly, pictured with fellow half-back Caitríona Finn, comes into the starting XV, and will play for Ireland for the first time at Dexcom Stadium after missing the 2026 Six Nations through injury
Pictured with uncapped forward Kate Jordan, recent Munster debutant Grace Moore returns to Ireland's matchday squad this week as a replacement back row
Scrum coach Denis Fogarty is the longest-serving member of the current Ireland Women's coaching team, first coming on board for the 2022 tour to Japan
Moving from blindside flanker to number 8 this week, the newly-capped Jemima Adams Verling is looking forward to playing for her country at her home provincial stadium in Galway
Dual international Béibhinn Parsons makes a welcome return to the Irish back-line, slotting in on the right wing for the first Japan Test
Making the bench for the second week running, versatile 20-year-old back Niamh Gallagher will win her third Ireland senior cap if introduced as a replacement
Sharpshooting young out-half Caitríona Finn, who is also 20, is one of nine Munster players in Scott Bemand's squad fot this autumn international window
Tipperary youngster Beth Buttimer, pictured with Sadhbh McGrath, is set to make her Ireland breakthrough on the back of a superb Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship campaign
Balbriggan RFC product Alma Atagamen is another young forward on the rise. She was first brought into camp ahead of the 2025 Six Nations Championship
Chisom Ugwueru has had a busy start to the season, helping Munster to lift the Interpro trophy for a second successive year, and she also impressed for Ireland at the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens
Defence coach James Scaysbrook gets his message across during the Ireland squad's latest training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre
Alana McInerney, who scored six tries in three recent outings for Munster, received her first call-up to the Ireland senior squad for the 2021 autumn Tests against the USA and Japan
Dannah O'Brien made her Test debut as an 18-year-old against Japan in August 2022. She kicked 12 points in a 57-22 win in Shizuoka
Once-capped second row Jane Clohessy, pictured with Linda Djougang and Neve Jones, has retained her place on the Irish bench this week
Ulsterman Neill Alcorn, who guided the Wolfhounds to a Celtic Challenge three-in-a-row, has been working with Ireland's forwards on the lineout and other aspects of their play
Uncapped second row Olivia McKinley had two years with Ulster at Under-18 level - co-captaining the province in 2025 - before recently making the step up to senior level
Former Dolphin underage player Lucia Linn is one of three uncapped backs in Scott Bemand's extended squad. She captained the unbeaten Ireland Under-21s last season
