The Ireland matchday squad to face Wales included uncapped full-back Niamh Gallagher ©Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Scott Bemand believes Ireland are ‘a different animal’ now compared to the team that beat Wales in 2024 for the first Guinness Women’s Six Nations win of his coaching reign. His charges have a chance to prove that when they host Sean Lynn’s side in Belfast this evening.
Saturday, May 9 –
IRELAND (4th) v WALES (6th), Affidea Stadium, kick-off 6.30pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/BBC Two Northern Ireland/BBC iPlayer/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Sounds)
Coming To The Match? Here’s All You Need To Know For Ireland v Wales In Affidea Stadium
Team News: Following the 2026 Championship’s down week, Ireland will conclude the tournament with back-to-back home fixtures, starting with the round 4 visit of bottom-placed Wales to Ulster’s Affidea Stadium.
Head coach Scott Bemand has made one change to the team that lost 26-7 in France, bringing experienced centre Eve Higgins back in to reunite with Aoife Dalton. The midfield duo boast 66 Test caps between them.
20-year-old flyer Robyn O’Connor makes her third consecutive start on the left wing, with Stacey Flood, Béibhinn Parsons, Ireland’s top try scorer in this year’s Six Nations with three tries, Dannah O’Brien, and Emily Lane completing the back-line.
Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, the team’s only try scorer in Clermont-Ferrand, is joined again in the front row by Ellena Perry, who returns to the scene of her debut in green last August against Canada, and Linda Djougang.
Dorothy Wall and Ulster’s own Fiona Tuite will power up the hosts’ engine room, and more of the same will be asked of the back row unit of Brittany Hogan, captain Erin King, and Aoife Wafer, the scorer of three tries across Ireland’s 2024 and 2025 Six Nations victories over Wales.
Trailfinders Women and IQ Rugby starlet Niamh Gallagher, who impressed for the Ireland Under-21s against Italy recently, is set to make her senior international debut as a replacement.
The 20-year-old Gallagher is in line to become Ireland’s fourth new cap of the 2026 Six Nations, following in the footsteps of fellow back-three player O’Connor, and Eilís Cahill and Katie Whelan who are both also on the bench for the Wales game.
Bemand has opted for a six-two split, with prop Cahill joined in the forwards contingent by Ulster-capped duo Neve Jones and Sadhbh McGrath, Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan, who is set to reach the 30-cap mark, and Grace Moore.
“We’ve used the fallow week in, I think, the perfect manner,” said Bemand. “We took a few days to recover. We’ve been able to have a couple of days training and the girls have bounced back.
“We can see that in some of the performance data in terms of how quick people are moving. So we know there’s been a great bounce-back. The energy is back around the group and the girls are confident in what they’re trying to achieve.
“We believe in our game, we’ve got confidence in our game. So bouncing back in that sense. The cool thing about the Six Nations at this point is we’ve got two home games to go, and the girls are desperate to get back out there and show the island what we can do.”
He added: “Wales have scored, I think, seven of their eight tries through their driving maul. So we know there’s going to be a battle, a pretty feisty battle up front with the pack.
“We’ve been developing our depth and capability. And what we always do is, we pick a six-three (for the matchday squad) and then as coaches, we choose what the game needs, where we think the game will go.
“And this week it’s a six-two (split) in favour of the forwards. So we think we’ve got the coverage within the backs and it gives us an extra bit of grunt up front.”
Meanwhile, Gloucester-Hartpury flanker Bethan Lewis will captain a Wales team that shows three personnel changes to the side that lost 62-24 to England. She continues in the leadership role with Alex Callender and Kate Williams both sidelined through injury.
The Welsh back-line is boosted by the return of centre Carys Cox, a team-mate of Gallagher and Moore’s at Trailfinders, and the 71-times capped Hannah Dallavalle, who will start on the right wing in place of Seren Singleton.
Lleucu George and Keira Bevan, whose nine-point haul helped Sean Lynn’s charges to bag a bonus point in Bristol, lead the back-line, while the front row trio of Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, and young tighthead Sisilia Tuipulotu will start their fourth consecutive match together.
Saracens’ Georgia Evans comes in to partner the versatile Branwen Metcalfe in the second row, with a knee injury sidelining Gwen Crabb, their chief turnover winner after three rounds.
Teenager Jorja Aiono, an impressive performer for Brython Thunder in this season’s Celtic Challenge, switches to blindside flanker for her fourth cap, alongside skipper Lewis and Bryonie King.
If introduced as a replacement, Gwalia Lightning and Sale Sharks winger Nikita Prothero will become Wales’ fifth debutant of the 2026 campaign. Brython Thunder’s Natalia John is standing by to win her 50th cap for her country.
“Against England we took another real step forward in building our playing style and team identity, and we know we have to do the same against Ireland in their own backyard,” said head coach Lynn.
“This is a new-look Wales squad and it’s all about sticking to our principles and process, and focusing on what we want to do and expect from ourselves in the Test arena.
“Every game in this tournament has seen us build another layer of the team we aspire to be, and we expect to come away from Ireland having done the same.
“Ireland are an ambitious side and will be hurting after their run of results in the tournament. We know they’ll be looking to make a statement in Belfast on Saturday.”
Guinness Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
Guinness Women’s Six Nations Table
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) (capt), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).
WALES: Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins); Hannah Dallavalle (Gloucester-Hartpury), Carys Cox (Trailfinders Women), Courtney Keight (Sale Sharks/Brython Thunder), Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears/Brython Thunder); Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury), Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears); Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sisilia Tuipulotu (Gloucester-Hartpury/Brython Thunder), Branwen Metcalfe (Brython Thunder), Georgia Evans (Saracens), Jorja Aiono (Brython Thunder), Bethan Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury/Gwalia Lightning) (capt), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning).
Replacements: Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning), Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning/Bristol Bears), Donna Rose (Saracens), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Alisha Joyce (Brython Thunder/Bristol Bears), Seren Lockwood (Brython Thunder), Freya Bell (Gwalia Lightning), Nikita Prothero (Gwalia Lightning/Sale Sharks).
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Alexandra Ferre (FFR), Beatrice Smussi (FIR)
TMO: Paulo Duarte (FPR)
FPRO: Dan Jones (RFU)
Pre-Match Quotes: Neve Jones (Ireland) –
You want to play week in, week out, but the fallow week came at a good time. We had three tough games which shows how far the Women’s game has come these days, all games are really competitive.
“We’ve played some really good rugby in the first three rounds, we just need to neaten up. We’ve missed out on one, two percenters, which has been our own doing so we just need to sharpen up on that.
“We’re constantly growing as a squad but we know Wales have gone from strength to strength as well.
“They haven’t had the results they’ve wanted, but the rugby they want to play is exciting. Sean Lynn has done a great job with them, so bring on Saturday and we’ll put on a show, I’m sure.”
Robyn O’Connor (Ireland) –
The coaches have been huge for me. They’ve told me to back myself because they have that belief in me, and they know I need to back myself as much as they back me, and that was just a big thing for me. Be confident in yourself. You’re here for a reason, don’t doubt yourself and all that.
“Stacey’s been a really big role model for me. Her communication both on and off the field has been so crucial to me. And she’s always chatting to me in both attack and defence.
“It really builds up confidence in me to go and back myself. So, yeah, it’s been great. Even if you think about the game against France, that was such a Test match, and it was so physical.
“I’ve been playing with the 20s for the last two years. So, it’s definitely a big jump in terms of physicality and attention to detail, but having someone like Stacey alongside you helps so much.”
Pre-Match Links –
Opta Facts: Guinness Women’s Six Nations – Ireland v Wales
Young Artist Announced As Winner Of IRFU Creative Jersey Design Competition
Bemand: These Next Two Games Are Big Moments For Us
‘Niamh’s Trained The House Down And Deserves Her Chance’ – Bemand
‘We’ve Really Good Memories In Belfast’ – Dalton
O’Connor Back On Familiar Ground As Ireland Feel Belfast Buzz
Recent Meetings –
2023: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Wales 31 Ireland 5, Cardiff Arms Park
2024: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 36 Wales 5, Virgin Media Park
2025: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Wales 14 Ireland 40, Rodney Parade
Support Ireland on www.facebook.com/irishrugby, or search #IREvWAL, #IrishRugby, and #GuinnessW6N on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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