Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Wales v Ireland

Having regrouped quickly after last week’s defeat to England, Ireland (sponsored by Aon) are targeting their second away win of this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations when they visit bottom side Wales in Newport.

2025 GUINNESS WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 4:

Sunday, April 20 –

WALES (6th) v IRELAND (3rd), Rodney Parade, Newport, 3pm (live RTÉ One/RTÉ Player/BBC One Wales/BBC iPlayer/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Sounds)

Opta Facts: Women’s Six Nations – Wales v Ireland

Team News: Edel McMahon has returned to full fitness to captain Ireland for this Easter Sunday showdown with Wales, as head coach Scott Bemand makes five changes to the team that lost 49-5 to England in Cork.

McMahon takes over in the back row from Erin King, who has cruelly been ruled out of the rest of the Women’s Six Nations and this year’s Rugby World Cup in England due to a serious knee injury.

King’s Old Belvedere club-mate, Ruth Campbell, reclaims a starting place in the second row alongside Dorothy Wall, and Clare native Siobhán McCarthy is handed her first international start at loosehead prop after seven appearances off the bench.

Neve Jones and Aoife Wafer, who were both try scorers during last year’s 36-5 home victory over Wales, will start again up front, along with Linda Djougang, Ireland’s most-capped current player with 44 Test outings, and Brittany Hogan.

Amee-Leigh Costigan, the team’s captain and lone try scorer in round 3, Anna McGann, and Stacey Flood continue together in the back-three, with Munster’s Enya Breen making up the centre pairing with Aoife Dalton.

Molly Scuffil-McCabe becomes the third different scrum half to start for the girls in green in 2025. Linking up with Dannah O’Brien, the Dubliner is set for her first Test start since the historic WXV1 triumph over New Zealand.

20-year-old prop Sadhbh McGrath is back in the matchday 23 for the first time in twelve months. Fellow Ulster woman Claire Boles is another change to the replacements bench, the dual international having recently captained the Wolfhounds to their second Celtic Challenge title.

Clíodhna Moloney, Christy Haney, and Fiona Tuite are the other forward reinforcements that Bemand can call on, and Emily Lane and Eve Higgins join Vicky Elmes Kinlan, a Six Nations debutant against England, as the back-line options.

Speaking ahead of the fourth round clash, Bemand said: “He (new Wales head coach Sean Lynn) has already tweaked some bits in how they play. They are starting to use the edge a little bit more, which is potentially a more exciting brand to watch.

“We got them over in Cork last year and we were able to get our brand over on them. It will be no different this week going over there – if we can impose our style on them we can create some problems.

“If we sit back away from home and invite them to show what they can do, then we will just make it more difficult for ourselves.

“We understand what they are trying to do and where the threats are liable to be, and we’re very confident that we can get our brand out there.”

Commenting on King’s long-term injury and the return of McMahon this week, he added: “For a young player who’s still got the world at her feet and has come into our programme, we’re gutted for Erin to miss out on having her available and bouncing around the pitch for us.

“In rugby it can happen, and sometimes it deals you a tough hand. Fair play, her attitude to it is, ‘Right, I’m going to come back better’.

“She’s already looking at coming back, already looking at the big picture of what she can add to her game. Undoubtedly we’ll miss her.

“‘Tricky’ (McMahon) just didn’t quite recover in time from that game (against Italy), but she’s back available this week. She brings some bang with her tackles, and she brings an added component of leadership back to the group.

“Any game where you’re travelling away to Wales, having an extra bit of leadership in the group is a good and important thing.”

Meanwhile, Wales head coach Sean Lynn has made two personnel changes, welcoming back experienced back rower Alex Callender from an ankle injury, while Kelsey Jones also swaps in for Carys Phillips at hooker.

For their final game on Welsh soil before the Rugby World Cup, Lynn’s newly-appointed leadership group of captain Hannah Jones and vice-captains Callender and Keira Bevan will all feature together for the first time in this year’s Championship.

Saracens’ Georgia Evans switches to the second row where she partners Abbie Fleming, and Callender will pack down at number 8, flanked by Gloucester-Hartpury duo Kate Williams and Bethan Lewis.

Props Gwenllian Pyrs and Jenni Scoble complete the hosts’ starting pack, while an unchanged back-line, led by Kayleigh Powell and Bevan, has Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, Lisa Neumann, and Carys Cox making their fourth starts together as the back-three unit.

Wales are set to eclipse the record crowd of 1,862 set for their last fixture played at Rodney Parade, which was last September’s 31-24 win over Australia ahead of their WXV2 campaign.

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Table

WALES: Jasmine Joyce-Butchers (Bristol Bears); Lisa Neumann (Harlequins), Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury) (capt), Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears), Carys Cox (Trailfinders Women); Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins), Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears); Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Jenni Scoble (Gwalia Lightning), Abbie Fleming (Harlequins), Georgia Evans (Saracens), Kate Williams (Gloucester-Hartpury), Bethan Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury), Alex Callender (Harlequins).

Replacements: Carys Phillips (Harlequins), Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning), Donna Rose (Saracens), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning), Sian Jones (Gwalia Lightning), Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury), Catherine Richards (Gwalia Lightning).

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster); Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster).

Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC).

Referee: Lauren Jenner (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Aurélie Groizeleau, Maria Heitor (both FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Pre-Match Quotes: Dannah O’Brien (Ireland) –

We have definitely come up another level (since last year’s 36-5 win over Wales in Cork). Especially after WXV as well.

“We are not going to take Wales lightly. They have progressed hugely as well, especially in this Six Nations. They are a team that is continuously growing as well.

“Travelling away from home is always a difficult challenge as well. We are going to have to turn up on both sides of the ball. We’ve had good experience against Welsh teams in the Celtic Challenge.

“They are a power team with a good maul. You can’t go around them, they are a good physical team.

“The girls, some of them play for Gloucester-Hartpury and teams in the ‘Prem’ (Premiership Women’s Rugby in England). So we are well familiar with them, and know it is not going to be an easy game this weekend.”

Sean Lynn (Wales) –

This is our final game at home in the Six Nations, and we need to keep building our performances and to focus on expanding our style of play and what we want to achieve as a squad.

“The players have bought into the attacking game we are implementing, but we need to work harder for each other and to turn the pressure moments we are creating into points.

“We know what Ireland will bring, and they have proved their quality throughout the tournament.

“The players have been told to be brave and to express themselves, and they have a licence to inspire on the field.

“We know Ireland will pose a real challenge, but it’s challenge we are looking forward to and one that we are relishing.”

Pre-Match Links –

Recent Meetings –

2022: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 19 Wales 27, the RDS

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

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