Second row Sam Monaghan is back from injury to captain the Ireland Women's team against Scotland in Cork ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Just over a week before the Rugby World Cup squad announcement, the Ireland Women (sponsored by Aon) have some familiar names and fresh faces combining for their first warm-up match against Scotland (kick-off 2pm – live on irishrugby+/BBC iPlayer/RugbyPass TV).
Saturday, August 2 –
IRELAND WOMEN v SCOTLAND WOMEN, Virgin Media Park, 2pm (live irishrugby+/BBC iPlayer/RugbyPass TV)
Tickets for Ireland’s warm-up games against Scotland and Canada are on sale here.
Team News: In a timely boost, Sam Monaghan returns to captain Ireand after a lengthy lay-off following an ACL injury sustained in the PWR final in June of last year.
Head coach Scott Bemand has handed debuts to Ivana Kiripati in the back row and Nancy McGillivray in the centre, with Ballina youngster Ailish Quinn primed to win her first cap from the bench.
In the pack, Siobhán McCarthy, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, and Sadhbh McGrath make up the front row, while Monaghan’s second row partner, Eimear Corri Fallon, also makes a welcome return after nearly 12 months out.
Creggs starlet Kiripati, who turns 22 next Wednesday, gets the nod at openside flanker and will have the experienced Brittany Hogan and Grace Moore alongside her in the back row.
Dannah O’Brien and Molly Scuffil-McCabe combine at half-back, as they did in April’s 26-19 defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh. Exeter Chiefs’ McGillivray, who was previously a transition-contracted player with England, partners Eve Higgins in midfield.
Connacht’s Méabh Deely anchors a potent looking back-three which includes Olympians Amee-Leigh Costigan and Béibhinn Parsons on the wings. Like Monaghan and Corri Fallon, Parsons is back in the green jersey following a long spell out due to two leg breaks in 2024.
Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, and the 19-year-old Quinn are the replacement forwards on a strong bench, with backs Emily Lane and Enya Breen completing Ireland’s matchday 23.
Speaking ahead of the clash in Cork, Bemand said: “This is the first real opportunity for players to put their hands up for World Cup selection, and that’s brought great intensity to our work in camp.
“We’ve seen real growth in this group since we assembled at the start of June, and now it’s about transferring that onto the pitch. There’s a lot of competition for places, which is exactly what we want heading into a major tournament.
“Scotland are a quality side, and our recent encounters have all been tight, physical battles – that’s the kind of test we need as we build towards the Rugby World Cup.”
Join the Green Wave and support the Ireland team – sign up here today.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh out-half Hannah Ramsay will make her first start for Scotland, forming a fresh half-back partnership with Caity Mattinson as part of six personnel changes to the team that lost 34-29 to Italy in Viadana last week.
Speedster Chloe Rollie comes in at full-back, with Emma Orr selected at outside centre to link up with the 70-times capped Lisa Thomson in a familiar midfield combination.
Eleswhere in the Scottish back-line, Loughborough Lightning’s Lucia Scott moves from full-back to the left wing, with Rhona Lloyd, who is set for her 59th Test appearance, on the opposite side.
In the forwards, Anne Young and Alex Stewart are selected at loosehead prop and openside flanker respectively, the former packing down with Bristol Bears duo Lana Skeldon and Elliann Clarke in the front row.
Stewart’s selection means Rachel McLachlan switches to the blindside flank, with Evie Gallagher, the scorer of two tries against Italy, packing down again at number 8. Captain Rachel Malcolm switches to lock, linking up with Emma Wassell.
On the bench, Beth Blacklock is poised for her first taste of Test rugby since the 2023 Six Nations. She is joined by fellow back replacements, scrum half Leia Brebner-Holden and winger Coreen Grant.
Elis Martin, also a try scorer last time out, Leah Bartlett and Molly Poolman are the front row reserves, with Bryan Easson’s matchday 23 rounded off by versatile loose forwards Adelle Ferrie and Eva Donaldson.
IRELAND: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Manawatū RFC/Leinster); Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) (capt), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC/Connacht), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster).
SCOTLAND: Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Mediterranee); Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Emma Orr (Bristol Bears), Lisa Thomson (Trailfinders Women), Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning); Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh), Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders Women); Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning), Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears), Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears), Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women), Rachel Malcolm (Trailfinders Women) (capt), Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier), Alex Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars), Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears).
Replacements: Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning), Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC), Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars), Eva Donaldson (Sale Sharks), Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning), Beth Blacklock (Saracens), Coreen Grant (Saracens).
Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Holly Wood (RFU), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Pre-Match Quotes: Sam Monaghan (Ireland) –
It was really emotional seeing my name on the team sheet again. Not only for me, but for my family, team-mates, everyone that’s been on the journey with me, physios, S&Cs.
“I’m taking it day by day. I won’t be getting too ahead of myself, but my goal is to just get back out on the pitch and hopefully put in a performance I can be proud of on Saturday and get back into it again.
“It’s been a long road and it’s been tough, I’m really excited, trying not to get too excited until Saturday. When you’re between them four white lines, that’s all you think about in that moment is what’s going on in that game, the people around you, the crowd and the atmosphere.
“I’m really concentrating on just the performance. You kind of leave everything behind on the whitewash that’s happened. I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t think I’ll be thinking of what’s happened in that last year at all.”
Amee-Leigh Costigan (Ireland) –
When the squad heads over to England we will have time to digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels, but then switching on, knowing we’re not there just to show up. We really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud.
“At the time (of her try against England last time out at Virgin Media Park) it was just, ‘Let’s get this crowd going’. That’s probably why I celebrated so hard. I don’t usually celebrate that hard.
“But it just came off so well and I was like, ‘You know what, it deserves it, and the crowd here deserves something to be screaming and roaring about’.
“The energy down there that we felt was something else. It really felt like an extra player. Coming into this weekend, I hope they give us good cheers if we win a turnover, win a scrum, score tries, whatever it is. They’re just as part of the game as we are.”
Recent Meetings –
2023: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Scotland 36 Ireland 10, Hive Stadium
2024: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 15 Scotland 12, Kingspan Stadium
2025: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Scotland 26 Ireland 19, Hive Stadium
Support Ireland on www.facebook.com/irishrugby, or search #IREvSCO and #IrishRugby on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
This website uses cookies.
Read More