It is fourth plays fifth in the Women’s RBS 6 Nations this afternoon as the Ireland Women look to get back to winning ways after disappointing defeats to France and England, who will battle it out for the title next weekend.
2016 WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, March 13
IRELAND WOMEN (4th) v ITALY WOMEN (5th), Donnybrook, 1pm (live on Irish Rugby TV)
Team News: Ireland Women’s head coach Tom Tierney has made eight personnel changes and three positional switches from the last outing against England, so it will be a new-look side that will run out at Donnybrook.
There is a new back-three as Kim Flood and Liz Burke win their first Ireland caps. They are joined by experienced winger Alison Miller who is back into the 15-a-side game following the Ireland Women’s Sevens trip to Sydney and Sao Paulo last month.
Flood, who is also part of the Women’s Sevens programme, takes over at full-back from captain Niamh Briggs who will partner Sene Naoupu in the centre for the round 4 fixture.
Nikki Caughey, another member of the Sevens programme, comes back into the starting line-up at out-half. She will be partnered by scrum half Mary Healy, who will be making her first Six Nations start.
Up front, Lindsay Peat earns her first Ireland start at loosehead prop and Elaine Anthony will make her Six Nations debut when she partners Marie Louise Reilly in the second row.
In the back row, 2015 World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year nominee Sophie Spence will move to number 8, with Ciara Cooney and Ciara Griffin selected on the flanks.
There is lots of experience on the replacements bench, with the likes of Ruth O’Reilly, Paula Fitzpatrick, Claire Molloy, Larissa Muldoon and Nora Stapleton all being available if required.
Claire McLaughlin, who was an unused replacement against England back in November, will be hoping to win her first Ireland cap from the bench.
Meanwhile, the selected Italy team shows one personnel change and one positional switch to the side that overcame Scotland 22-7 at home in the previous round.
Experienced out-half Veronica Schiavon is out injured, so Padova’s Beatrice Rigoni moves to the number 10 spot with Michela Sillari from Colorno introduced at inside centre for her 28th cap.
It will be a landmark game for full-back Manuela Furlan as she makes her 50th appearance for her country, while centre Maria Grazia Cioffi (40 caps), captain Sara Barattin (65), flanker Michela Este (47), prop Elise Cucchiella (55) and replacements Lucia Gai (40) and Paola Zangirolami (65) also have plenty of international experience.
Match Ticket Info: Click here to buy tickets for Ireland Women v Italy Women. Tickets are priced at €;15 for unreserved seating, €;10 for terrace standing, €;5 for children and €;5 for a family (two adults and two children).
Women’s RBS 6 Nations Fixtures/Results
IRELAND WOMEN: Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Liz Burke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt), Sene Naoupu (Galwegians/Connacht), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster), Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Elaine Anthony (Highfield/Munster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (Tralee/Munster), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Zoe Grattage (Tralee/Munster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemians/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol), Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse), Larissa Muldoon (Skewen), Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Claire McLaughlin (Queen’s University/Ulster).
ITALY WOMEN: Manuela Furlan (Benetton Rugby Treviso); Maria Magatti (Rugby Monza 1949), Maria Grazia Cioffi (US Rugby Benevento), Michela Sillari (Rugby Colorno), Sofia Stefan (Rennes); Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Sara Barattin (Rugby Casale) (capt); Elisa Cucchiella (Belve Neroverdi), Lucia Cammarano (Rugby Monza 1949), Melissa Bettoni (Rennes), Elisa Pillotti (Rugby Parabiago), Alice Trevisan (Rugby Riviera Del Brenta), Michela Este (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Monza 1949), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova).
Replacements: Lucia Gai (Rugby Riviera Del Brenta), Gaia Giacomoli (Rugby Colorno), Diletta Nicoletti (Rugby Bologna 1928), Valentina Ruzza (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Ilaria Arrighetti (Rennes), Silvia Folli (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Paola Zangirolami (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Veronica Madia (Rugby Colorno).
Referee: Amy Perrett (Australia)
Assistant Referees: John Carvill, Sue Carty (both Ireland)
Pre-Match Quotes – Tom Tierney (Ireland Women): “While results haven’t gone our way since the opening game against Wales, we have been strong in passages of our play, but mistakes proved to be costly and because of that we just didn’t manage to come out on the right side of the results against France and England.
“We’ve made a number of changes this week and this is to allow players the opportunity to show us what they can do, and no better place to do it than at home in Donnybrook. There’s a couple of new caps and girls making their first Six Nations starts so it should make for an exciting game on Sunday against Italy.”
Niamh Briggs (Ireland Women): “I played a season there (at centre) in the Six Nations a couple of seasons ago, because Nora (Stapleton) was injured and Lynne (Cantwell) went to 10.
“It was obviously a lot easier to play outside the likes of Grace Davitt when they have 50 or 60 odd caps, and they know the game so well. I’m playing outside Sene (Naoupu) now, and I’m looking forward to it. She’s had a great tournament. It’s definitely a challenge but definitely one that I’m looking forward to.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ireland Women Enjoy Winning Start Against Wales
Ireland Women Fall To Two-Try France
Ireland Women Edged Out By Two-Try England
Match Facts –
– The Ireland Women have lost their last two matches, in France and England, and have not lost three in-a-row in the same season of the Six Nations since 2007
– The Italy Women beat Scotland in Bologna last time out but their only away victory in the Six Nations since the opening round of 2014 came on a visit to Scotland last year
– The Italy Women won their first ever game with Ireland in 1997 but have lost all twelve encounters since
– This is the Ireland Women’s fifth outing at Donnybrook where their only loss was to Wales in 2006
Recent Meetings –
2013: Women’s Six Nations: Italy Women 3 Ireland Women 6, Parabiago, Milan
2014: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 39 Italy Women 0, Aviva Stadium
2015: Women’s RBS 6 Nations: Italy Women 5 Ireland Women 30, Stadio Mario Lodigiani, Florence
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