Linda Djougang will reach a half-century of international caps when Ireland resume their Rugby World Cup campaign in Northampton ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Linda Djougang’s 50th appearance in the green jersey coincides with another big Rugby World Cup occasion for the Ireland Women (sponsored by Aon), as they return to Franklin’s Gardens to play Spain, their old rivals from WXV3 two years ago.
Sunday, August 31 –
IRELAND WOMEN (2nd) v SPAIN WOMEN (4th), Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, 12pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/BBC Two/RTÉ 2FM/BBC Radio Ulster)
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Team News: Following last weekend’s 42-14 bonus point win over Japan, Ireland will go head-to-head with Spain in their second Pool C outing at the home of Northampton Saints.
Along with head coach Scott Bemand making seven changes, Sam Monaghan captains the team from the second row, and prop Linda Djougang will win her 50th Test cap. She is the 15th Ireland Women’s international to reach the half-century mark.
The 29-year-old Djougang made her Ireland debut against England in February 2019, and has become a key cog in the pack, scoring nine tries so far.
She is joined in the front row by recent debutant Ellena Perry, who makes her first Ireland start, and Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, a veteran of the 2017 Rugby World Cup. Eimear Corri Fallon completes the tight five.
Paris Olympian Claire Boles comes in for her World Cup debut at openside flanker, with Grace Moore replacing Brittany Hogan, last Sunday’s player-of-the-match, at number 8, and the versatile Fiona Tuite continuing on the blindside.
Another of the World Cup newcomers, Molly Scuffil-McCabe, will renew her half-back partnership with Dannah O’Brien, who landed all six of her conversions in the Japan game.
Athlone native Anna McGann will make her first start of the tournament on the right wing, and the rest of the back-line is unchanged. Stacey Flood and Amee-Leigh Costigan featuring again in the back-three, and Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins are the centre duo to take on las Leonas.
Selected as replacements, Siobhán McCarthy and IQ Rugby recruit Nancy McGillivray (pictured above) are the only players on the bench who were not involved in the Pool C opener. Emily Lane and Enya Breen are the other back-line options, alongside Exeter Chiefs centre McGillivray.
The aforementioned Hogan, Neve Jones, Sadhbh McGrath, and Ruth Campbell complete the five-three bench split, as Ireland gear up to face Spain for the first time since their hard-fought 15-13 victory in Dubai in October 2023 to clinch the WXV3 title.
Speaking ahead of the game, Bemand said: “There’s always a balance to strike (with the team selection). We’ve mentioned how we compete in training. The girls that come in have fully earned their spot and we’ve got the blend right of team and physical capability across the board to get our best game out there against Spain.
“This is our first chance to nail that quarter-final position. We’re absolutely gunning for it. There’s a couple of tactical changes which gives us slightly different things to what we showed against Japan.
“It’s an advantage to get out of the blocks fast. We want to impose ourselves as quickly as we can. Spain are a mobile team, they have a strong background in Sevens.
“We want to be mobile, we want to create a physical challenge, we want to get on top of them, and we believe we’ve picked the right squad to do that.”
Meanwhile, Spain head coach Juan González Marruecos has made nine changes to the side that lost 54-8 to New Zealand. Second row Lourdes Alameda, who takes over the captaincy, is the only player retained in the pack.
It is a youthful starting XV with an average age of 23, and Harlequins back Claudia Peña Hidalgo (20) is a player to watch out for. Toulouse’s Amalia Argudo starts at full-back, and scrum half Anne Fernández de Corres will be a familiar face to Ireland’s Sevens contingent.
Cisneros’ Zahía Pérez moves from inside centre to out-half to make way for World Cup debutant and Spain’s youngest squad member, Claudia Cano, who has only just turned 20.
Spain won their eighth successive Rugby Europe Women’s Championship title earlier this year, and their build-up to the World Cup included two losses to pool opponents Japan (32-19 and 30-19), and a 97-7 defeat England in Leicester.
Commenting on this week’s changes in personnel, González Marruecos said: “The New Zealand game was very tough for us. The guys gave everything and they finished strong.
“We are recovering and we have full confidence in the guys who come into the team. We really want to fight in every minute of the game and we think we need fresh bodies to fight against Ireland.
“It’s going to be a very tough match, Ireland have made seven changes to their line-up. They will give everything in this game because they know if they win, they will qualify for the quarter-finals.
“I think we’ve got strengths that we can put into the game and make the game really hard, and we’re going to play for 80 minutes. We’re going to show the grit and spirit we showed in the first match, fighting every minute.”
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), 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); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby).
SPAIN: Amalia Argudo (Stade Toulousain); Claudia Pérez (Majadahonda), Claudia Peña Hidalgo (Harlequins), Claudia Cano (Cisneros), Clara Piquero (Lons Rugby); Zahia Pérez (Cisneros), Anne Fernández de Corres (RFER); Gemma Silva (Barça Rugbi), Marieta Roman (SVM Cocos), Eider García (LOU), Lourdes Alameda (AC Bobigny) (capt), Elena Martinez (Stade Bordelais), Lía Piñeiro (Olimpico Pozuelo), Ana Peralta (SVM Cocos), Valentina Pérez (Les Abelles).
Replacements: Cristina Blanco (Trailfinders Women), Laura Delgado (Harlequins), Mireia de Andrés (Sant Cugat), Anna Puig (UE Santobiana), Monica Castelo (Stade Rennais), Nerea Garcia (El Salvador), Bingbing Vergara (El Salvador), Lea Ducher (SVM Cocos).
Referee: Kat Roche (USA)
Assistant Referees: Clara Munarini (FIR), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Pre-Match Quotes: Sam Monaghan (Ireland) – “It would mean the world to us (to reach the quarter-finals). We’ve worked incredibly hard. There’s been a lot of sacrifices and setbacks, so it would mean a lot to do it for everyone that’s been along with the Green Wave at home.
“The people at home, the families that have seen us go through the tough times and the good times, that have been there through everything. It would mean a lot to us.
“Spain have some exciting players. They have evolved since then (the 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifiers) as have we, so it’s going to be an exciting game and they’re definitely not to be underestimated.
“Linda’s been such a cornerstone of this team. We all sat in the team room the other day and saw her interview with the BBC and there were tears in our eyes. She’s been through a lot, she just plays with her heart on her sleeve, and I’m really proud to see her get her 50th on Sunday. We’ll be right behind her.”
Linda Djougang (Ireland) – “It’s unbelievable (to get to 50 caps), to be honest. When I started rugby, I never dreamed of this. It’s even beyond a dream because I never really imagined that I would reach this milestone.
“Every game, I just tried to do my best. It means so much more for the girls in the squad, knowing that you can get there – I don’t think I have played with someone that gained 50 caps.
“For me to be able to be that role model for them, it’s amazing. I want them to hit the 100 if they can, and show that this dream is limitless, just go for it.”
– Ireland have won five of their last eight meetings with Spain (L3), this after losing their first three matches against las Leonas. This will be the teams’ first encounter at a Rugby World Cup
– Five of the last nine fixtures between Ireland and Spain have been decided by fewer than three points, including each of their last two clashes – an 8-7 win for Spain in a Rugby World Cup qualifier in 2021, and a 15-13 triumph for Ireland at WXV3 in 2023
– Ireland have won eight of their last nine Rugby World Cup pool games (L1). Last week’s 28-point victory over Japan in the opening round was their biggest win at the start of a campaign
– Spain have won just one of their last seven Rugby World Cup games against European nations (L6), after winning four of their initial five such fixtures in the tournament. They did beat European opposition in the pool phase during their last tournament appearance (22-8 v Italy in 2017)
– Ireland slotted over each of their six kicks at goal against Japan, with Dannah O’Brien in unerring form. No other team attempted as many kicks without missing at least one during the 2025 Rugby World Cup’s first round
– Spain conceded just two penalties against New Zealand last Sunday, at least two fewer than any other team in the opening round of the tournament in England
– Spain made the most tackles during the Rugby World Cup’s opening weekend (246), although they recorded the lowest tackle success rate (80.1%), while Ireland had the third best rate (91.7%), behind Scotland (94.6%) and England (91.8%)
– Ireland’s Eve Higgins carried for 197 metres from her 10 carries against Japan, an average of 19.7 metres per carry, the best rate of any player to run with the ball more than once during the tournament’s opening round
– Alba Capell made 27 tackles for Spain against New Zealand, no player made more across the Rugby World Cup’s first few days of action (level with Morwenna Talling and Emily Chancellor)
Recent Meetings –
2021: Rugby World Cup Qualifier: Ireland 7 Spain 8, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
2023: WXV3: Ireland 15 Spain 13, The Sevens Stadium, Dubai
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