The stage is set for a mouth-watering Women’s Six Nations top of the table clash, with Ciara Griffin and her Ireland team-mates relishing the prospect of taking on defending champions England in the new setting of Doncaster’s Castle Park.
2020 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 23
ENGLAND WOMEN (1st) v IRELAND WOMEN (2nd), Castle Park, Doncaster, 12.45pm (live RTÉ 2/www.rte.ie/player/Sky Sports Action/Sky One/RTÉ 2fm)
Team News: For their third round meeting with England, Ireland Women’s head coach Adam Griggs has made two personnel changes to the team that overcame Wales 31-12 at Energia Park two weeks ago.
Aoife Doyle slots back in on the left wing, replacing in-form teenager Beibhinn Parsons, who is taking time away from rugby to concentrate on her Leaving Cert preparations, while Katie Fitzhenry, who makes her first appearance of the tournament, is selected at inside centre.
This will be Fitzhenry’s first Six Nations outing since playing in a 33-11 defeat away to England at the end of the 2018 Championship. Claire Keohane, another player with plenty of Sevens experience, is retained at out-half following an assured first start against Wales and the continued absence of Ellen Murphy (calf).
Up front, Meath youngster Judy Bobbett showed her physicality on her Six Nations debut and more of that will be required in the engine room. Lindsay Peat, who made her debut against England in November 2015, wins her 30th cap in the front row.
With Ireland Sevens regular Hannah Tyrrell also added to the bench this week, Griggs said: “We are really looking forward to traveling over to Doncaster for this match. We’ve had a solid start to the tournament with two wins and are happy with the step up in our performance from week to week so far.
“England are the defending champions and are coming into this game unbeaten too, so it’s going to be a real challenge. However, we intend to focus on what we can control within our own game and believe if we get our systems right that we should be able to really put them under pressure.
“We have no intention of giving them anything easy and are relishing the opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.”
Meanwhile, England head coach Simon Middleton has made a trio of changes for the visit of Ireland, noting his squad’s ‘strength-in-depth and competition for places’ has seen him alter his matchday selection.
Harlequins’ Leanne Riley returns at scrum half while, with a combined 142 Test caps between them, Sarah McKenna and the vastly-experienced Katy Daley-Mclean also get the nod at full-back and out-half respectively.
Fresh from scoring her 21st try in 12 Tests in the 53-0 victory over Scotland last time out, ‘Quins flyer Jess Breach retains her place while Yorkshire-born Zoe Aldcroft starts in the second row once more.
Loughborough Lightning’s Detysha Harper, who has been added to the replacements, is in line for her first England cap after fellow prop Hannah Botterman picked up a calf injury.
Women’s Six Nations Fixtures/Results
Women’s Six Nations Table
ENGLAND WOMEN: Sarah McKenna (Saracens); Abby Dow (Wasps), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning), Amber Reed (Bristol Bears), Jess Breach (Harlequins); Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning), Leanne Riley (Harlequins); Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins), Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Poppy Cleall (Saracens), Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sarah Beckett (Harlequins), Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens), Sarah Hunter (Loughborough Lightning) (capt).
Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Harlequins/RAF), Detysha Harper (Loughborough Lightning), Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins), Harriet Millar-Mills (Wasps), Amelia Harper (Loughborough Lightning), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Emily Scott (Harlequins).
IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Lauren Delany (Firwood Waterloo Ladies/IQ Rugby), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster), Aoife Doyle (Railway Union/Munster); Claire Keohane (Railway Union/Munster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster), Judy Bobbett (Blackrock/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt), Edel McMahon (Wasps/Connacht/IQ Rugby), Anna Caplice (Harlequins/IQ Rugby) (13).
Replacements: Victoria Dabanovich-O’Mahony (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Laura Feely (Galwegians/Connacht), Leah Lyons (Harlequins/IQ Rugby), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Railway Union/Munster), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union/Leinster), Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Clara Munarini, Maria Giovanna Pacifico (both Italy)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): England Women to win: 1/100; Draw: 100/1; Ireland Women to win: 35/1
Pre-Match Quotes – Sene Naoupu (Ireland Women): “We’ve progressed massively. That’s why it’s genuinely an exciting time for us to be able to execute certain things and to have the confidence to do so. Based on the momentum we’ve been able to build in those last couple of games, this weekend is going to have to take it to another level.
“But we’re prepared for that and come Sunday, it’ll be just another game for us. It’s exciting, that’s why you play rugby. You want to play against the best teams in the world to test yourselves as a team. It’s a really exciting opportunity, to be honest.
“Different types of combinations throughout our team are exciting, from the front row to the back-three, so I’m really excited to be in the centre with Katie Fitz.
“Also, Michelle Claffey has done a super job the last two games against Scotland and Wales. As a squad, Enya Breen has also been excellent with her training and preparation. There’s good depth as well in the centres.
“Like England, we also like a dry surface because we like a good expansive game as well as the good old-fashioned attritional game. Whatever conditions we come up against, we’ll be as prepared as we are.”
Simon Middleton (England Women): “Like us, Ireland have performed well and in particular started their two games strongly. They haven’t conceded a point in the opening 20 minutes so the early stages of the game promise to be pretty explosive as both teams battle for the higher ground.
“The weather conditions over the last few weeks have been well-documented and overall the weather during our training sessions this week has presented a fair few challenges. In truth it’s been almost impossible to get through the quality of work we wanted to on the field, so our mental approach to the game and our attitude will be key.
“We know we have a group of players who can rise to any challenge and a game to suit all conditions, we have shown that over the first two rounds and we know we have the qualities to do it again on Sunday regardless of whatever either Ireland or the weather throw up.
“This is the third time we will have played at Castle Park. It’s fantastic to see the game is now sold-out and we are all grateful for the support. Yorkshire is a real hotbed of rugby union, a proud rugby area, and we’re really looking forward to Sunday’s game.”
Pre-Match Links –
Tunnel Cam: Ireland Women v Wales Women At Energia Park
In-Form Moloney Looking To ‘Drive On’ Against England In Doncaster
‘This Is Really Where We’re Going To Judge Ourselves’ – Griggs
Naoupu ‘Excited’ By Growing Depth Of Irish Midfield
In Pics: Ireland Women Hold Captain’s Run In Doncaster
Recent Meetings –
2017: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 7 England Women 34, Donnybrook
2018: Women’s Six Nations: England Women 33 Ireland Women 11, Ricoh Arena, Coventry; Women’s November Test: England Women 37 Ireland Women 15, Twickenham
2019: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 7 England Women 51, Energia Park
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