Ireland and Wales have a win and a loss apiece in the Women’s Six Nations and are separated only by scoring difference in third and fourth place respectively. Experienced duo Niamh Briggs and Claire Molloy win their 60th caps as the girls in green chase their second Donnybrook victory.
2018 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 25
IRELAND WOMEN (3rd) v WALES WOMEN (4th), Donnybrook, 3pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only)/S4C/YouTube Live Stream (UK, France & Italy))
Team News: Head coach Adam Griggs has named the Ireland Women’s team, sponsored by Aon, to play Wales in the third round of the Women’s Six Nations at Donnybrook this afternoon.
There are four personnel changes and two positional switches to the side that overcame Italy 21-8 in their last match fortnight ago. Ciara O’Connor and Leah Lyons, who both featured off the bench in the opening rounds of the tournament, start alongside Lindsay Peat in the front row. It will be O’Connor’s first international start at hooker, having started at tighthead prop previously against Japan in the World Cup.
Nichola Fryday is partnered in the second row by Orla Fitzsimons whose St. Mary’s club-mate Paula Fitzpatrick reverts to number 8 to accommodate the change, while captain Ciara Griffin moves to the blindside. Claire Molloy completes the back row trio.
There is one change in the back-line with Ulster’s Claire McLaughlin starting on the left wing in place of the injured Alison Miller. She is joined in the back-three by Megan Williams, who scored her first international try against the Italians, and full-back Kim Flood.
Sene Naoupu and Katie Fitzhenry will again line out together in the centre, with Niamh Briggs and Ailsa Hughes starting their third successive Championship game at half-back. Molloy and Briggs will be making their 60th appearances for Ireland this weekend.
Railway Union lock Aoife McDermott is poised to make her debut off the bench, with the replacements also including Laura Feely, Edel McMahon and Michelle Claffey, who won their first caps in in the last two rounds, and winger Hannah Tyrrell who is back in the Irish matchday squad for the first time since last year’s World Cup.
Tickets for the Ireland Women’s home matches at Donnybrook are available now via www.ticketmaster.ie. The IRFU is offering bus subsidy of up to 400 euro per club for private transport hire. For more information on the bus subsidy for the 2018 Women’s Six Nations, contact womensrugby@irfu.ie before purchasing tickets.
Meanwhile, Scarlets full-back Lisa Neumann will make her first start for Wales against their Irish counterparts. The 23-year-old from Pembrokeshire is the only new player in the starting line-up following on from the 52-0 defeat to England at the Twickenham Stoop. Peplacement prop Cara Hope could win her first international cap from the bench in Dublin.
“Lisa has been pushing hard for a place in the starting team and she deserves her opportunity this Sunday,” said head coach Phillips, who has enjoyed the benefit of having former Wales international Gareth Wyatt coaching the backs since the start of the tournament.
“We have a lot of talented back-three players in the squad, so we think Lisa will slot in well alongside Hannah Bluck and Jess Kavanagh-Williams – two players who pose threats from the wing.”
Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND WOMEN: Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Megan Williams (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Claire McLaughlin (Cooke/Ulster); Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/Leinster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht), Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster), Orla Fitzsimons (St. Mary’s/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt), Claire Molloy (Bristol), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster).
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster), Laura Feely (Galweigians/Connacht), Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemians/Munster), Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster), Edel McMahon (Galwegians/Connacht), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Michelle Claffey (Blackrock/Leinster), Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
WALES WOMEN: Lisa Neumann (Scarlets); Hannah Bluck (Cardiff Blues), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Rebecca de Filippo (Dragons), Jess Kavanagh-Williams (RGC); Elinor Snowsill (Dragons), Rhiannon Parker (Cardiff Blues); Caryl Thomas (Scarlets), Carys Phillips (Ospreys) (capt), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Beth Lewis (Scarlets), Sioned Harries (Scarlets).
Replacements: Kelsey Jones (Ospreys), Cara Hope (Ospreys), Meg York (Dragons), Natalia John (Ospreys), Nia Elen Davies (Scarlets), Jade Knight (Scarlets), Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), Hannah Jones (Scarlets).
Referee: Sara Cox (England)
Assistant Referees: Helen O’Reilly, John Carvill (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Claire Hodnett (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland Women to win: 1/10; Draw: 25/1; Wales Women to win: 6/1
Pre-Match Quotes – Adam Griggs (Ireland Women): “We got a good boost after the win over Italy a fortnight ago. We did what we wanted to, played with tempo and moved the ball. While the performance was far from perfect, we set a marker down for the rest of the campaign.
“We now head into a tough test on Sunday against the Welsh. We are looking to rectify some of the areas of our game that we haven’t been happy with over the past few weeks and if we can make those small changes, it should be a great one.
“Having the crowd behind us against Italy really spurred us on the last day, so we’re hoping to see another big turnout of fans on Sunday afternoon in Donnybrook.”
Rowland Phillips (Wales Women): “We need to show that we’re improving in the areas that we’ve been working on this year. This will be a game between two very evenly-matched teams, and coming off the back of the last match we’re very keen to give a good account of ourselves.
“Ireland were competing for a Grand Slam going into the final game of the competition last year, so we know how much of a strong team they are. The World Cup was a bit of an anomaly for them, so they’ve had a point to prove since then.
“They’ve got a lot of new personnel across the board, but the team is settled and experienced. It’s up for us to show what we’re about as a team. We’ll certainly be prepared for a hugely competitive match in front of a boisterous Irish crowd this Sunday.”
Recent Meetings –
2015: Women’s Six Nations: Wales 0 Ireland 20, St. Helen’s, Swansea RFC
2016: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 21 Wales 3, Donnybrook
2017: Women’s Six Nations: Wales Women 7 Ireland Women 12, Cardiff Arms Park; Women’s Rugby World Cup – 7th-8th Place Play-Off: Ireland Women 17 Wales Women 27, Kingspan Stadium
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