Ireland Head Coach Scott Bemand has named the match day squad for Saturday's Guinness Women's Six Nations opener against France at Kingspan Stadium.
Edel McMahon, who captained the side in last week’s historic victory over New Zealand, has been ruled out of this weekend’s match with an injury sustained in training during the week.
Ireland refused to get carried away in the wake of their nerve-jangling WXV 1 victory against New Zealand as head coach Scott Bemand insisted it was merely the “next step” in the team’s increasingly impressive journey.
Not only did Ireland score six fantastic tries with a combination of cohesive team and individual efforts, it was one of the most comprehensive wins and performances that I have seen from this side in recent years. It was brilliant!
Sadhbh McGrath has been passed fit to take part in Ireland’s inaugural WXV 1 campaign, but head coach Scott Bemand will be without fellow prop Christy Haney in Canada.
The journey begins now and it's a massive task for this young squad. However, there are a few key ingredients that I believe will contribute to a successful path to the tournament which will be held in England in 2025. I have picked out four of those to share today.
The Irish embarrassingly lost out 10-88 at Twickenham against the defending champions and the reaction for this Saturday’s third-place decider at home to Scotland in Belfast has been to alter two back, one forward, and also include an uncapped player on the bench.
The question is: will the afternoon’s real murder have already taken place? Will there be any life left in this fixture by the forty-minute mark? The Red Roses are the most lethal team in rugby - killing grooves, burning houses down, and proving anyone wrong who thinks they can get away - and, unfortunately, this one comes with the sense of inevitability which remains this competition’s deepest flaw.
The Irish snapped their recent championship losing streak with a commanding 36-5 win last weekend over Wales in Cork and they now head to London with one change to the back line and another to their pack.
Ireland kick-started their Guinness Women's Six Nations 2024 campaign with an impressive 36-5 victory against Wales in Cork, and flanker Aoife Wafer says it was driven by a desire to “show everyone who Ireland is and who we are”.