Head coach Scott Bemand has announced the Ireland team (sponsored by Aon) for their Round 3 Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with Wales at Virgin Media Park on Saturday (kick-off 4.45 pm). Bemand has made one change to the starting fifteen from the team against Italy with Co-Captain Edel McMahon returning to the back row. Following the record attendance at the RDS and with 5,500 tickets already sold another large crowd is expected in Cork. Tickets are on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie and will be on sale on the day from the Ticketmaster booth at the Dolphin end.
The front row remains the same with Linda Djougang and Christy Haney packing down either side of Neve Jones. Dorothy Wall partners Sam Monaghan in the second row while Aoife Wafer moves across the backrow with McMahon coming in at 7 and Brittany Hogan again named at 8. Dannah O’Brien is at out-half with Aoibheann Reilly at scrumhalf. Enya Breen and Eve Higgins make up the centre partnership and the back three remains unchanged with Béibhinn Parsons, Katie Corrigan and Lauren Delany all set to start. The uncapped Shannon Ikahihifo, who came through IQ Rugby, is named on the bench as is Cliodhna Moloney who was recalled to the squad this week. They join Niamh O’Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath and Fiona Tuite as the forward replacements. Aoife Dalton is named alongside Nicole Fowley and Molly Scuffil-McCabe, as the replacement backs.
Ireland Team v Wales, Saturday 13 April, Virgin Media Park, kick-off 4.45 pm
15. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) 24
14. Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 2
13. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC) 14
12. Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) 18
11. Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 23
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 12
9. Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 9
1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 34
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury) 23
3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 15
4. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) 25
5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury) 19 Co-Captain
6. Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 4
7. Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs) 25 Co-Captain
8. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 20
Replacements:
16. Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs) 31
17. Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 4
18. Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster) 10
19. Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 4
20. Shannon Ikahihifo (Ealing Trailfinders/IQ Rugby) *
21. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster) 14
22. Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht) 11
23. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 12
Photo Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
