Head coach Scott Bemand will be hoping for a different outcome after making three changes to the Ireland team for Saturday’s Six Nations game against Italy at the Dexcom Stadium (5.40). Twenty-year-old Robyn O’Connor has been granted a debut on foot of her work in the Celtic Challenge tournament and the impact made in training during the week.
Bemand has also rewarded the contributions of centre Nancy McGillivray and secondrow Ruth Campbell when introduced from the bench in the defeat to England at Twickenham. Eve Higgins and Dorothy Wall make way, with both players dropping to the replacements for the game in Galway.
Prop Sadhbh McGrath and former Ireland captain Sam Monaghan – now fit again – have been called into the matchday 23 in place of Eilís Cahill and Grace Moore. Vicky Elmes Kinlan, who had several fine moments in the game against England, loses out to O’Connor.
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Bemand said of the decision to promote O’Connor: “She’s a really tough player, she’s got physicality, [and a] change of direction.” She is also “a great stepper”, something he feels is not as prevalent in the women’s game as it is in the men’s.
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He added of the Wexford native: “She’s got a great change of direction and that creates attacking moments and opportunities for us either to line-break or get momentum. She knows her way to the try line and she’s an excellent fielder of a rugby ball. She’s played quite a bit of fullback over her formative years. Anything going up in the air, we know she’s incredibly competent and confident under.
“The Italians bring with them a strong box-kicking game. She’s got aerial prowess and has the ability to dominate that space. Robyn’s been training fantastically, been playing consistently well, always seems to find a way to the try line in the Celtic Challenge (tournament).”
On the other changes to the team, Bemand explained: “I thought Ruth (Campbell) did a great job when she came on against England last week. She’d been a bit unlucky the week before, suffered a little bit of illness, which took her out of the running for the start [against England].
“Having the ability to bring someone like Dorothy Wall and Sam Monaghan – coming back in to finish the job – that’s a bench that’s got impact. I think Ruth’s played her way in. I thought Nancy came on last week and brought an element of directness, of intensity that we needed.
“Those guys earned the right to get the nod but it’s a 23-player game now. I’ve never taken the viewpoint that the 15 starters are their best and the others are not quite there. We want dynamism and impact to come on from the bench. We’ve got a group that I believe can come on and do that.”
Tickets for the game in Galway, which will be preceded by an Under-21 international between the countries, have passed the 8,000 mark, with the new Clan stand sold out. Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and BBC iPlayer, with radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
Ireland: Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere/Leinster, capt), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins). Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Anna McGann (Railway Union/Connacht).
