Women’s Six Nations: Ireland v Wales, Affidea Stadium, Saturday, 6.30pm – live on RTÉ 2, BBC iPlayer
Robyn O’Connor has learned to juggle her commitments to rugby and study. A try-scoring debut against Italy in the Six Nations at the Dexcom Stadium was followed by a trip to Stade Marcel Michelin and on Saturday the left wing wins her third cap in Belfast.
Next week in the build-up to the first standalone women’s Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium against Scotland, she will sit five exams to conclude her first year studying for a degree in business management at TU Dublin. Even though she is based in Aungier Street, one of five campuses, she has been given permission to take several exams in Blanchardstown, a 10-minute commute from the High Performance Centre at Abbotstown.
The 20-year-old is not new to the challenge, having played for the Ireland Sevens team at the Dubai Invitational while in school. The ‘official line’ in study terms is that the books went with her to France. That was a bruising, physical encounter as Ireland lost 26-7.
The previous week on debut in Galway was a little bit more memorable, and surreal in being asked to sign autographs. She squeezed back the tears for the anthems.
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“I saw the space, and then Aoife [Dalton] gave me such a good ball. I was like, now’s my chance to kind of go for it. People tell you when you’re getting your first cap, it only comes once, so make sure to be in the moment and be present and just take in everything.”
O’Connor played camogie and football with Glynn Barntown GAA club before her dad, James, the director of rugby at Wexford Wanderers, managed to persuade her to switch sports.
An underage and Sevens rugby international, on Saturday she’ll be looking for opportunities to use her speed and footwork as Ireland look to put the disappointment of the defeat to France behind them and finish the Six Nations strongly.
Scott Bemand has recalled Eve Higgins to the centre while Trailfinders’ Niamh Gallagher is set for a debut off the bench after impressing for the Irish Under-21 team. Wales head coach Sean Lynn has made three alterations to the side that lost 62-24 to England, a third straight defeat, albeit securing a bonus point.
Carys Cox returns to partner Courtney Keight, who reverts to inside centre. Hannah Dallavalle is named on the wing, while Branwen Metcalfe moves to secondrow. Wing Nikita Prothero is set to make her Wales debut off the bench and will be their fifth new cap in the tournament.
Lynn said: “We are excited to build on the grit and resilience we showed against England to score two tries towards the end of that Test match. We took another real step forward in building our playing style and team identity.
“Every game in this tournament has seen us build another layer of the team we aspire to be and we expect to come away from Ireland having done the same. Ireland are an ambitious side and will be hurting after their run of results in the tournament and we know they will be looking to make a statement in Belfast.”
The last statement captures the challenge for Bemand and his charges. Ireland travelled to France in expectation – justifiable, and borne out in terms of the performance in the first half – but they weren’t clinical or ruthless enough and that’s a scenario that has to change for them to be successful.
They have the players and the structure, the evolution in style and content is obvious, so it is now about producing that blended display – much like in the victory over Italy – that will be reflected on the scoreboard.
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Connacht), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Leinster), Emily Lane (Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Leinster); Dorothy Wall (Munster), Fiona Tuite (Ulster); Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Leinster, capt), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster), Eilís Cahill (Munster), Ruth Campbell (Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury), Grace Moore (Trailfinders), Katie Whelan (Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders).
WALES: Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins); Hannah Dallavalle (Gloucester-Hartpury), Carys Cox (Trailfinders), Courtney Keight (Sale Sharks), Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears); Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury), Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears); Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sisilia Tuipulotu (Gloucester-Hartpury); Branwen Metcalfe (Brython Thunder), Georgia Evans (Saracens); Jorja Aiono (Brython Thunder), Bethan Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury, capt), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning).
Replacements: Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning), Maisie Davies (Bristol Bears), Donna Rose (Saracens), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Alisha Joyce (Bristol Bears), Seren Lockwood (Brython Thunder), Freya Bell (Gwalia Lightning), Nikita Prothero (Sale Sharks).
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