Ireland will have a new halfback combination as Molly Scuffil-McCabe becomes the third scrumhalf to start alongside Dannah O’Brien at halfback against Wales at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Emily Lane started the defeats to France and England while Aoibheann Reilly wore the nine jersey in the win over Italy, having come off the bench in the other two games. The 27-year-old Scuffil McCabe, who divides her time between New Zealand and Ireland, gets a chance to put a downpayment on a World Cup place later in the year.
For the past two years she has been spending alternating three-month spells in Ireland and New Zealand, where she plays with Manawatu and trains alongside some of New Zealand’s Black Ferns players. She no is no longer studying veterinary at Massey University – she took a break to concentrate on rugby – but she is hoping to go for permanent residency in the country.
“I got a small stint with the Hurricanes just before I came over this time, which was really nice. [It’s] A good level and good to see a bit more of the Black Ferns and understand their structures. I’ve really enjoyed how much of a different environment it is when you play for them.
“I’ve been playing here [in Ireland] since I was 14, 15, so it was nice to have a refresh on the environment. I also love coming back here. I try to do all my hard work over there to come back and add it in here.
“My goal has always been the World Cup. I want to be involved, want to see this team do well. That has kind of always been my ‘why’ in the last two years. Long-term, I’ll assess after the World Cup what it looks like, but once I have the permanent residency hopefully in the bag, that opens [things] up.”
Scuffil-McCabe will be O’Brien’s third halfback partner in the campaign but the outhalf sees the virtue of having depth in the scrumhalf position, with all three good options. One person O’Brien is looking forward to spending time with at some point in the future is Johnny Sexton, once the former Ireland captain takes up his new coaching role with the IRFU in August.
“It will be an unbelievable opportunity for us kickers in here,” says O’Brien. “Steeno (Gareth Steenson, women’s kicking coach) has unbelievable experience as well, [so] to have those two coaches in, they have a wealth of knowledge. I have never spoken to him [Sexton]. It is really exciting to be able to pick his brain, on his kicking game especially.”
