Ireland coach Adam Griggs has named a strong team to face Wales at Cardiff Arms Park this Saturday (kick-off 5pm - live on RTÉ Two) with three Sevens players added to the matchday squad.
The Sevens players – Eve Higgins of Railway Union wins her first cap at outside centre while Emily Lane and Stacey Flood provide halfback cover – are contracted by the IRFU but the 15s squad are completely amateur.
Ciara Griffin leads the team from number eight in a backrow that also includes Dr Claire Molloy, winning her 71st cap, and Tipperary flanker Dorothy Wall.
Eimear Considine returns at fullback – having missed the Italy win in October due to Covid protocols – to complete a rapid back three alongside Beibhinn Parsons and Sale’s Lauren Delany.
After losing 53-0 in France last weekend, Wales coach Warren Abrahams has made four changes, three in the front five, with new props Cara Hope and Cerys Hales joined by Natalia John at lock. Jasmine Joyce has been called up to a Great Britain Sevens camp so Courtney Keight comes onto the left wing.
Only one member of their squad plays club rugby in Wales, the rest are in the Allianz Premier 15s in England with 12 of the starting XV playing for Gloucester-Hartpury and Bristol.
Ireland: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster, 15 caps); Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks, 12), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)*, Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/ Leinster, 38), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/Connacht, 8); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster, 17), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster, 10); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster, 31), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps, 23), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster, 9); Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster, 13), Nichola Fryday (Blackrock College/Connacht, 15); Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/ Munster, 4), Claire Molloy (Wasps, 70), Ciara Griffin (capt, UL Bohemian/Munster, 33).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster, 1), Katie O'Dwyer (Railway Union/Leinster, 1), Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht, 16), Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster, 1), Hannah O'Connor (Blackrock College/Leinster, 2), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster)*, Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)*, Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/Munster, 4). *denotes new cap
Wales: Robyn Wilkins (Gloucester-Hartbury); Lisa Neumann (Sale Sharks), Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kerin Lake (Gloucester-Hartpury); Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears); Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears), Jess Roberts (Sale Sharks); Cara Hope (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Cerys Hales (Gloucester-Hartpury); Natalia John (Bristol Bears), Gwen Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury); Georgia Evans (Saracens), Manon Johnes (Bristol Bears), Siwan Lillicrap (Bristol Bears, capt).
Replacements: Molly Kelly (Sale Sharks), Caryl Thomas (Worcester Warriors), Donna Rose (Saracens), Teleri Wyn Davies (Sale Sharks), Bethan Dainton (Harlequins), Megan Davies (Exeter Chies), Niamh Terri (Exeter Chiefs), Caitlin Lewis (Cardiff Met).
