A little bit of history on St Patrick’s Day. The general public can be forgiven for wondering how the Irish women went from consistently finishing third to being one game away from their first Grand Slam.
England’s refocus on Sevens rugby is one reason but this great leap by the Irish ladies didn’t happen overnight.
"For so many years, we doubted ourselves and wondered why we weren't scoring tries," said veteran centre and vice captain Lynne Cantwell. "But now in hindsight I can say it was because we didn't get the ball from first phase – off solid scrums and lineouts.
“Now the lineout and scrum supplies go-forward ball and the backs can be creative. To give credit where it’s due, coaching from Steve Aboud, Shane Moore and Keith Murphy influenced how we play the game and, of course, the current coaches.
“Now we play intelligent rugby. We are not big people compared to England and France – who have strength and conditioning structures for years – so we can’t front up against these teams. We have to out smart them.”
Italy are also a bigger team but no where near the size of the monstrous French pack. This won’t be a cake walk but the systems instilled these past three seasons by Philip Doyle, Greg McWilliams and Peter Bracken should impact the scoreboard by half-time.
Thereafter, like against Scotland, Niamh Briggs and Alison Miller should start to stretch their legs.
Doyle has made two changes, one injury enforced, with Grace Davitt starting at centre instead of Jenny Murphy (knee) and Niamh Kavanagh named ahead of Ashleigh Baxter. Heather O’Brien and Shannon Houston are on the bench.
IRELAND: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemian /Munster); Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/ Munster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exiles), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (UWIC/Exiles); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/ Leinster, capt), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Mowden Park Sharks/Exiles); Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Exiles), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster). Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lauren Day (Waterloo/Exiles), Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock College/Ulster), Shannon Huston (Blackrock/Leinster), Ashleigh Baxter ( Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).
