Ireland Women’s Team To Face Scotland

Head Coach Greg McWilliams has named his Ireland Match Day Squad, sponsored by Aon, for Saturday’s final TikTok Women’s Six Nations clash against Scotland in Edinburgh (kick-off 7.30pm, live on Virgin Media Two and BBC iPlayer).

McWilliams has selected an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 encounter at DAM Health Stadium as Ireland bid to finish the 2023 Championship on a high in Edinburgh.

The fit-again Dorothy Wall is recalled to the Match Day Squad as she and Ailsa Hughes are named on the replacements bench in the only two changes in personnel from last weekend’s defeat to England in Cork.

Lauren Delany, Aoife Doyle and Natasja Behan are retained in the unchanged back three, with Vicky Irwin and Aoife Dalton making up the midfield partnership. Molly Scuffil-McCabe continues alongside her Leinster team-mate Dannah O’Brien in the half-backs.

The front row of Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Christy Haney start together for the fourth consecutive match, with captain Nichola Fryday and Sam Monaghan an ever-present in the engine room. Brittany Hogan starts against blindside flanker, with Grace Moore continuing at openside and Deirbhile Nic a Bháird at number eight.

On the replacements bench, Clara Nielson, Sadhbh McGrath, Kathryn Buggy, Hannah O’Connor and Wall provide the reinforcements up front, with Hughes, Anna McGann and Méabh Deely completing the Match Day 23.

Commenting ahead of the game, McWilliams said: “It has been a challenging Championship but we have learned a huge amount throughout the course of the campaign, and we have seen improvements week-on-week. The focus now is to put all those learnings to the test and produce our best performance of the season in Edinburgh.

“The group is hugely motivated to finish the Six Nations with a positive performance and result, but we know it will be a huge challenge against a very talented Scotland side who are really building under Bryan Easson. We’re looking forward to a big occasion with a record crowd expected in Edinburgh on Saturday night.”

Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media Two and BBC iPlayer, with live updates across the Irish Rugby Twitter and Instagram channels.

Ireland Women’s Team & Replacements

15. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) 21
14. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster) 16
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 6
12. Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster) 5
11. Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 6
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 6
9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 8

1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 28
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster) 17
3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 9
4. Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt) 33
5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) 14
6. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 14
7. Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby) 9
8. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster) 8

Replacements:

16. Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby) 3
17. Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster) 4
18. Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) 3
19. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 18
20. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) 19
21. Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 18
22. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) 5
23. Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 6