Ireland Women’s Team To Play Wales

The Ireland Women’s team to play Wales in their opening game of the RBS 6 Nations in Aberavon RFC this Sunday February 3rd has been named, ko 1.30pm.

Head Coach Philip Doyle has selected Ireland’s most capped player and former Munster player, Lynne Cantwell, at out half for the game. She will be partnered in the half backs by Larissa Muldoon.

UL Bohs' Niamh Briggs starts at fullback with her club colleague Niamh Kavanagh on the wing. The club continues it's representation in the starting XV with Gillian Bourke in the front row and Joy Neville at 8. Highfield's Laura Guest is named at blind-side.

Munster Women's Captain Heather O'Brien (Highfield) is named in the replacements with Tralee's Siobhan Fleming and UL Bohs' Fiona Hayes.

Speaking about his team selection and the campaign ahead Doyle said: “It was an extremely difficult decision in selecting the 23 players for this weekend’s match and even more difficult in selecting the starting line up."

"The players have been working very hard over the last number of months and they made my job very difficult in team selection."

"Qualification for the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup is dependent on the result from both this year’s and last year’s 6 Nations so we will be looking to raise the bar again this year in terms of our performances."

"We are under no illusions of the difficulty that this campaign will hold for us as all teams are looking to qualify for the WRWC which is the pinnacle of the XVs games."

Ireland Women:

15. Niamh Briggs (Munster)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (Munster)
13. Grace Davitt (Ulster)
12. Jenny Murphy (Leinster)
11. Alison Miller (Connacht)
10. Lynne Cantwell (Exiles)
9. Lariss Muldoon (Exiles)
1. Fiona Coghlan (Leinster) Captain
2. Gillian Bourke (Munster)
3. Ailis Egan (Leinster)
4. Sophie Spence (Exiles)
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Leinster)
6. Laura Guest (Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Exiles)
8. Joy Neville (Munster)

Replacements:
16. Stacey-Lee Kennedy (Ulster)
17. Fiona Hayes (Munster)
18. Lauren Day (Exiles)
19. Heather O’Brien (Munster)
20. Siobhan Fleming (Munster)
21. Amy Davis (Ulster)
22. Nora Stapleton (Leinster)
23. Ashleigh Baxter (Ulster)