Lyons and Griffin To Start Saturday Morning

Leah Lyons and Ciara Griffin will again start for the Ireland Women’s team, as they aim to set up a grand-slam showdown with England on St Patrick’s Day.

Highfield’s Lyons, who scored Ireland’s only try in a hard-fought 13-10 victory against France at Donnybrook, will be looking to lead her side in the Irish pack, joined by UL Bohemians’ Griffin.

Tom Tierney’s understrength side dug out a surprise victory against the French, and the boss was looking for Irish fans to wake up early and cheer on the girls, following the Senior Men’s game the night before.

“The squad has been developing nicely over the course of the Championship, and while it was great to get the win against France in the last game, we haven’t dwelled on that and have firmly turned our attention to the challenge the Welsh will give us.

We are expecting Wales to be very much up for this game and there is set to be a big crowd in the Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday.

With that in mind, it will be important that the players stay fully focused on their jobs and that we go out on Saturday ready to perform.

We’d also encourage any Ireland fans that are in town for the men’s game on Friday evening and are still in Cardiff on Saturday to come to the game and give the team their support.”

Ireland Women v Wales, Saturday 11^th March, 11.30am, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff (Live on RTE from 11.15am)
1. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union / Leinster)
2. Leah Lyons (Highfield / Munster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
4. Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
5. Marie-Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
6. Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians / Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol / Connacht)
8. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s College / Leinster) Captain
9. Mary Healy (Galwegians / Connacht)
10. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
11. Alison Miller (Old Belvedere / Connacht)
12. Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls)
13. Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
14. Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
15. Kim Flood (Railway Union / Leinster)

16. Ciara O Connor (Galwegians / Connacht)
17. Ilse Van Staden (Cooke / Ulster)
18. Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians / Connacht)
19. Ciara Cooney (Railway Union / Leinster)
20. Nichola Fryday (Tullamore / Connacht)
21. Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union)
22. Nikki Caughey (Railway Union / Ulster)
23. Mairead Coyne (Galwegians / Connacht)