Six Munster Players Named To Face Italy

Six Munster players have been named on the Ireland Women’s side to face Italy in the Six Nations fixture on Sunday in Donnybrook, KO 1pm.

Head Coach Tom Tierney has made a number of changes from the last outing against England and it will be a new look side that will run out in Donnybrook on Sunday.

UL Bohemian winger Liz Burke has been called into the starting line-up to win their first Ireland cap and joins her fellow Munster colleague, Niamh Briggs (captain) in the backs, who will move from full-back to the centre position.

Second row Elaine Anthony from Highfield will also make her start along with Tralee’s Ciara Griffin who is named in the back row.

Tralee hooker Zoe Grattage has been named as replacement hooker and joins Fiona Reidy from UL Bohemian on the bench.

Speaking ahead of the game, Tierney said "while results haven't gone our way since the opening game against Wales, we have been strong in passages of our play, but mistakes proved to be costly and because of that we just didn't manage to come out on the right side of the results against France and England.

We've made a number of changes this week and this is to allow players the opportunity to show us what they can do, and no better place to do it than at home in Donnybrook. There's a couple of new caps and girls making their first Six Nations starts so it should make for an exciting game on Sunday against Italy”

Tickets for the game are available from http://www.ticketmaster.ie/Ireland-tickets/artist/1056338

The game will be streamed via IrishRugby – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_eQeL5BkRw

Ireland Women

15. Kim Flood (Railway Union / Leinster)*
14. Liz Burke (UL Bohemians / Munster)*
13. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians / Munster) Captain
12. Sene Naoupu (Galwegians / Connacht)
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise / Connacht)
10. Nikki Caughey (Railway Union / Ulster)
9. Mary Healy (Galwegians / Connacht)
1. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union / Leinster)
2. Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union / Leinster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
4. Elaine Anthony (Highfield / Munster)
5. Marie-Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
6. Ciara Cooney (Railway Union / Leinster)
7. Ciara Griffin (Tralee / Munster)
8. Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere / Leinster)

Replacements
16. Zoe Grattage (Tralee / Munster)
17. Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians / Connacht)
18. Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemians / Munster)
19. Claire Molloy (Bristol)
20. Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse)
21. Larissa Muldoon (Skewen)
22. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
23. Claire McLaughlin (Queens University / Ulster)*

*Denotes uncapped player