It may well be the most notorious train journey in Irish sporting history.

Ireland’s inexperienced women’s out-half Nikki Caughey thought there would be more nerves on her return to the team against Wales last weekend after a two-year absence with injury.

Much is expected of the Irish women today as they take to the fast-paced 4G surface at Donnybrook for the first time in the Six Nations, but captain Niamh Briggs as warned her players that they must make the Dublin venue a fortress.

Garryowen 10 Clontarf 3: Clontarf and Garryowen produced 10 tries between them when they met in the previous round of the Ulster Bank League last month on the Dublin club’s all weather pitch.

Women’s International

Munster 15 Leinster 7 (Ladies Interpro final): A polished performance from international Niamh Briggs led Munster, who had eight from the Highfield club in the starting side, to back-to-back interprovincial titles before a bigger than expected crowd at Thomond Park on Saturday

RBS Women’s 6 Nations

RBS Women’s 6 Nations: Wales 0 Ireland 20

Hannah Tyrell won’t be lacking in confidence in her third outing for Ireland tomorrow afternoon against Wales.

Ireland coach Tom Tierney has made one enforced change from the side which defeated England for Sunday’s RBS Women’s 6 Nations game with Wales (Swansea, 12pm).

Most opposing players harbour painful memories of games against England’s Women, but few match those of Ailis Egan.

The last time England’s women paid a visit to Ashbourne they did it without a host of players diverted for duties with the national Sevens side.

Women’s Six Nations

Women’s Six Nations: Ireland’s opening 70 minutes against Italy bodes well for this Six Nations campaign, but Nora Stapleton insists the side aim to atone for a disappointing finish as they meet champions France in Ashbourne tonight.

Ireland’s U20s and Women’s: Both teams enjoyed ultimately comfortable openings to their respective Six Nations campaigns last Friday.

Italy 5 Ireland 30: Women’s Six Nations Championship: New captain Niamh Briggs led by example with a woman of the match performance as Ireland got their Six Nations campaign off to a winning start.

Women’s Six Nations: The word from Florence, where Ireland’s Women begin their Six Nations campaign against Italy this evening, is that conditions will be wet although nothing like two years ago when a first ever Grand Slam was sucked out of a Milanese quagmire.

It’s only five months since Ireland made history at the Women’s Rugby World Cup by beating New Zealand in the pool stages and reaching the semi-finals, but the personnel changes since have been seismic.

Bandon Grammar 5 St Clement’s College 17

WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP:

Ireland 7 England 40

New Zealand 14 Ireland 17

Tania Rosser will win her 50th international cap against her native New Zealand when Ireland face the World Cup champions in Paris this afternoon.

IRFU WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL B:

Irish rugby history could be made next month when Lynne Cantwell takes part in her fourth World Cup.

France 19 Ireland 15

Ireland’s Lynne Cantwell will win her 83rd cap in tomorrow’s Six Nations clash with Grand Slam chasing France.

Ireland 39 Italy 0

England 17 Ireland 10

Ireland 50 Scotland 0

Irish coach Philip Doyle has gone with form ahead of tomorrow night’s Six Nations opener against Scotland in Ashbourne RFC (7.30pm).

Munster 6 Leinster 21

Highfield 18 UL Bohemian 14

Standing on the cusp of a Grand Slam facing a side you beat 40-10 last year can be a precarious perch.

Wales 10 Ireland 12

Munster coach Garry Walsh admitted ‘bitterness’ of defeat played a part in his side’s 15-12 victory over Leinster to claim the women’s interpro title at Ashbourne RFC on Saturday afternoon.

Ireland claimed third spot on the Women’s Six Nations table despite a final day loss to England at Esher RFC.

Tom Croft has revealed how a radical shift in the attitude of the England squad since the World Cup debacle has helped take his game to new heights.

Ireland’s women called upon endless reserves of defensive grit for the second week running as they defeated Scotland in Ashbourne.

Niamh Kavanagh scored two tries to break the back of Italian resistance as the Ireland Women’s team recorded their first Six Nations win off the season at Ashbourne last night.

Ireland fell heartbreakingly short in this thrilling Women’s Six Nations affair played in freezing conditions in Pau on Saturday.