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.

Women’s International

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).

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.

Ireland 40 Kazakhstan 5

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

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 coach Philip Doyle has made two changes from the side that demolished Scotland for tomorrow night’s RBS Women’s Six Nations clash with Wales (Ashbourne, 7.30pm).

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).

IRELAND’S women’s rugby team will be hoping to secure back-to-back wins when they take on Wales at Pandy Park, Cross Keys tomorrow (kick-off 2.30pm).

IRISH women’s coach Philip Doyle has made three changes from the side that hammered Scotland for Sunday’s Six Nations clash with Wales (Cross Keys RFC, Gwent, 2.30pm).

AFTER an emphatic 53-3 win over Scotland, the French women’s rugby team come to Ashbourne, Co. Meath tonight (7.30 pm) looking for a second RBS Six Nations scalp.

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt can name three senior Irish internationals in the team to face Aironi at the RDS tonight despite having 13 players away on Six Nations duty and another two out injured.

The teams for this weekend's All-Ireland League fixtures have been announced.

ULSTER will be without all five of their international squad members for Friday night’s Magners League interpro with in-form Munster at Ravenhill.

The teams for this weekend's round of AIL rugby fixtures have been announced today.

The teams for this weekend's round of All-Ireland League rugby matches have been announced.

MUNSTER A produced a top-class display to overwhelm the Ulster Ravens at Nenagh yesterday.

SPRINGBOK tight-head BJ Botha could be tossed into the fray quicker than anticipated when an unbeaten Ulster face Edinburgh at Ravenhill on Friday night (8.05pm).

Rugby league recruit Adam D'Arcy retains his place at full-back for Ulster's opening Magners League clash with the Ospreys at Ravenhill on Friday night (KO 7.05pm).

IRELAND women’s coach Philip Doyle has made two changes from the side which defeated USA (22-12) for this afternoon’s World Cup Pool B clash with Kazakhstan, (Surrey Sports Park, 4.30pm).

MUNSTER will crank up their preparations for the new season with the introduction of several senior players for the friendly with Gloucester at Musgrave Park tomorrow (7pm).

IRELAND duo Stephen Ferris and Rory Best will have their first taste of action in over four months in Ulster’s pre-season friendly against English Premiership side Leeds at Ravenhill tomorrow night (7.30pm).

HISTORY-MAKER Craig Gilroy, the first person to score a try at the new Aviva Stadium, gets a chance to put down a marker for Ulster when he faces London Harlequins at the Stoop tomorrow in the second of three pre-season friendlies.

GAVIN HENSON’S return to rugby was thrown into doubt after his no-show at pre-season training with the Ospreys.

It will be a question of who has the greater squad depth when Cork Constitution play Dolphin in the AIB League Division One semi-final at Temple Hill tomorrow as Munster have taken a clutch of players from each club.

Leaders Cork Constitution have been able to select Munster's Billy Holland in their back row for Saturday's AIB League clash with Dolphin.

ISAAC BOSS returns to a 29-man Ulster squad for Saturday’s Magners League return clash with Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill.