Tyrrell lone Irish change as Mclean back to lead England

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.

There are shades of that again this week on their return to the Meath venue.

The visitors will again be lighter than they would like on front-line faces because of demands elsewhere, but the reinstatement of their superb out-half Katy Mclean as captain yesterday, despite the looming third round of Sevens action, is noteworthy.