Ireland move the pieces around to plug Monaghan gap

Ireland must cope without co-captain Sam Monaghan when they open their Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign against France in Le Mans tomorrow.

READY FOR CHALLENGE: Senior Coach John McKee with Defence Coach Declan Danaher and Head Coach Scott Bemand will plan without Sam Monaghan for the French clash. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Ireland are confident they have the experience and strength in depth to cope without co-captain Sam Monaghan when they open their Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign against France in Le Mans tomorrow.

Last season’s wooden spoonists have restored a little feelgood factor following their success under new head coach Scott Bemand in the third-tier WXV3 series in Dubai last October yet Monaghan’s unavailability due to head-injury-related return to play protocols and the international rugby retirement of last season’s captain Nichola Fryday means a new-look second row of Dorothy Wall and Hannah O’Connor in a side to be led by co-captain Edel McMahon.

Both Wall and O’Connor, initially named as a training panellist outside the official squad named by Bemand, are back-rowers by inclination yet senior coach John McKee yesterday backed both players to step up to the plate at Stade Marie-Marvingt tomorrow afternoon.

“We’d love it if Sam Monaghan was available for this game,” McKee said. “We know what a good player she is at that level but we’ve developed really good depth in our squad. Dorothy Wall has moved into the second row this season, played for Munster in there and throughout the Celtic Challenge and she could secure that position for herself.

“Hannah earlier in her career had been a back row but has fitted into the second row and her experience and knowledge of the lineout and her leadership around the group. So although she hasn’t played a lot of Test matches in the second row she’s a very experienced campaigner coming into this game and we need players like that against an opposition like France.

“Hannah has been a very strong player for us over a number of campaigns. Missed out on the WXV group when we were looking at some younger players but Hannah played strongly in the Celtic Challenge and showed strong leadership around that Wolfhounds team that was successful in that competition.

“She’s really, really worked hard since she came into camp as a panellist, and through her form and her leadership around the camp she’s got a start.” 

McKee explained Monaghan’s absence as the Gloucester-Hartpury forward continues her recovery in the Irish camp.

“She’s had some weeks out with an HIA (Head Injury Assessment) issue.

“She’s completing her return to play protocols. We hoped she’d be available for this week but she’s just not quite ready. She’s good for a leadership role but she won’t be taking part on the weekend. We expect her to be fully fit for the second round. 

“She’s had a (head) injury from Gloucester-Hartpury in the English Premiership so she’s been on return-to-play (protocols) while she’s been with us through the camps. We were hoping she would make it for this week but she’s just not quite there. At a push we probably could have got her on the park but in the bigger picture, give her the extra week.” 

McKee and scrum coach Denis Fogarty were both members of last season’s Six Nations coaching ticket under then-head coach Greg McWilliams. Bemand came from the successful England Women’s management set-up to take the reins from McWilliams last summer and had added former London Irish stalwart Declan Danaher to oversee defence and the senior coach has seen plenty of progess made following Ireland’s 2023 whitewash.

“Quite a turnaround around the coaching side of things has brought a new focus around the way we prepare and some things around our game model.

“Some of the players playing last year were quite young and coming into international rugby was a big step up for them and some found that a little difficult last year.

“Twelve months later, we’ve more experience from their learnings last year, from the WXV, from the Celtic Challenge. All these things have helped bring the team together and we’ve had a really good preparation across our camps coming into this week.

“Of course the proof of how much progress (made) will in main be in the performance but everything is pointing in the direction of a team that’s really well prepared for the competition this Saturday.” 

IRELAND WOMEN (v France): L Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby); K Corrigan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), E Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), A Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), B Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht); N Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht), A Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht); L Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), N Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), C Haney (Blackrock College/Leinster); D Wall (Blackrock College/Munster), H O’Connor (Blackrock College/Leinster); A Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster), E McMahon (Exeter Chiefs) – co-captain, B Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster) 

Replacements: S Delaney (Blackrock College/Leinster), N O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), S McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), F Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster), G Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby), M Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union/Leinster), D O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), M Deely (Blackrock College/Connacht) End