Ireland looking to turn corner and push World Cup bid against Italy
Ireland co-captain Sam Monaghan. Picture: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
If last week’s defensive defiance away to the French made for an encouraging sight then tomorrow’s visit of Italy to Dublin marks the start of the Six Nations campaign that will ultimately define success or failure for Ireland.
This has been a two-tier tournament for far too long. The reality is that the title will be decided when France and England meet in Bordeaux come round five next month, but the other four nations aren’t exactly fighting for scraps.
Whoever finishes third will earn a place at next year’s World Cup. Other opportunities will be available to make a tournament expanded from the one that Ireland failed to reach last time round, but nailing that goal first time out is an obvious carrot.
Beating Italy at the RDS is a must if that is to happen. That puts a fair amount of pressure on an Ireland side under new management, one that finished with the wooden spoon in 2023, and a collective that has lost its last eight games in this competition.
“The girls have been great,” said head coach Scott Bemand.
"We have pushed really hard and the culture and the environment we have tried to create embraces challenge. We spoke about walking towards pressure so we know what this game entails.
“You can look at it as an opportunity. It’s our first chance in Ireland to play as a team and show what we can do. That’s sort of been the mindset, that we can go and attack it.”
The hope is that a corner has been turned by this Irish team and ticket sales suggest no little expectation with the possibility of a new record attendance for the women’s team on home soil. The mark was set two years ago when 6,113 watched them play Wales in the RDS.
The onus will need to switch from the backs-to-the-walls effort in Le Mans to a more rounded attacking display after the territorial, kicking tactics deployed eight days earlier and Bemand has entrusted Dannah O’Brien with the job at hand.
The Leinster youngster replaces Nicole Fowley at ten while Enya Breen comes in at inside-centre for Aoife Dalton who was excellent last week. They will at least be spared the job of minding the dangerous centre Michaela Sillari who broke a leg in their 48-0 loss to England.
Co-captain Sam Monaghan returns to the second row in place of Hannah O’Connor, who drops out of the 23 entirely, while the other co-captain Edel McMahon is another to slip out of the matchday squad having started the opener.
Grace Moore comes in for her, though it isn’t a straight swap with Aoife Wafer shifting from blindside to openside. The front row and back three remain unchanged for a game against a side sitting three places higher in the world rankings.
“As we move towards professionalism we will pick the strongest groups game by game,” said Bemand. “This is a selection for Italy. It definitely doesn’t rule people out going forward. Yes, there were a couple of very tough discussions based on form as well.”
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