Cliodhna Moloney returns from international wilderness with Six Nations call-up

Ireland's Cliodhna Moloney. Picture: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Cliodhna Moloney, whose criticism of the IRFU's former director of women’s rugby was followed by over two years in the international wilderness, has been recalled to the Ireland squad ahead of their Six Nations meeting with Wales next week.

The Galway woman made no bones about Anthony Eddy’s suggestion late in 2021 that the players had been at fault for the team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, and his insistence that the union had not shirked in providing enough support for the XVs programme.

“I could have sworn slurry spreading season was in spring,” Moloney tweeted. “I stand corrected.” 

Now 30, Moloney subsequently featured for Ireland against the USA and Japan some weeks later but she has since found herself on the outside looking in despite continued superb form in England with Wasps and, latterly, Exeter Chiefs.

Greg McWilliams never selected her during his stint in charge of the women’s team while IRFU CEO Kevin Potts found himself having to insist last summer that her ongoing absence had nothing to do with any of her past opinions.

Scott Bemand took over from McWilliams after last year’s disastrous Six Nations and, while Moloney didn’t get a call for the WXV3 competition in Dubai last October, or for the first two rounds of this Championship, she is now back in the fold.

Confirmation of that came in an IRFU squad update on Friday evening, the news stated matter-of-factly and devoid of any context four paragraphs into the mail. 

It read: “Cliodhna Moloney will join the squad for next week's training at the IRFU High Performance Centre.” 

Full-back Lauren Delany is continuing her return-to-play protocols after being replaced close to half-time in the six-point loss to Italy at the RDS last Sunday and is expected to resume full training next week.

Ruth Campbell continues her rehab for a hand injury, which ruled her out of the earlier rounds of the Six Nations. Backs Ailsa Hughes and Kate Flannery have now returned to their clubs after training with the squad during the opening two rounds.

Natasja Behan and Clare Gorman have travelled to Hong Kong for this weekend’s HSBC SVNS tournament.