First start of campaign for Sam Monaghan in Ireland's Aviva showpiece

Scott Bemand has team for Ireland's meeting with Scotland in Sunday's historic final-round clash at Aviva Stadium.

Sam Monaghan during an Ireland Women's Rugby squad training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Former captain Sam Monaghan has been handed her first start of Ireland’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign for Sunday’s historic final-round clash with Scotland at Aviva Stadium.

Ireland are bidding to record their third victory of the campaign for the first time since 2020 and having beaten Italy in Galway in round two and Wales in Belfast last time out, Scott Bemand’s team are set to play their first standalone game at the Aviva, with a women’s home record 30,000 tickets already sold for the Round 5 clash.

Monaghan’s inclusion in the second row comes after three appearances off the bench following her return from a minor injury which forced her to miss the opening-round trip to world champions England at Twickenham. Dorothy Wall moves to the bench for Sunday as a result and it is the only change from the XV which started last Saturday’s 33-12 victory over Wales at Affidea Stadium.

That means an unchanged backline with Stacey Flood at full-back, and wings Béibhinn Parsons and Robyn O'Connor rounding out the back three. Eve Higgins partners Aoife Dalton in midfield, as scrum-half Emily Lane and fly-half Dannah O'Brien link up once more in the half-backs.

In the front row, Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and Linda Djougang will pack down together for their fifth consecutive start in the 2026 championship, with vice captain Fiona Tuite partnering Monaghan in the second row and a familiar back-row trio of Brittany Hogan at blindside flanker, captain Erin King at openside and Aoife Wafer at No.8.

On the bench, Neve Jones, Sadhbh McGrath and Eilís Cahill provide front row cover, Dorothy Wall and Ruth Campbell the back-five forward replacements while backs Katie Whelan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan and last weekend's debutant Niamh Gallagher complete the Ireland 23.

IRELAND (v Scotland): Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere/Leinster) – captain, Aoife Wafer (Harlequins) 

Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian/Munster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).