IRELAND WOMEN HEAD coach Philip Doyle has made four changes to his starting XV for Friday night’s clash with Grand Slam-seeking France [KO 17.45 Irish time].
Like their male U20 counterparts, Ireland will be out to prevent the home team from claiming a clean sweep of the Six Nations at the Stade de Hameau in Pau.
Powerful centre Jenny Murphy returns to the number 12 shirt, having been restricted to a bench role in the win over Italy at the Aviva Stadium. As a result, Grace Davitt is left out of the starting team and named among the replacements.
Larissa Muldoon of Bristol RFC is back in at scrum-half, taking the place of Amy Davis, while Ailis Egan comes in at tighthead prop, with Stacey-Lea Kennedy dropping to the bench.
As a result of the latter switch, UL Bohemians’ Gillian Bourke moves to hooker, after wearing the number three shirt last weekend.
The French have been in superb form so far in the Six Nations, and have racked up a remarkable points difference of +137 over the course of their four victories. However, buoyed by their excellent 39-0 win over the Italians last weekend, Doyle’s side will have realistic ambitions of spoiling the French party.
Ireland Women (v Italy): Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Munster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise RFC/UCC/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Bristol); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster, capt.), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie-Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster).
Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Kerrie-Ann Craddock (Saracens), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster), Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster), Hannah Casey (Saracens), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond).
