Chiefs duo in Ireland squad to face Italy

By Mark Stevens
14/4/23

Exeter Chiefs forwards Nichola Fryday and Clara Nielson have both been named in the Ireland squad for their latest Six Nations Championship clash with Italy in Parma on Saturday (4:45pm).

Fryday will again lead her country into action as they look to bounce back from defeats at the hands of Wales and France in the opening two rounds.

She will line-up in an Ireland side that shows three changes to the starting XV for the clash at the Studio Sergio Lanfranchi.

All of them come in the back division where there are starts for Lauren Delany, Anna McGann and Alisa Hughes.

Nielson, meanwhile, will be looking to impress again off the bench after making her Test debut in the last game against France.

Head coach Greg McWilliams said: ““It has been a really good block of preparation for this game. We arrived in Parma yesterday afternoon following three days of hard work in Dublin, and the group have come back focused and energised after the down week.

“Saturday will be another stiff challenge for us against a side that reached the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup, but again it is one we are relishing as a group as it gives us the opportunity to continue our development in the Test arena.”

IRELAND WOMEN’S SQUAD TO FACE ITALY WOMEN

15. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) 19
14. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster) 14
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 4
12. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) 3
11. Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 4
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 4
9. Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 17
1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) 26
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster) 15
3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 7
4. Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt) 31
5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) 12
6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) 18
7. Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby) 7
8. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster) 6

16. Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby) 1
17. Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster) 2
18. Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) 1
19. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 16
20. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 12
21. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 6
22. Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster) 3
23. Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 4