Fryday set for Italian test in Six Nations

By Mark Stevens
8/4/22

Exeter Chiefs Women’s forward Nichola Fryday will skipper an Ireland side that shows six changes ahead of their Tik Tok Six Nations Championship clash with Italy at Musgrave Park on Sunday (5pm).

Fryday has been an ever-present for her country so far this season and she lines-up again in the Irish engine room alongside Sam Monaghan of Wasps.

Elsewhere, Greg McWilliams has opted for six changes to his starting XV ahead of the Six Nations visit of Italy to Musgrave Park on Sunday afternoon.

Beibhinn Parsons returns to the back three, meaning Lucy Mulhall switches to full-back as Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe continues on the right flank.

Other changes see Kathryn Dane take over from Aoibheann Reilly at scrum-half, while while Hannah O’Connor is also promoted to the starting side at No.8, where she will line-up alongside Dorothy Wall and Edel McMahon.

After the scrum struggles in a defeat to France last time out, how tight-head Christy Haney fares on her first international start will be of great interest. Blackrock’s Aoife Waferis set for a debut on the bench on the same weekend that her sister is with the Ireland U-18s squad in Scotland.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SIDE TO FACE ITALY WOMEN

15. Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC/Leinster) 3
14. Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC/Munster) 8
13. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 8
12. Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 9
11. Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 17
10. Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) 18
9. Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 20
1. Linda Djougang (ASM Romagnat Rugby/Leinster) 19
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster) 8
3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 1
4. Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt) 24
5. Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby) 7
6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) 12
7. Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby) 16
8. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 9

Replacements:

16. Emma Hooban (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) 10
17. Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) 3
18. Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) 7
19. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) 9
20. Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
21. Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) 2
22. Enya Breen (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) 11
23. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster) 7