McMahon back to captain Ireland against Italy

Exeter Chiefs Women’s flanker Edel ‘Tricky’ McMahon will return to the starting XV to captain Ireland against Italy on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who celebrated her birthday this week, came off the bench against France last weekend after recovering from a hamstring injury. She’s back for this second round of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations as Ireland travel to the Stadia Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma for a 15:00 kick-off.

Meanwhile, lock Dorothy Wall and hooker Cliodhna Moloney will be waiting to make an impact off the bench.

Moloney said: “As a team, we were a bit disappointed after the France game. It was a game we felt we should and could have won and were disappointed to let those chances slip away. We want to get away from the narrative of being happy to compete in those top tier nation games…we want to win them. There were huge positives in terms of defence and the lineout, but we know we want to be winning those games.

“Italy had a great performance against England last week and really frustrated them in certain areas. We will be looking to improve in our own areas but also know Italy is no easy game for any team. We can really appreciate the challenge they pose, especially around the breakdown.

“I am excited to be back from injury. I am looking forward to getting more into it. I really have not had much time as I literally returned to training the week of the France game, so I am looking forward to having more of an impact this week.”

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has selected an unchanged back three as Stacey Flood continues at fullback and Anna McGann and Amee-Leigh Costigan are named on the wings, while Eve Higgins and Aoife Dalton once again make up the midfield pairing.

After making her injury comeback off the bench last week, Aoibheann Reilly starts at scrum-half in a half-back partnership with Dannah O’Brien.

In the pack, Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones and Linda Djougang are in an unchanged front row, with Ruth Campbell and Fiona Tuite in the engine room.

McMahon leads the side from blindside flanker, with Erin King at openside and Aoife Wafer – who was last weekend’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Round – completing the Ireland starting XV at number eight.

On the bench, Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Christy Haney, Grace Moore, Wall and Brittany Hogan provide the forward reinforcements, with Emily Lane and Enya Breen the backline options.

Sunday’s match will be shown on BBC Two Northern Ireland and iPlayer.

Ireland

15 Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC – 15 caps)

14 Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC – 7 caps)

13 Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster – 19 caps)

12 Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC – 22 caps)

11 Amee-Leigh Costigan Railway Union RFC/Munster – 14 caps)

10 Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster – 20 caps)

9 Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht – 13 caps)

1 Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster -12 caps)

2 Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury – 31 caps)

3 Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster – 42 caps)

4 Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster – 3 caps)

5 Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster – 11 caps)

6 Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht – 31 caps) (captain)

7 Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC – 5 caps)

8 Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster – 12 caps)

Replacements:

16 Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs – 39 caps)

17 Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster – 5 caps)

18 Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster – 20 caps)

19 Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby – 18 caps)

20 Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster – 33 caps)

21 Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster – 28 caps)

22 Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC – 11 caps)

23 Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) – 26 caps)