Monaghan absence a big blow but Dalton back in

has been ruled out with coaching staff feeling she has not ‘fully recovered’ from Ireland’s victory over Wales in Cork last weekend.

Monaghan missed the opening Six Nations outing against France with concussion but returned for the Italy game and turned in a brilliant display in the resounding win over Wales last weekend.

Hannah O’Connor comes into the second row but Ireland will miss the dynamic carrying of Monaghan, her line-out expertise and her leadership skills, recognised by the decision to make her co-captain with Edel McMahon for this tournament.

‘She’s just taking longer to recover from the effort she put in,’ revealed Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher yesterday.

‘It’s risk and reward, isn’t it? Probably due to the period of time she’d been out coming into this Six Nations, little things like that, the physical effort and the mental effort that it takes to run a line-out. She’s co-captain with Tricky (McMahon). She’s just come back and the medical team have done an amazing job here but she’s just not hitting her markers to give us the opportunity to play her.’ The other change made by head coach Scott Bemand sees Aoife Dalton (left) replacing Enya Breen in the centre alongside Eve Higgins. Almost 50,000 are expected at Twickenham tomorrow and in anticipation of the atmosphere, England have adapted training at their Surrey base. ‘Early on in the week, when we do more low-key training in the barn inside, we can put crowd noise in. I personally loved it,’ said England head coach John Mitchell.

‘It paints a different picture for us. It’s been a new thing that we’ve brought in this week which has raised our game.

‘Hopefully we can put it out on the pitch on Saturday.’ IRELAND (v England): L Delany; K Corrigan, E Higgins, A Dalton, B Parsons; D O’Brien, A Reilly; L Djougang, N Jones, C Haney; D Wall, H O’Connor; A Wafer, E McMahon (capt), B Hogan. Reps: C Moloney, N O’Dowd, S McGrath, F Tuite, S Ikahihifo, M Scuffil-McCabe, E Breen, M Deely.