McMAHON BACK IN AND STARTS AGAINST WALES
CO-CAPTAIN Edel McMahon, who plays for Exeter Chiefs and was omitted from the matchday squad for the last game, against Italy, returns to start at openside against Wales tomorrow.
McMahon’s Chiefs’ clubmate and Exeter housemate Cliodhna Moloney also returns, for the first time since 2021.
The returns of McMahon and Moloney are not connected, insist coaching staff, nor was there representations to management concerning Moloney’s absence.
Moloney has not played for Ireland since 2021 after criticising the IRFU on social media.
“I really don’t know, that’s never... not happened, with Edel it was a selection thing, she hadn’t necessarily performed in the first game,” said defence coach Declan
Danagher.
Trained
“She trained the house down in the last weeks since we had that conversation, it had nothing to do with Cliodhna.”
Meanwhile, Danagher confirmed Ireland would persist with the line-out unit as it operated, disappointingly, in the opening two games — the designated hooker will continue to throw the ball in.
Asked as to whether there has been any experimenting with a different thrower (for instance, Lauren Delaney is an U23 Ireland basketball international and was a National League star at Meteors), Danagher replied:
“I suppose that is not something I’ve necessarily looked at within this group or with the hookers every week and (assistant coaches) Denis and John.
“What I can speak about is my experience of working with a couple of decent hookers: Curtis Langton, he plays for Northampton and has a couple of England caps now.
“The earlier that they can start to throw a rugby ball, not a basketball, it is quite a specific thing.
“The feel and how you throw and shape throws takes time, it is a real feel thing as well as getting a lot of reps in.
“The earlier that they do it and practise it, I think it comes a little bit quicker.
“We have a couple of back-row converts here Neve Jones, Donnelly), people who haven’t thrown early in their career and it just takes time.”
Aoife Wafer, facilitating McMahon, moves across to open-side, with Brittany Hogan remaining at No 8, with Moloney and Shannon Ikahihifo, uncapped and came through IQ
Rugby, on the bench. IRELAND (v Wales, Saturday 13 April, Virgin Media Park, 4.45pm,
Virgin Media): Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks);
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere), Eve Higgins (Railway Union), Enya Breen (Blackrock), Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock); Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere), Neve Jones (GloucesterHartpury), Christy Haney (Blackrock), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock), Sam Monaghan (GloucesterHartpury), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere). Subs; Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere), Shannon Ikahihifo (Ealing Trailfinders), Molly ScuffilMcCabe (Leinster), Nicole Fowley (Galwegians),
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere)