Danaher hoping Moloney’s return can lift Jones to new heights

Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher hopes the dynamic hooker duo of Neve Jones and Cliodhna Moloney will prove a valuable weapon for Ireland in their Women’s Six Nations game against Wales at Musgrave Park tomorrow.

Moloney is set to win her first Ireland cap since November 2021 after she was named on the bench as replacement hooker for the round three game, with Jones continuing as first-choice.

Capped 31 times, Moloney (right) had been controversially excluded from national squads for nearly two-and-a-half years, including for the 2022 and 2023 Six Nations campaigns. Danaher believes her return will have a knock-on effect on Jones’s game.

“It’s been brilliant seeing that competition and I think bringing someone like Cliodhna in this week obviously gives Neve an opportunity to raise her game, which she’ s already doing ,” Dana her said. “Neve’s (super strength) is that ability to tackle and then Cliodhna’s probably got that bit more of an all-round (game) in terms of carrying and tackling and breakdowns.”

The lineout has been an issue for Ireland with four lost against France and three against Italy, and Danaher says this area is the most important for Jones and Moloney to get right.

“I suppose the most important thing for both of them is making sure they get their lineout right – that’s probably the biggest thing. You can carry and tackle as much as you want but I think that’s something that both obviously can do and will nail,” Danaher said.

“Neve’s a machine at the moment. I think she had 20-plus tackles in the first game, it was 15 last week, so when you’re getting that type of impact from your starting hooker it can take its toll on their energy system. So, the opportunity to bring someone like Cliodhna on and continue the good work Neve’s done will obviously have an impact on the team.”

Ireland co-captain Edel McMahon returns to the team in the one change to the side that started the 27-21 loss to Italy at the RDS two weeks ago. McMahon replaces Grace Moore who drops out of the match-day squad with the uncapped Shannon Ikahihifo on the bench. McMahon was dropped for the Italy game.

Danaher was asked at yesterday’s press conference if there was any link between McMahon – who’s a housemate and team-mate of Moloney at Exeter – being dropped and a player request for Moloney to return to the squad.

“No, that’s not happened. Edel – it was a selection thing. (McMahon) hadn’t necessarily performed in the first game. She’s trained the house down in the last three weeks since we had that conversation and now she’s back in. It had nothing to do with Cliodhna.”

Wales have made four changes to the team that started the 46-10 defeat to England. Prop Sisilia Tuipulotu, flanker Alisha Butchers, scrum-half Keira Bevan and winger Jasmine Joyce return. Like Ireland, Wales have lost their two games but they have beaten Ireland for the past two years,including a 31-5 win in Cardiff last year.