Here are the line-ups for five of the six nations. Italy will announce their team for the Sunday game at Northampton on Friday.
Ireland
They have the most to prove after upsetting their supporters last week in Cardiff. Sam Monaghan has survived her HIA and Linda Djougang returns to loose-head. The number of caps tells its own sad story about IRFU neglect of its women’s team, just 146 in the starting 15, 69 on the bench. What a contrast with the all conquering men’s team who stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world at present.
To get a taste of the feeling around the emerald isle, you need only read Anna Caplice’s piece: https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-41102689.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Squad:
15. Méabh Deely (Blackrock College),14. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union), 13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere), 12. Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks), 11. Natasja Behan (Blackrock College), 10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere), 9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union), 1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere), 2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), 3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College), 4. Nichola Fryday (captain, Exeter Chiefs), 5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury), 6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College), 7. Grace Moore (Saracens), 8. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere)
Bench:
16. Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs)*, 17. Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry/Cooke), 18. Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury)*, 19. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College), 20. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere), 21. Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian) 22. Anna McGann (Railway Union), 23. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks)
*uncapped
France
Just two changes for France’s trip to the south coast of Ireland: Clara Joyeux returns at tight-head, and Morgane Bourgeois comes in at full-back. Bourgeois captained the Under 20s last year and was in line to play against England’s youngsters in April. This selection may alter her plans.
We have to assume that Emilie Boulard is injured, but anything is possible with French selectors. Jessy Trémoulière and Gaëlle Hermet both have to wait their turn on the bench, no matter what the rest of the world thinks of their prowess.
The staff see the current squad very much as a work in progress. It’s likely to be drier in Cork than it was in Parma – but not much.
Squad:
1 Annaelle Deshayes 2 Agathe Sochat 3 Clara Joyeux 4 Manaé Feleu 5 Audrey Forlani (captain) 6 Axelle Berthoumieu 7 Emeline Gros 8 Charlotte Escudero 9 Pauline Bourdon 10 Carla Arbez 11 Cyrielle Banet 12 Gabrielle Vernier 13 Marine Ménager 14 Caroline Boujard 15 Morgane Bourgeois
Bench:
15 *Élisa Riffoneau 17 Coco Lindelauf 18 Assia Khalifaoui, 19 Maëlle Picut, 20 Gaëlle Hermet, 21 Alex Chambon, 22 Jessy Trémoulière 23 Marie Dupouy
*uncapped
Scotland
Taking the positives from the England game, Bryan Eason has named an unchanged team to face Wales.
Squad:
15. Chloe Rollie (Loughborough Lightning), 14. Coreen Grant (Saracens), 13. Emma Orr (Heriot’s Rugby/Biggar), 12. Meryl Smith (University of Edinburgh), 11. Francesca McGhie (Watsonians), 10. Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning), 9. Caity Mattinson (Worcester Warriors), 1. Leah Bartlett (Loughborough Lightning), 2. Lana Skeldon (Worcester Warriors), 3. Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning), 4. Lyndsay O’Donnell (Bristol Bears), 5. Louise McMillan (Saracens), 6. Rachel Malcolm (captain, Loughborough Lightning), 7. Rachel McLachlan (Sale Sharks), 8. Evie Gallagher (Worcester Warriors)
Bench
16. Jodie Rettie (Saracens), 17. Anne Young (Sale Sharks), 18. Elliann Clarke (University of Edinburgh), 19. Eva Donaldson (University of Edinburgh), 20. Eilidh Sinclair (Exeter Chiefs), 21. Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs), 22. Beth Blacklock (Harlequins), 23. Liz Musgrove (Wasps)
Wales
Ioan Cunningham has left a winning team largely in place, altered only by the sad injury to Gwen Crabb. He moves Georgia Evans up from the back-row (as happened mid-match in Cardiff), and returns Sioned Harries to No 8. That means a slight reshuffle in the back row.
His main call will be for the team not to get ahead of themselves. One swallow doesn’t make a summer. They should be able to beat Scotland in Edinburgh; if they don’t, we may see the traditional Welsh return to self-doubt and gnashing of teeth.
Squad:
15 Courtney Keight, 14 Lisa Neumann, 13 Hannah Jones (captain), 12 Kerin Lake, 11 Carys Williams-Morris, 10 Elinor Snowsill, 9 Keira Bevan, 1 Gwenllian Pyrs, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Abbie Fleming, 5 Georgia Evans, 6 Bethan Lewis, 7 Alex Callender, 8 Sioned Harries
Bench
16 Carys Phillips, 17 Cara Hope, 18 Cerys Hale, 19 Natalia John, 20 Kate Williams, 21 Ffion Lewis, 22 Lleucu George, 23 Hannah Bluck
England
Simon Middleton has also gone for ‘steady as she goes’, but the injury list below shows he didn’t have much room for manoeuvre, even with a squad of 42. His big decision is to introduce Delaney Burns (Bristol Bears) to the second row (Well done, Dorchester!) His choice to replace Sarah Hunter falls on Zoe Aldcroft, who becomes vice-captain.
Emily Robinson (Quins) is the one other player to have the chance of a debut.
Marlie Packer becomes the big white chief as she enters the ‘nervous nineties’ of caps. She may not prove very good at being nervous.
Amy Cokayne’s column informs us that the infamous ‘Pressure Performance’ sessions have been replaced with a new “Battle” session. I’m happy not to have to take part in either.
On Wednesday Detysha Harper became the latest Red Rose to suffer an injury. Middleton resorts to his policy of introducing a non-playing reserve.
Squad:
15. Abby Dow, 14. Jess Breach, 13. Lagi Tuima, 12. Tatyana Heard, 11. Claudia MacDonald, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Lucy Packer, 1. Mackenzie Carson, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Sarah Bern, 4. Cath O’Donnell, 5. *Delaney Burns, 6. Sadia Kabeya, 7. Marlie Packer (captain), 8. Zoe Aldcroft
Bench:
16. Lark Davies, 17. Liz Crake, 18. Kelsey Clifford, 19. Sarah Beckett, 20. *Emily Robinson, 21. Ella Wyrwas, 22. Sarah McKenna, 23. Emma Sing
*uncapped
Non-playing reserve: Simi Pam
The absentee list:
2 categories:
1. Short-term, we hope
Hannah Botterman, Bryony Cleall, Poppy Cleall, Detysha Harper, Natasha Hunt, Ellie Kildunne, Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, Amber Reed, Helena Rowland, Hannah Sims, Morwenna Talling.
2. Long-term, we regret
Vickii Cornborough, Vicky Fleetwood, Rosie Galligan, Zoe Harrison, Laura Keates, Emily Scarratt, Abbie Ward
42 – 19 = 23! No wonder the selectors were glad the Prem 15s provides so much talent.
Round Two Fixtures
Saturday 1 April
Ireland v France, Cork KO 15.15
Scotland v Wales, Edinburgh, 17.30
Sunday 2 April
England v Italy Northampton, KO 15.00
All times BST
