Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final: Ireland v France, Sandy Park, Exeter, 1pm (Live on RTÉ One)
Key Reads
Hello and welcome to the Irish Times blog for Ireland’s World Cup quarterfinal clash with France at Sanday Park this afternoon (1.0). John O’Sullivan here and I’ll take you through the build-up and match. Gerry Thornley and Nathan Johns are at the game which takes place in the home of the Exeter Chiefs.
Ireland make two changes to the team that lost 40-0 in their final pool game. Aoife Wafer will play her first game of the tournament following knee surgery. She starts at openside flanker is place of the injured co-captain Edel ‘Tricky’ McMahon. The other change sees Fiona Tuite restored at blindside flanker have missed the game against the Black Ferns.
Grace Moore is the player to lose out. Based on last week’s display she is ridiculously unlucky to suffer that fate. Moore is listed among the replacements. Stacey Flood appears to have passed a fitness test on her cut shin that required stitches.
Niamh O’Dowd, or ‘DJ Noddy’ as she is known on the team bus will make her 20th international appearance. Replacement hooker Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald knows Sandy Park very well as it is the home ground of her club Exeter Chiefs.
Enya Breen also returns to the matchday 23, with Emily Lane and Anna McGann the other reserve backs.