![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/26-Line-Up-Womens-X.png\")
<\/p>\nHead Coach Scott Bemand\u00a0has named the Ireland Match Day Squad, sponsored by\u00a0Aon, for Saturday\u2019s opening\u00a0Guinness Women\u2019s Six Nations\u00a0clash against England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (Kick-off 2.25pm).<\/p>\n
Captain\u00a0Erin King will lead Ireland into the 2026 Championship in London, with\u00a0Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald\u00a0set to reach the milestone of 50 Test caps, while uncapped prop\u00a0Eil\u00eds Cahill\u00a0and scrum-half\u00a0Katie Whelan\u00a0are in line for their debut appearances in green off the replacements bench.<\/p>\n
Stacey Flood\u00a0starts at full-back, with\u00a0B\u00e9ibhinn Parsons\u00a0and\u00a0Vicky Elmes Kinlan\u00a0on the wings for Ireland.\u00a0Eve Higgins\u00a0and\u00a0Aoife Dalton\u00a0are selected in midfield, as\u00a0Emily Lane\u00a0and\u00a0Dannah O\u2019Brien\u00a0link up in the half backs at scrum-half and out-half respectively.<\/p>\n
In the pack,\u00a0Ellena Perry, Moloney-MacDonald and\u00a0Linda Djougang\u00a0are Ireland\u2019s starting front row.<\/p>\n
Moloney-MacDonald will become the 16th Ireland women\u2019s player to reach half a century of appearances in green, following on from Djougang hitting the milestone during last year\u2019s Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.<\/p>\n
Dorothy Wall\u00a0and\u00a0Fiona Tuite\u00a0make up Ireland\u2019s second row on Saturday, with\u00a0Brittany Hogan\u00a0at blindside flanker, captain King at openside and\u00a0Aoife Wafer\u00a0packing down at number eight.<\/p>\n
Bemand has an exciting mix of youth and experience among his replacements, with\u00a0Neve Jones,\u00a0Niamh O\u2019Dowd,\u00a0Ruth Campbell\u00a0and\u00a0Grace Moore\u00a0joined by the debutant Cahill \u2013 who has impressed recently for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge \u2013 as the forward reinforcements.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There is also a potential first cap for replacement scrum-half Whelan, who has previously been capped for Ireland Women\u2019s Sevens on the HSBC SVNS Series, while\u00a0Nancy McGillivray\u00a0and\u00a0Anna McGann\u00a0complete Ireland\u2019s Match Day 23.<\/p>\n
Sam Monaghan\u00a0and\u00a0Aoibheann Reilly\u00a0were ruled out of selection\u00a0through injury.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s match is live on\u00a0RT\u00c92\u00a0in Republic of Ireland and\u00a0BBC One\u00a0in Northern Ireland\/United Kingdom, while there is live radio commentary on\u00a0RT\u00c9 Radio 1.<\/p>\n
Ireland (v England):<\/p>\n
15. Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC\/Leinster)(24)
14. B\u00e9ibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC\/Connacht)(31)
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)(28)
12. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC\/Leinster)(32)
11. Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC\/Leinster)(4)
10. Dannah O\u2019Brien (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)(30)
9. Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC\/Munster)(20)<\/p>\n
1. Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury\/IQ Rugby)(4)
2. Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs)(49)
3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)(52)
4. Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs)(37)
5. Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC\/Ulster)(20)
6. Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks)(38)
7. Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)(Captain)(7)
8. Aoife Wafer (Harlequins)(16)<\/p>\n
Replacements:<\/p>\n
16. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)(41)
17. Niamh O\u2019Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury)(20)
18. Eil\u00eds Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC\/Munster)*
19. Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)(12)
20. Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women\/IQ Rugby)(26)
21. Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster)*
22. Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs\/IQ Rugby)(3)
23. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC\/Connacht)(14).<\/p>\n
* denotes uncapped<\/p>\n
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