![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/94450_2931276.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIreland expected to post first win of 2026 Six Nations campaign<\/p>\n
2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Championship Round 1, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, England 11\/4\/2026 England vs Ireland
\nIreland’s Ruth Campbell(Image: \u00a9INPHO)<\/p>\n
Ireland finished strongly last week in front of 77,127 fans against world champions England at Twickenham.<\/p>\n
The Red Roses had been leading 21-0 at half-time and were looking to kick-on for those last 40 minutes but were, in the event, held 12-12 in that period.<\/p>\n
Indeed, they only team other than France to match the Red Roses in a single half of a Six Nations Championship match this decade.<\/p>\n
Skipper Erin King was one of the two Irish try-scorers and is part of an impressive back-row that features Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan.<\/p>\n
Coach Scott Bemand was inclined to point to the introduction of Ruth Campbell into the second-row as something that changed the dynamic of the game and there is a start for her this week.<\/p>\n
The backs took a fair amount of flak last on the back of two many unforced errors and Nancy McGillivray and Robyn O’Connor, who will be making her debut, have been called in.<\/p>\n
Here’s what you need to know about this fixture:<\/p>\n
What: Womens Six Nations, Round Two<\/p>\n
Where: Dexcom Park, Galway<\/p>\n
When: Saturday, April 18th<\/p>\n
Kick-off: 5.40pm<\/p>\n
Referee: Ella Goodsmith (RFU)<\/p>\n
Table positions: Ireland 5th; Italy 6th<\/p>\n
Last Three Meetings: 2025 Italy 12-54 IRELAND; 2024 Ireland 21 ITALY 27; 2023 ITALY 24 Ireland 7<\/p>\n
Round One result: France 40-7 Italy; England 33-12 Ireland<\/p>\n
Curtain Raiser (see also below): Ireland U21s vs Italy U21s, 2.20pm; the Niamh Briggs coached U21s kick off their Women\u2019s Six Nations Series. All tickets provide entry to both matches.<\/p>\n
Did you know?<\/p>\n
* Ireland\u2019s Aoife Wafer secured two jackal turnovers in Round 1, the highest in the match against England.<\/p>\n
* Italy held 83 percent territory in the opening 25 minutes against France, the highest percentage of any team in the opening round.<\/p>\n
* Ireland will play a Six Nations game at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium for the first time.<\/p>\n
* Italy\u2019s hooker Vittoria Vecchini was the Player of the Match the last time these two sides met in Ireland, scoring two tries.<\/p>\n
* The only time Ireland women have played an international fixture in Galway was back in April 2006, when they defeated Canada 15-8<\/p>\n
* Each of Italy’s last two defeats on the road have been by margins of exactly 33 points<\/p>\n
* Ireland will start 10 players based in Ireland and five players playing in the English WPL; there is a four-four AIL\/WPL split on the bench<\/p>\n
* Italy have won just three of their last 12 games away from home in the Women\u2019s Six Nations (L9).<\/p>\n
QUOTES CORNER<\/p>\n
Ireland coach Scott Bemand: “Getting on the front foot early is important. We didn’t get that right last week. And we’ve looked at it, acknowledged it, took the learnings from it and now we’ve got to get it right. ve to react accordingly.<\/p>\n
“The mindset of, if you want to call it favourites, but certainly playing at home, is slightly different but we go after a performance as much as anything. What we’ve got this time is 8,500 people [at Dexcom Stadium], I think, so far We understand how this can feel a bit different, it needs to become an energising factor rather than a daunting factor.<\/p>\n
Ireland Assistant Coach Gareth Steenson: “I believe things will get better. The more we can put the players in pressure situations in training should stand them in good stead as we move forward. We would expect to see a better performance this week. But if you look at the how the game panned out, we worked out a way to cause England a bit of damage and played to our strengths.”<\/p>\n
Betting odds: Ireland 1\/8 Draw 30\/1 Italy 6\/1<\/p>\n
Popular Bets: Handicap Ireland -13 10\/11<\/p>\n
What TV channel is Ireland-Italy on? Virgin Media One, BBCiPlayer. Radio commentary, RTE Radio 1<\/p>\n
What TV channel is U21 Ireland-Italy match? YouTube channel\/IrishRugby+<\/p>\n
LINE-UPS:<\/p>\n
Ireland: Stacey Flood (Leinster); Beibhinn Parsons (Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Leinster), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs), Robyn O’Connor (Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Leinster), Emily Lane (Munster);<\/p>\n
Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Ruth Campbell (Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Ulster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere) capt, Aoife Wafer (Harlequins).<\/p>\n
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadbhh McGrath (Ulster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury), Katie Whelan (Leinster), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Anna McGann (Connacht).<\/p>\n
Italy: 15 Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 45 caps); 14 Gaia Buso (Villorba Rugby, 5 caps), 13 Alyssa D’Inc\u00e0 (Blagnac Rugby, 36 caps), 12 Sara Mannini (Rugby Colorno, 13 caps), 11 Aura Muzzo (LOU Rugby, 59 caps); 10 Emma Stevanin (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 28 caps), 9 Sofia Stefan (RC Toulon, 102 caps);<\/p>\n
1 Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 43 caps), 2 Vittoria Vecchini (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 42 caps), 3 Alessia Pilani (Stade Bordelais Rugby, 10 caps), 4 Valeria Fedrighi (Rugby Colorno, 68 caps), 5 Elettra Costantini (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 1 cap), 6 Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Clermont Rugby, 38 caps), 7 Alissa Ranuccini (LOU Rugby, 19 caps), 8 Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 79 caps) capt<\/p>\n
Replacements: 16 Chiara Cheli (Rugby Colorno, 1 cap), 17 Silvia Turani (Harlequins, 48 caps), 18 Vittoria Zanette (LOU Rugby, 3 caps), 19 Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 61 caps), 20 Beatrice Veronese (RC Toulon, 32 caps), 21 Alia Bitonci (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 11 caps), 22 Veronica Madia (Blagnac Rugby, 61 caps), 23 Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 94 caps)<\/p>\n
ALSO<\/p>\n
Ireland U21s: Niamh Gallagher (Ealing TF); Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC\/Leinster), Niamh Murphy (Galwegians\/Leinster), Lucia Linn capt, Chisom Ugwueru (both UL Bohs\/Munster); Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere\/Leinster), Alex Connor (Navan\/Leinster)<\/p>\n
Ella Burns (Galwegians\/Connacht), Sarah Delaney (Blackrock\/Leinster), Roisin Maher (Gloucester Hartpury), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohs\/Munster), Aoibheann McGrath (Ballincollig\/Munster), Sally Kelly (Ennis\/Munster), Ailish Quinn, Jemima Adams Verling (both Galwegians\/Connacht)<\/p>\n
Replacements: Saoirse Crowe, Grainne Burke (both UL Bohs\/Munster), Grace Simati (Letterkenny\/Ulster), Gabby Brown (Ealing TF), Annakate Cournane (Shannon\/Munster), Aoibhe Kelly (Loughborough), Siofra Hession, Emily Foley (both Galwegians\/Connacht).<\/p>\n