New-look Ireland aim to start green wave against Scots

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Ireland's World Cup preparations step up a gear this afternoon with Scotland the visitors to Cork's Musgrave Park (2pm, live on RTÉ Radio 1).

It will be Scott Bemand's first chance to see where his charges, minus the star power of Erin King, Dorothy Wall and Aoife Wafer, are following an intense training camp that began in June.

Wafer, the Six Nations players of the tournament, is recovering from MCL surgery after injuring her knee in training earlier this summer.

The 22-year-old may play some part in the showpiece in England but the soundings from camp suggest the opening two games, against Japan on 24 August and Spain a week later, will come too soon.

There's a fair argument that they are the three players who Ireland could least afford to lose.

While relatively new to international XVs, King and Wafer have been revelations and the standouts as Ireland took down New Zealand last year in the WXV1.

Wall, who debuted in 2020, has more experience under her belt but found a rich vein of form before suffering the Achilles' injury against Scotland in April.

It's a triple whammy and a body blow to the squad and their hopes of reaching the semi-finals and being World Cup "contenders", as they put it.

But, as they are also fond of saying, every unfortunate injury presents an opportunity and Bemand will get to see first-hand if the new crop can step up to the plate as they start their self-styled 'green wave' World Cup tilt.

Connacht back row pair Ivana Kiripati, 21, and Ailish Quinn, 19, will make their debuts, starting and off the bench, and Exeter centre Nancy McGillivray has also been parachuted into the squad.

She was not included in the original training panel announced but the 22-year-old, who has previously trained with the Red Roses, gets her shot.

Ireland, two places above Scotland in the World Rugby rankings at five, are not weak in the centre.

Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins and Enya Breen are proven international performers so McGillivray will have her work cut out to break into the squad that travels to England.

But the return of some familiar faces offsets the inexperienced trio and captain Sam Monaghan joins Eimear Corri-Fallon in the second row, both having spent a year away from the international scene through injury.

Béibhinn Parsons, 23, who suffered two separate leg breaks over the last 14 months, is also back and how Bemand would love to see the Sevens flyer get on the ball and remind Irish fans what she was all about when she burst onto the scene as a teenager.

"We have three new caps this weekend and we're all really excited for everyone to see what Ivana, Nancy and Ailish can do, because they've come seamlessly into this group," said Higgins, who will win her 27th cap against a Scotland team showing six changes to the side beaten 34-29 by Italy last weekend.

"Ivana has been around us for a long time now, and everyone's so happy to see that she's getting an opportunity now to put the green jersey on.

"And the same with Nancy and Ailish, they've come in this summer and have been absolutely brilliant in training.

"Everyone's very excited to see those few girls represent the country for their first time and then to welcome Sam and Béibhinn back this weekend, that's huge.

"All of us have seen the amount of work that both of them have gone through and put through in the gym over the last year, pretty much and we're all very excited to finally get to see them in green again."

Recent games between these sides have been close affairs with four of the last five ties being decided by just one score.

Ireland lost to a last-gasp try to Bryan Easson's side at the end of the Six Nations (above) despite dominating possession and territory.

A rudimentary error of failing to kick the ball dead at the end of the first half also cost Ireland dear.

For all the hosts endeavour and opportunity, they must learn to be clinical when chances arise.

Although result is secondary in this game, and in the step-up-in-class encounter next week against Canada, they are on the eve of a World Cup campaign where getting out of a pool containing Japan, Spain and New Zealand is the least that's expected.

"We've had seven weeks of training in terms of building cohesion, which we've made brilliant strides in," said Bemand, whose side contains 11 changes from their last outing against the Scots.

"We've got the two games coming, and there's a plan in terms of building cohesion to get into the group stages.

"There's elements of Scotland where there's certain things that we need to see."

Ireland: Méabh Deely; Béibhinn Parsons, Nancy McGillivray, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Sadhbh McGrath; Eimear Corri-Fallon, Sam Monaghan (capt); Grace Moore, Ivana Kiripati, Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O'Dowd, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Ailish Quinn, Emily Lane, Enya Breen.

Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott; Hannah Ramsay, Caity Mattinson; Anne Young, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke; Emma Wassell, Rachel Malcolm (capt); Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Evie Gallagher.

Replacements: Elis Martin, Leah Bartlett, Molly Poolman, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Coreen Grant.

OFFICIALS

Referee: Clara Munarini (Ita)

ARs: Holly Wood (Eng) and Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wal)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)

RECENT MEETINGS

2025: Scotland 26-19 Ireland, Hive Stadium, Edinburgh, Six Nations

2024: Ireland 15-12 Scotland, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast, Six Nations

2023: Scotland 36-10 Ireland, The Hive, Edinburgh, Six Nations

2022: Ireland 15-14 Scotland, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast, Six Nations

2021: Ireland 18-20 Scotland, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, World Cup qualifier

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