Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams says he isn't considering drafting in any of the sevens squad for their remaining TikTok Women's Six Nations games despite shipping a record defeat to France on the weekend.
Following the 53-3 reverse to Les Bleues, Ireland have two weeks to prepare for a trip to Italy, who have also lost both opening matches, to France (22-12) and England (68-5).
The Irish sevens team, who are currently in a qualifying spot for the Olympic Games via the World Series, are not in action again until mid-May when they play the final round in Toulouse.
Prior to the tournament, McWilliams referred to the absence of the likes of Béibhinn Parsons, Stacey Flood and Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe from the Six Nations squad as the "elephant in the room".
"If we're to get three wins, we get to the WXV [new World Rugby competition], we’re in the top tier," he said.
"Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: We don’t have sevens players but I can get a true reflection on where we stand moving into next year. Wherever we finish at the end of the Six Nations, its where we deserve to be. And if it’s not good enough that starts with me, I’ll own it."
Ireland have scored just eight points in two games, a try and a penalty, and an inexperienced side was cruelly exposed by the power and skillset of Wales and France.
Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams reflects on his side's @Womens6Nations defeat to France #IREvFRA #RTERugby pic.twitter.com/rILDCsdKuE
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 2, 2023
Asked whether he would consider calling in the sevens players, who finished eighth in Hong Kong over the weekend, McWilliams said: "I’m not thinking that way. I’m thinking about the players that took the field and continue to develop them.
"I’ve a daughter myself, I know what it’s like for these women going out there, I’m so proud of them.
"Things aren’t going their way, their backs are against the wall, their confidence at times was low, but the fight and resilience was better today.
"It needs to be better. We’re striving to be better. There is a gulf but as long as we continue to own that and have the responsibility of our actions and work hard we’ll get there eventually.
"I look forward to those moments, God, I look forward to those moments. They deserve it."
Ireland have beaten Italy in their last four competitive games, including in the ill-fated World Cup qualifying tournament in 2021, but face an improving team under head coach Giovanni Raineri. France needed a late try to secure their win in Parma in round one.
"The aim is to be better for Italy, and that’s not a defeatist attitude," said McWilliams.
"You go into every single contest to win it and we believe we’re going to go to beat Italy.
"We want to see this group getting closer together, getting more cohesion, continue to believe in each other.
"It’s tough for the players, I keep saying that. But their response has been something that’s really encouraging and it’s uplifting to see it, particularly when things are really tough at the moment.
"It’s easy to show resilience when things go well. I think it’s important that we continue to feed the positive and starve the negative because the negative does nothing for anybody."
Among the statistics in Ireland's nine-try 50-point defeat was a staggering 43 missed tackles.
Captain Nichola Fryday said: "I definitely think that will be an area for us to work on. I suppose similar to Wales last week if you’re taking contact on the gainline or behind the gainline or soaking tackles it does give them a really good, quick platform to play off.
"You do have frustrations. You have to look at the bigger picture that we are at the start of our journey.
"And it's going to take time but all we ask is that people stick with us and today the crowd definitely did.
"Going down along the pitch there to all those little girls, you have to remember that they look up to you as your role model and regardless of the scoreline they still love and adore you and idolise you.
"For us, that’s what we need to remember as well. As much as these defeats can hurt, we don’t want to be losing two weeks in a row.
"But the other side of it is is that we’re inspiring young girls and that’s the positive that I’ll take away from today is getting home in front of this crowd and seeing those little girls and boys at the end of the match."
