Ireland are reporting a clean bill of health heading into Saturday's TikTok Women's Six Nations meeting with Italy in Parma.
Following last week's break week, the full squad gathered at the IRFU high performance centre in Abbotstown on Sunday night, as attention turned to their Round 3 meeting with Italy, with both sides looking for a first win of the championship.
Ireland are bottom of the table after heavy defeats to Wales and France, with Italy just marginally better off, with their points difference of -73 only three better than Ireland's.
The squad's IRFU contracted players did gather for a small training camp last week, with the uncontracted and English-based players joining them back in Abbotstown this week.
And scrum coach Denis Fogarty says the championship's break week has allowed them refresh mentally as well as physically after a difficult first two games.
"It's been massively beneficial to be honest," said Fogarty, whose older brother John is scrum coach of the Ireland men's team.
"It's given us time to regroup and obviously the players as well after a tough two games. So mentally as well as a players and coaches’ point of view to reflect over those last two games and have a look at those areas where we can continually improve on going into this week.
"So it has been massively important and you can see the energy that they’re bringing already from the start of this week which is really positive."
Hopes of a top-three finish have already been recalibrated for Ireland in this championship, with Greg McWilliams' side scoring just eight points across the opening two games, while also conceding 14 tries.
A fourth-place finish now looks like being the best Ireland can hope for, but a defeat this weekend would likely leave them fighting it out with Scotland in Round 5 to avoid the wooden spoon.
And while it's been a chastening experience so far for a young squad, Fogarty says they have come back into camp with renewed energy.
"Certainly it's not easy losing, especially to big scores but I think they understand where we’re at as a group and as a coaching group in terms of, you know, France are third in the world and we’re a young side, a relatively new side building.
"So in terms of mentally, yeah, it was tough on them but I think having the week off to regroup again and they understand where we’re at. That’s the big thing going forward, is that we all know where we’re at, especially the players do.
"They’ve really come in this week full of energy and knowing the journey, and where we are on this journey. That’s been really positive and I think they’re ready to go now for Italy.
"They really are great to be around, even from my own point of view, I get energised working with them. There's no doubt they’re hurting but to show that resilience they have, to come in all ready to go and full of energy and ready to get something out of this Italian game, there’s no doubt about it, they’re a special group and there are some really good leaders in it."
Watch Lions v Leinster (Saturday 3pm), Stormers v Munster (Saturday 5.15pm) and Connacht v Cardiff (Saturday 7.35pm) on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player or follow live scores on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app.
Follow a live blog for Italy v Ireland in the Women's Six Nations (Saturday 4.45pm) on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live radio commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
