If France was about a performance, Italy is about the result.
With England and France being in a league of their own in the Guinness Women's Six Nations, the expectations vary from one week to the next.
When Ireland travelled to France a week ago, their prospects of a win looked to be, at best, remote. They took their medicine, a 38-17 defeat, but one in which there were plenty of positives.
One week later as they prepare for the visit of Italy to the RDS, the sight of green shoots won’t be enough to satisfy what the IRFU hope will be a record crowd for an Irish women’s international in this country.
It’s six Six Nations defeats in a row for this Irish team, with their last-gasp win over Scotland in the final game of the 2022 championship their most recent victory in the competition. But there’s a sense that this could be their best opportunity to get the train back on the tracks.
There’s confidence in the Irish camp, even if Italy are the favourites at the RDS this afternoon. Twelve months ago their fast, counter-attacking rugby ripped Ireland apart as they won 24-7 in Parma, despite Greg McWilliams’ side dominating almost every facet of the game.
While Ireland would go on to lose two more games in that Six Nations, the result in Italy was the nadir of the championship. Ireland had 62% possession and 66% territory that afternoon, and gave away just six penalties to Italy’s 14, but with their lineout returning just 11 of 16 throws their attack coughed up chance after chance.
On the other side of the ball, 27 missed tackles left them with a completion rate of just 78%, as Italy scored with almost every meaningful possession they had.
The statistics from that game make for grim reading, but there’s real optimism that 12 months on in their professional development, this Irish team are a bit older, a bit wiser, and a good bit stronger.
While they gave up five tries to France last week, their defence looked connected and powerful, and although the gulf between the sides eventually came through, Ireland’s forwards in particular looked comfortable with the physical stakes. The 91% tackle completion illustrated how far the team has come on in a short period working under their new defence coach Declan Danaher.
If the defensive foundation has been laid, Ireland now have to start building on it. Ireland’s attacking issues weren't just confined to their defeat to Italy last year, with just three tries and a total of 25 points scored across five games in 2023.
Opportunities to attack were relatively limited in France a week ago, as Ireland took an understandably pragmatic approach in the opening half, playing a game that was kick-heavy as they looked to ease pressure and force the French into playing more rugby in the middle third of the pitch.
Nicole Fowley executed that plan well, but the decision by head coach Scott Bemand to start Dannah O’Brien in the 10 shirt this week hints at a more expansive plan for the first home game, with Ireland looking to get their Sevens stars Beibhinn Parsons and Eve Higgins onto the ball more often.
For Parsons, Higgins, and to a lesser extent scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly, this is a rare opportunity to play rugby in Ireland, given the nature of the Sevens tour. Similarly, for rugby fans, this is a rare chance to see some of the top women’s rugby players in the game.
It’s just under two years to the day since the trio played an international on home soil – also against Italy – and while Reilly featured for Connacht in the Interprovincial Championship last year as she worked back from long-term injury, both Parsons and Higgins have seen little game time for Blackrock and Railway Union in the All-Ireland League in the last two seasons.
On a day when the IRFU are hoping to top their previous best gate of 6,113, having two of their top Sevens and XV’s talents on the pitch will give them a great chance of doing so.
As well as Dannah O’Brien (above) coming into the starting line-up, Bemand has made three additional changes to his side.
Enya Breen, who has had an injury-ridden 12 months, comes into the team at inside centre, which will give Ireland an extra kicking option in their backline.
That kicking option is likely what tipped the scales in her favour ahead of Aoife Dalton who moves to the bench. Dalton, one of Ireland’s try-scorers last week in France, was one of the standout performers in Le Mans, with the 20-year-old likened to a young Lynne Cantwell by both former Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan, and ex-Ireland coach Philip Doyle on this week’s RTÉ Rugby podcast.
In the pack, Sam Monaghan returns as expected at second row to partner Dorothy Wall, and Monaghan will take on the solo captaincy this week, with her co-captain Edel McMahon not included. McMahon drops out of the squad entirely, with Grace Moore in the starting team and Eimear Corri promoted to the bench.
On the face of it, the switch looks like one which has the lineout in mind. Ireland’s lineout struggles continued in France last week as they lost four of their nine throws, but with Moore (below) a key part of the Saracens pack that has one of top lineouts in the English Premiership, her skills at the set-piece will need to be tapped into.
Italy, who come to Dublin looking for a first away win against Ireland in this championship, will be without the influential Michela Sillari after the centre suffered a leg fracture in last week’s 48-0 defeat to England, while back rower Giulia Cavina is also an injury absence with Ilaria Arrighetti coming in at number 8.
While Italy were beaten by 48 points at home to the Red Roses, the scoreline doesn’t give the full context, with Giovanni Raineri’s side holding England scoreless for 30 minutes, and trailing by just 10-0 at the break.
Although they will be without Sillari, Alyssa D’Inca on the left wing is a player that will need to be watched carefully by Irish rookie Katie Corrigan, with her two tries last season backboning the 24-7 Italy win.
D’Inca’s quick stepping will provide a true test of the Declan Danaher defence that impressed in France a week ago, but if Ireland can silence the Italian winger, the extra backline quality at their disposal this season may just tip the scales in their favour.
Verdict: Ireland
Ireland: Lauren Delany; Katie Corrigan, Eve Higgins, Enya Breen, Béibhinn Parsons; Dannah O'Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Christy Haney; Dorothy Wall, Sam Monaghan (capt); Grace Moore, Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Sarah Delaney, Niamh O'Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Fiona Tuite, Eimear Corri, Molly Scuffil-McCabe, Nicole Fowley, Aoife Dalton
Italy: Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi; Aura Muzzo, Beatrice Rigoni, Emma Stevanin, Alyssa D'Inca; Veronica Madia, Sofia Stefan; Silvia Turani, Vittoria Vecchini, Sara Seye; Valeria Fedrighi, Giorana Duca; Sara Tounesi, Francesca Sgorbini, Ilaria Arrighetti
Replacements: Laura Gurioli, Gaia Maris, Lucia Gai, Isabella Locatelli, Beatrice Veronese, Alessandra Frangipani, Francesca Granzotto, Beatrice Capomaggi
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
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