Former Ireland international Alison Miller believes the return of Cliodhna Moloney to the Irish squad is a sign of progress in the IRFU.
The Exeter Chiefs hooker was recalled to the Ireland squad this week for the first time since November 2021, when she publicly called out former women's rugby chief Anthony Eddy for comments he made following Ireland's failed World Cup qualification.
Moloney described Eddy's comments as "slurry spreading", and although she would feature in Ireland's two games that month against USA and Japan, the Galway native was a notable absentee throughout 2022 and 2023.
When Moloney was first dropped ahead of the 2022 Women's Six Nations, then-head coach Greg McWilliams maintained it was a "rugby decision" based on her form for Wasps, who she was with at the time.
Scott Bemand replaced McWilliams in the summer of 2023, and although Moloney's absence was extended through the WXV championship and the first two games of this Six Nations, injury to Sarah Delaney has seen the 31-year-old's international exile ended.
"Hallelujah, thank God," former Ireland wing Miller said on the RTÉ Rugby podcast, when discussing Moloney's recall.
"Hallelujah, thank God!... She's a phenomenal player..."
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 10, 2024
Alison Miller gives her take on the long-awaited return of Cliodhna Moloney to the Ireland squad ☘️
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"No one was buying the 'lack of form' nonsense that was coming out of mouths last year when she wasn't being picked.
"She's a phenomenal player, we are not at the stage that we can leave players of her quality out of our squad."
With Ireland lacking any experienced options behind first choice hooker Neve Jones, Moloney could even go straight into the matchday squad for this Saturday's Guinness Women's Six Nations meeting with Wales at Virgin Media Park.
And Miller believes her return can even make Jones a better player in the long run.
"Neve Jones is a very good hooker but sometimes her throwing can let her down. She's very good around the field but Cliodhna is there and suddenly you have competition between the two. She's forcing Neve Jones, 'let's get your throwing absolutely where it needs to be and let's have competition'.
"It's brilliant to see Cliodhna back."
Miller (above), who won 47 caps and two Six Nations titles with Ireland, played alongside Moloney with Ireland prior to her own retirement in 2019.
And the former Connacht player says the latest development has given her confidence in the new Ireland head coach.
"She [Moloney] said what was needed to be said at the time. She got punished, a lot of players stood with her and they got to play. It's great to see her come back into the squad. She's a big, physical player, a big ball carrier.
"She's the physical presence that we don't have a lot of, naturally, in the country with our women's players. We need to have her there.
"I'm happy to see him [Bemand] make that decision. You know what you want, you're the coach, you're picking the team, and that's where it needs to be, after all the years of it not happening.
"That's the important thing for me."
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