Back in the squad and back in the matchday 23, Clíodhna Moloney has been hard at work as she prepares for a first Ireland cap in almost two and a half years.
The 30-year-old hooker, last capped in 2021, was recalled to Scott Bemand's training panel last week and comes into the squad for Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash with Wales in Cork (4.45pm).
"She has got her head down, worked hard," said Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher of the Exeter Chiefs forward.
"She had to learn new lineout calls and then a couple of bits and pieces around how we are going to attack against Wales this weekend.
"She plays with Exeter so she knows Edel [McMahon]. They're housemates so they're thick as thieves.
"Edel has obviously been looking after her.[Clíodhna] knows Sam [Monaghan] and it's important for her and Sam to work together, being a hooker.
"In terms of personality, she's just got her head down and got on with it.
"You'd have to ask the girls a bit more but she likes getting around the corner, she likes carrying the ball and she likes making tackles so the more she can do that, the happier I'll be.
"It’s been a good week. We have enjoyed having her in."
Gloucester-Hartpury's Neve Jones (above) starts and Danaher was excited to have two quality options at hooker.
"Neve is playing incredibly well," he added
"It's great to have two hookers who are playing in the Women’s Premiership in England and at a very high standard.
"We have been keeping an eye on [Clíodhna]. We had an injury to Sarah Delaney so then there was a need to bring a hooker in and it was an opportunity to bring Clíodhna in.
"The first two days were getting her head around what the learning would be like for her in terms of her lineout, attack and defence point of view.
"Would she be in a place to be involved, and she definitely did that."
Co-captain McMahon (above) returns after being dropped for the Italy defeat two weeks ago and Danaher outlined the thinking behind the decision to make just one change to the team.
"One change is probably a testament to the performance put in by those players," he said.
"We have looked back this week, reviewed on the Monday as a group on how we take some of the lessons from that Italy game, make sure that we apply them against Wales.
"I think we had a pretty decent first 20 minutes, we probably just didn’t come away with enough points for the territory and the possession we had.
"The good thing is that we are creating those opportunities, it would be far worse if we weren’t. It’s how we can convert one or two of those to give ourselves momentum."
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