Scott Bemand has defended his decision to parachute two players into the mix for World Cup selection during Ireland's warm-up games.
The tournament kicks off for Ireland against Japan on 24 August in Northampton with a 32-player squad due to be announced on Monday, two days after the team’s clash with Canada in Belfast.
Centre Nancy McGillivray, whose father is Irish but grew up in Hong Kong and previously trained with England, won her first cap and scored a try in last weekend’s win over Scotland.
Former England prop Ellena Perry, who won the last of 11 Red Roses caps in 2020, is expected to make her Ireland debut off the bench tomorrow at the Affidea Stadium.
Neither player was originally included in the 37-strong preparation squad named in May.
"As we grow our group, we need the finest talent available both on-pitch play perspective and an-off pitch, character, person perspective in terms of adding to a group," head coach Bemand, who spent years as an assistant with England, said soon after naming his a team containing 10 changes to face the world’s number two side.
"Elle (above) is a good player, and she's a really good person having worked with her before. She’s known to a good few of the girls and they would endorse that.
"IQ [Ireland-qualified] is part of our pathway, and this weekend is an opportunity for Elle to put her best foot forward and to put her hand up for selection.
"And then absolutely, we would consider players from IQ.
"As we grow our squad depth, as we grow our playing pathway, we also have to be cognisant of people that are Irish and identify as being Irish, that play over in the UK, for example.
"I think it’s been a great opportunity to add to a group both from an on-pitch perspective which is clear to see.
"If anybody looks back through England footage, you'll see. I've worked with her in that space before.
"Elle has always a highly, highly valued value prop in that system.
"A couple of years ago, she picked up a niggle. She's a mother, she has a young child which is class.
"So she’s brought this sort of wealth of experience and maturity to a group that adds to us. She's been absolutely brilliant.
"Yes, I would consider her, but obviously we'll make that call after the game on the weekend."
Gloucester-Hartpury's Perry was called up with experienced prop forward Christy Haney recovering from a hamstring issue.
Bemand added: "So she joined a couple of weeks ago.
"There is a piece of process that players have to go through if they played from one nation to another.
"So I guess in terms of playing depth and when this came online, the Christy Haney piece opened up an opportunity for it really.
"She would have been available for last week, Elle would have been available to play against Scotland.
"We made a choice not to put her into that game, to give her a little bit more time. But she's been with us since the start of block three."
Ireland know they will face a step up in class when they host Canada tomorrow and Bemand believes the timing of the fixture can only serve to prepare the side, ranked fifth in the world, for their Pool C games against Japan, Spain and New Zealand.
"We probably don't always get the warm-up games that you want because everyone's got different objectives at different times," he said.
"Where we sit in proximity to the UK, there's obviously a few teams that are manoeuvring themselves closer to the World Cup.
"The flow of the games we've had, going Scotland into Canada, works really well for us.
"We had a good hit-out against them in WXV1 not so long ago.
"If you look at the results and scoring patterns within that game, we were 21-3 down at half-time, come back and won the second half.
"But there were bits we were disappointed about so it's the next challenge on from Scotland, it's really well placed to tee us up for the World Cup."
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