Aoife Wafer looks unlikely to return for Ireland in Sunday's second Women’s Rugby World Cup Pool C game against Spain in Northampton, but the back row is "very close" to being available, according to forwards coach Alex Codling.
The Ireland squad trained this afternoon at Towcestrians Rugby Club, just outside Northampton, where Wafer took a small part in the session as she looks to return from injury.
Wafer joined the squad at the weekend, having stayed behind in Dublin to continue her rehab following knee surgery last month.
The 22-year-old could be seen doing some short sprints and skill work while the rest of the squad went through their warm-up before this afternoon’s session, but Codling says she did also take on some unit work with the forwards.
"I'm not working directly with her, but in terms of running, she joined in with the lineouts, that gives an indication that she's on track and going really well," Codling said.
However, Codling stopped short of confirming when the Harlequins-bound back row (below) is likely to feature in the tournament.
A win for Ireland against Spain on Sunday would see them secure their quarter-final spot with a game to spare, reducing the pressure on Wafer to be available for final pool game against New Zealand in Brighton.
"She's working really hard, she's coming back and is very close," Codling added.
"As a coaching group, it's important we make sure that moment is right for her and right for the team, so we'll monitor that over the next couple of days."
Edel McMahon was the only other player who sat out the early stages of training this afternoon.
The co-captain played 75 minutes in Sunday's 42-14 win against Japan, her first game since the Six Nations following a knee injury, but Codling insists there is no fresh injury concern around the Exeter Chiefs flanker.
"It's important for us as a coaching group where we just manage the loads of players. She's been out for a while, she was exceptional at the weekend, so we're just making sure she's fit and ready.
"Everyone's come through [the Japan game], there are a couple of bumps and bruises that you would expect in a high tempo game, but as of today we're in good shape."
Ireland made the perfect start to their pool campaign on Sunday with a 42-14 win against Japan, which leaves them well-placed to advance to the quarter-finals.
With Ireland having missed out on qualifying for the last World Cup in 2022 in New Zealand, Sunday was a first ever World Cup game for ever player in the squad aside from replacement hooker Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald.
And Codling (pictured above) was impressed with how the players handled the occasion.
"Whenever you play in a competition of this magnitude, there was a huge amount of excitement. This has been on the radar for probably two years really, as a competition and an experience.
"I think the excitement and energy has probably doubled [since Sunday]. The fact that Ireland missed out on the last World Cup, for us a group it was important, and we want to embrace every minute, both on and off the field, and the experience as a whole.
"We focused on a fast start which we did, and that was positive, but I think everyone could see the second half we didn't get out of the blocks. The one thing about this game is that once you lose momentum it's hard to get it back. I thought the last 20 minutes, once we got it back, I thought the girls closed out the game really well.
"That's one element, making sure that when we come under pressure, which you will in games, how you react as a group is so important."
Sunday’s opponents Spain are ranked 13th in the world, eight places below Ireland, and began their campaign with a 54-8 defeat to defending champions New Zealand in York.
But given how Ireland were beaten by Spain during their qualification disaster of 2021, Codling insists there is no chance they will be taken lightly this week.
"I think we treat everyone the same, for lots of different reasons. Certainly, they are a team that will challenge us. They have got a lot of Sevens players in the group, and you could see against New Zealand, if you give them space and time they will hurt you.
"I understand the angle in terms of rankings, but a piece of paper has never won games.
"We need to make sure of our preparation, team play, our messaging and how we approach the game, if we're not physical or disciplined or stick to the gameplan, it will be a massive challenge for us," Codling added.
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