Ireland travel to the Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday looking to atone for last year's defeat to Wales in their Women’s Six Nations opener.
Greg McWilliams’ side have their sights set on a top-half finish and an opening-round victory will put them in good stead ahead of France’s visit to Cork next weekend.
Ireland suffered a late collapse against Wales last year, shipping 19 unanswered points at the RDS, but hopes are high they can replicate the men’s senior and U20 sides by opening their championship with a victory on Welsh soil.
The @Womens6Nations is back! 🏉 We will be bringing you all the action as Ireland face Wales this Saturday live on @RTE2, @RTEplayer
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 23, 2023
and @RTERadio1 @RTESport #WALVIRL #TIKTOKW6N #RTERugby pic.twitter.com/uVDQ074ChL
A title challenge may be beyond Ireland, with England and France still ahead of the rest, but they are targeting a third-place finish, which would secure a place in the top tier of the new WXV competition later this year.
Wales pipped Ireland to third spot last year and although Welsh rugby is in the midst of a crisis, the women’s game is moving in the right direction. The Welsh Rugby Union awarded 25 full-time professional contracts earlier this month, up from 12 in 2022.
Ireland were 45-0 winners on their last visit to the Cardiff Arms Park in the 2021 Six Nations but a much closer contest is anticipated as two improving sides collide in the Welsh capital.
TV
Live coverage begins on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player at 1.30pm.
RADIO
Live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport.
ONLINE
You can follow live updates on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App along with report and reaction from Cardiff.
WEATHER
It will be a wet and windy start to Saturday in Cardiff but conditions should have eased by kick-off. Sunny intervals are forecast for the afternoon with temperatures of around 11C.
Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams has named two debutants in his match-day squad, with 18-year-old prop Sadhbh McGrath rewarded for her impressive form for the Combined Provinces and fellow loosehead Niamh O’Dowd poised to win her first cap from the bench.
Nicole Cronin gets the nod ahead of Dannah O’Brien at out-half and is partnered at half-back by Molly Scuffil-McCabe, while backline trio Méabh Deely, Aoife Dalton and Natasja Behan all make their Six Nations bows, having debuted during last summer’s tour of Japan.
Ireland captain Nichola Fryday forms a second-row partnership with Sam Monaghan, who was one of the standout performers during last year’s championship, with Dorothy Wall joined by Maeve Óg O'Leary and Brittany Hogan in the back row.
Ireland are without the likes of Beibhinn Parsons, Stacey Flood, Eve Higgins and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe for the duration of the Six Nations as they concentrate on their Sevens commitments, while Edel McMahon and Aoife Wafer are ruled out due to injury.
Wales’ line-up includes eight players who started the five-try victory at the RDS 12 months ago, including centre Hannah Jones who captains the side.
Elinor Snowsill and Keira Bevan are the half-back combination while Sisilia Tuipulotu, who made her Wales debut off the bench against Ireland last year, starts at tighthead prop.
Wales: Courtney Keight; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Kerin Lake, Carys Williams-Morris; Elinor Snowsill, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Sisilia Tuipulotu; Abbie Fleming, Gwen Crabb; Georgia Evans, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis
Replacements: Kat Evans, Caryl Thomas, Cerys Hale, Kate Williams, Sioned Harries, Ffion Lewis, Lleucu George, Hannah Bluck
Ireland: Méabh Deely; Aoife Doyle, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Natasja Behan; Nicole Cronin, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Sadhbh McGrath, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Nichola Fryday (capt), Sam Monaghan; Dorothy Wall, Meave Óg O'Leary, Brittany Hogan
Replacements: Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, Niamh O'Dowd, Christy Haney, Jo Brown, Grace Moore, Hannah O'Connor, Dannah O'Brien, Vicky Irwin
Referee: Amber McLachlan (Australia)
Assistant referees: Doriane Domenjo (France) and Maria Latos (Germany)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Greg McWilliams: "If we are to get three wins, we get to the WXV, we’re in the top tier. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, we don’t have sevens players but I can get a true reflection on where we stand moving into next year.
"Wherever we finish at the end of the Six Nations, it's where we deserve to be, and if it’s not good enough that starts with me, I’ll own it."
Ioan Cunningham [Wales head coach]: "We know Ireland will pose a formidable challenge but we finished third in last season’s Six Nations and want to improve on that. As a team, we know we can create opportunities and we just need to finish them off and score more tries.
"The squad have worked really hard, have prepared really well and we are looking to make a positive start at Cardiff Arms Park."
Past five Six Nations meetings
2022: Ireland 19-27 Wales, RDS Arena
2021: Wales 0-45 Ireland, Cardiff Arms Park
2020: Ireland 31-12 Wales, Energia Park
2019: Wales 24-5 Ireland, Cardiff Arms Park
2018: Ireland 35-12 Wales, Energia Park
Ireland’s trip to Wales kicks off the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations, quickly followed by defending champions England’s meeting with Scotland at Newcastle’s Kingston Park (4.45pm).
Italy host France on Sunday (3pm Irish time, live on RTÉ Player).
Watch Wales v Ireland in the TikTok Women's Six Nations on Saturday from 2.15pm live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport
Watch Munster v Glasgow (5.15pm) and Ulster v Vodacom Bulls (7.35pm) in the BKT United Rugby Championship on Saturday live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
