TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY
International friendly
Republic of Ireland v Wales, Tallaght Stadium, 7.30pm
TV
Live coverage on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player from 7pm.
ONLINE
Live tracker on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Updates and match footage on RTÉ Sport social channels.
WEATHER
Sunny spells and just isolated showers expected in Dublin. Highest temperatures of 8 to 10 degrees with moderate to fresh southwest winds, veering northwest as the rain clears.
Ireland aim to slay Dragons before turning attention to Euro qualifying
It's back to fortress Tallaght for the Irish women after Friday's creditable 0-0 friendly draw with Italy in Florence.
Captain Katie McCabe is hopeful of another sell-out crowd at Shamrock Rovers' ground, which has expanded by 25% to a 10,000 capacity this year after the opening of the new North Stand, for tonight's clash with Wales.
McCabe has fond memories of fixtures against Wales, or Cymru as they also go by these days, having scored three times in six encounters between the countries.
Eileen Gleeson remains unbeaten as manager after seven games but will be hopeful of extending that streak tonight against a team ranked 32nd in the world, eight places below Ireland, in what is the final warm-up game for both teams ahead of the draw for the European Championship qualifiers on 5 March.
While the Republic were cruising past Albania, Hungary and Northern Ireland in UEFA's Women's Nations League B last Autumn, the Welsh women had a tougher time against Germany, Denmark and Iceland in League A.
They lost five out of six games and were relegated but the 0-0 draw at home to Germany in December at least ensured the campaign finished on a positive note.
However, there was a big blow last month when manager Gemma Grainger, who had led Wales to the World Cup play-offs, departed to take over as Norway boss, despite having three years left on her contract.
The Welsh FA announced on Monday evening that former Canada international Rhian Wilkinson, who led Portland Thorns to the US National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) title in 2022, would succeed Grainger.
Wilkinson will be in Dublin tomorrow but former assistant and current interim head coach Jon Grey remains in charge for the match and he has called up five potential debutants: U-19 internationals Tianna Teisar (on loan at Cardiff Ladies from Bristol City), Olivia Francis and Mayzee Davies (both Manchester United), as well as defender Lois Joel (London City Lionesses) and forward Tegan McGowan (Charlton Athletic).
Like Ireland, the majority of the Welsh players are with English Super League or Championship sides - there's a five-strong contingent who are team-mates at Bristol with Megan Connolly and Chloe Mustaki - but only Teisar and Laura O'Sullivan are with a Welsh club, Cardiff, who play in England's third tier.
Defender Lily Woodham and midfielders Angharad James and Jess Fishlock all play for Seattle Reign in the NWSL.
The 37-year-old Fishlock (134 caps) was Wales' top scorer in the Nations League with goals in both fixtures against Denmark while Crystal Palace forward Elise Hughes led the line against Germany, having come off the bench to net in the preceding 2-1 defeat to Iceland.
The 22-year-old is the top scorer in the Women's Championship this season with 14 goals in 15 games for Palace and looks like a potential long-term successor to Wales record scorer Helen Ward, who retired last year after 44 goals in 108 appearances.
Chelsea's WSL record appearance holder Sophie Ingle will captain the side in her 123rd international and plays as a defensive midfielder.
They tended to play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 under Grainger but it remains to be see what approach Grey will take.
Wolves development coach and Welshman Rhys Carr should have some insight into his compatriots, he joined Gleeson's set up as an assistant coach this month, alongside Emma Byrne and Colin Healy.
In what was Gleeson's first match since since being named permanent manager, Ireland held their own against the Italians, ranked 14th in the world, and had what would have been a sensational winner from the returning Leanne Kiernan ruled out for a contentious offside flag.
🇮🇹 0-0 🇮🇪
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 23, 2024
Borderline offside denies Leanne Kiernan a wonderful team goal
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It will be interesting to see whether the 4-1-4-1 formation employed in Italy is retained or whether Gleeson reverts to the 3-5-2 that saw Ireland hit 20 goals in six Nations League fixtures, albeit against less imposing opposition.
"The big thing for us is that we want to be adaptable," said Gleeson afterwards. We don't want to be tied to any one system or formation and we more talk about how we occupy space.
"We still pushed up higher, we were still aggressive in the press, we still had out-balls that would at times put us into a back three and be able to push up a full-back higher and a wide player inside. We want to be able to play in three, four, five, whatever we need to do, whatever suits us, whatever suits the attributes of the team and whoever the opposition are."
Regardless of the formation, there should be changes to the starting line-up, with second-half subs Aoife Mannion, who only came on in the 90th minute, and Kiernan (62nd) both in the frame to get more game time.
Diane Caldwell and Louise Quinn, who sat out the fixture in Italy after recently suffering a dislocated shoulder, could come into a changed defence while English-born striker Emily Murphy could make her debut after receiving international clearance last week.
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes)
Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Reading – on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses).
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Megan Connolly (Bristol City), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Everton), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United), Jess Fitzgerald (Peamount United).
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Emily Murphy (Wake Forest University).
Wales squad
Goalkeepers: Olivia Clark (Bristol City), Safia Middleton-Patel (Watford, on loan from Manchester United), Laura O'Sullivan (Cardiff City Ladies).
Defenders: Rhiannon Roberts (Real Betis), Josie Green (Leicester City), Hayley Ladd (Manchester United), Gemma Evans (Manchester United), Charlie Estcourt (Reading), Ella Powell (Bristol City), Lily Woodham (OL Reign), Mayzee Davies (Manchester United).
Midfielders: Sophie Ingle (Chelsea), Alice Griffiths (Southampton), Angharad James (OL Reign), Lois Joel (London City Lionesses), Rachel Rowe (Rangers), Ffion Morgan (Bristol City), Jess Fishlock (OL Reign), Ceri Holland (Liverpool), Carrie Jones (Bristol City), Kayleigh Barton (Charlton Athletic),
Forwards: Elise Hughes (Crystal Palace), Mary McAteer (Sunderland), Tegan McGowan (Charlton Athletic), Tianna Teisar (Cardiff City Ladies, on loan from Bristol City), Olivia Francis (Manchester United),
