Scott Bemand says Aoife Wafer remains on track to be fit for next week's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against either France or South Africa, but Sunday’s Pool C decider against New Zealand has come too soon for the back row.
Wafer returned to full training this week following her summer knee surgery, but with Ireland already assured of their place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare, she hasn't been risked for the meeting with the Black Ferns in Brighton.
"I'm really confident," Bemand said, when asked if he expects the 22-year-old to be available for next weekend’s quarter-final.
"If you look at her eyes, you can see she's really confident as well."
The Ireland head coach was bullish about her chances of featuring in the knockout stage, hinting that she could have been in contention to play this week had it been a must-win game.
"So all the way through there's been a bit of a plan around Aoife, from the very beginning to her joining up with the group a couple of days after we arrived. And everything's tracking and trending.
"So she's back in training. She's going well. She's desperate to be involved. She's desperate to be involved this weekend.
"Our plan of where she's coming back to, we could have considered picking her this week.
"We've made a decision that actually for her best opportunity, and as the team's best opportunity, is to go hard in training again next week and we'll see where that stands us for the following week."
Ireland are in Brighton ahead of their Women's Rugby World Cup Pool C decider against New Zealand on Sunday#RWC2025 pic.twitter.com/JXtuuSA6Xs
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The back row was player of the match when Ireland pulled off their shock win against the Black Ferns last September, but Wafer hasn't played in close to five months, her last outing coming in the penultimate game of the Six Nations away to Wales.
Despite that, her head coach has no fears she will be cold on her return.
"I tell you, if you look at Aoife’s eyes, she's ready to go now," he said.
"She's done a great job in her rehab.
"The specialists that have supported her, her own commitment to her own game and her own physical conditioning, so when she's ready to step back on, she's ready to step back on.
"She's an incredibly committed individual. We won't see any ring-rust. She'll be ready to go. We're really confident."
Bemand has made six changes to his side following last week’s win against Spain, with co-captain Edel McMahon among those to return, while Sam Monaghan has been cleared after picking up a hip knock last week.
Fiona Tuite was a surprise absence when the team was announced this morning, with Bemand later clarifying she misses out due to a minor knock.
Grace Moore and Ellena Perry both keep their places in the side after impressing in the starting team a week ago.
Perry starts ahead of regular loosehead Niamh O’Dowd, which Bemand says is a reward for her player of the match shift in Northampton a week ago.
"We've got a couple of positions now where we're developing some real depth. We’ve got three looseheads out here who are all very high performing players.
"Last time in WXV1, Siobhán McCarthy came on and did a great job against the New Zealand scrum.
"El [Ellena Perry] has earned her crack at this.
"She was brilliant last week, not just in the set-piece but in her movement around the pitch, her carries, her tackles, her tips. She’s more than earned the chance.
"Obviously, we know what we've got in terms of a Niamh O’Dowd and we know that when she comes on, she's going to have a big bearing, a big influence on this game.
"So it's one of those ones where it was a really tight call.
"We know we've got two outstanding players, and we're going to need both at the top of their game to get that performance out there on the weekend."
While the teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals next week, both have gone strong with their team selections as they look to claim top spot, which will earn them a quarter-final against the loser of France v South Africa in Pool D.
And while Bemand accepts there is an element of this game being a "free hit" for both sides, he doesn't expect that to detract from the game.
He said: "In terms of the result, potentially [a free hit], but remember we can be in control of who we think we’ll play next.
"Obviously, by winning a group, you're more in control of fixtures and games that come out in the knockout stages.
"We've picked strong. New Zealand have picked strong.
"The occasion is going to get the game it deserves. I've said to the group, I think the World Cup is ready for this game.
"We'll go at them. I'm sure they'll come at us.
"We'll both have moments when we're on top and it's how you capitalize on scoring points when you get those opportunities.
"I'm sure it's going to be one of those games that goes to the wire.
"And if it is, we want to be in a position that we can control it and go to win the game and hopefully finish top of the group."
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