Ireland Women’s WXV Squad Announced: Bemand’s Lineup for Decisive Showdown with Spain in Dubai
Ireland’s women’s head coach, Scott Bemand, has unveiled his match day squad for the critical final round of WXV3 against Spain, scheduled for Saturday at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai. Kick-off: 5pm local time/2pm Irish time.
After remarkable victories over Kazakhstan and Colombia in the opening rounds, Bemand’s team is on the verge of securing the inaugural WXV3 title. The upcoming match against Spain will determine the ultimate winner.
Although the identity of the three European teams for WXV2 in 2024 will be decided through regional qualifiers, this weekend remains pivotal. Ireland currently leads the standings with one point ahead of Spain and an impressive points difference of +131. A simple avoidance of defeat in Dubai will see Ireland claim the first-ever WXV3 title.
Bemand’s squad for the final round showcases experience, with co-captains Sam Monaghan and Edel McMahon leading the second row and back row, respectively. The pack is further fortified with the inclusion of Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, and Christy Haney in the front row, while Dorothy Wall partners with Monaghan in the engine room. Grace Moore, McMahon, and Brittany Hogan are in their respective positions of blindside flanker, openside, and number eight.
The backline presents a dynamic mix of youth and experience, with Meabh Deely, Beibhinn Parsons, and Natasja Behan forming the back three, and a center partnership of Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins. Molly Scuffil-McCabe and Dannah O’Brien are selected as the half-backs.
Bemand expressed, “Competition for places in this final round squad has been high, which is exactly where we want to be. It has taken 31 players to get to this point, and both this squad and individuals have grown over these three weeks. We have history with Spain and know this will be a challenging test for our squad.”
Don’t miss Saturday’s match; you can stream it for free on RugbyPass TV, and there will be live updates on Irish Rugby’s social media channels.
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