Scott Bemand admits to ‘tough conversations’ after surprise exclusions from Ireland team to face Italy

Centre Aoife Dalton and outhalf Nicole Fowley drop to the bench while there are no places in the matchday squad for co-captain Edel McMahon or Hannah O’Connor, who all started the 38-17 defeat to France in round one.

Enya Breen takes over from Dalton and will partner Eve Higgins in the centre. Breen hasn’t played for Ireland since picking up an injury in the first game of last year’s championship.

O’Brien replaced Fowley at half-time in Le Mans and she will start a Six Nations game for the fifth time in her career.

In the pack, and as expected, Sam Monaghan returns following a head injury after missing the game in France.

It means there is no place for the versatile O’Connor in the squad.

The other change is in the backrow with McMahon also dropping out of the squad - she is replaced by Grace Moore who starts at 6 with Aoife Wafer moving to 7. Lock Eimear Corri is promoted to the bench.

“The girls have been competing hard, so yes, there were some tough conversations. Yes, there were some high support that we’ve put in place for girls, but they understand where the group is and where they need to be,” Bemand said during his team announcement press conference.

“As we move towards professionalism, we’ll pick strongest groups game-by-game. This is a selection for Italy and it definitely doesn’t rule people out going forward. Yes, there were a couple of very tough discussions based on form as well.”

Bemand said they had a “clean bill of health” after the France game so the reasons weren’t injury-related. One reason he gave for the selection of Breen over Dalton was the kicking option the Munster centre brings.

“So we got to get our game going. We got to launch, we got to play in the right areas but we got to get our launches going so Enya’s pretty key to that,” Bemand explained. “A couple of things that she brings; you mentioned the kicking game. You need multi-kickers on a pitch otherwise any one kicker can be under a little bit of pressure.

“She’s also a good baller, a good games player. Good triple threat: carry, distribute, kick. So she’s got good scanning. She can see opportunities and she knows how to bring those bits to life. She gets the nod over Aoife.

“Aoife didn’t do anything wrong last week. Aoife’s a really important player for us. It’s just the split of how we think the game will go. We think we’ll be in a strong position starting with Enya and then bring in Aoife into the fray when the time is right.”

Bemand wants O’Brien to help take control of the game at out-half.

“I would call Dannah a game’s-playing fly-half. She has great footballing pedigree with boot and she sees spaces. She very good with manipulating defences,” he said.

“She’s very good at bringing our attack into the game so I think this is a great opportunity for her to put her best foot forward and drive the show.”

Bemand welcomed the return of Monaghan to solidify the line-out in particular with Ireland losing four of their nine line-outs against France.

“Sam’s a massive player for us both in terms of leadership and the set-piece particularly the lineout. I think you can see the confidence in the girls from having her back in involved in setpiece and around the pitch,” he said.

“She (O’Connor) misses out really because Sam’s come back in and there’s certain selections on the bench that we think the game will go in a certain way and we want to be able to utilise that physical capability that Fiona and Eimear bring off the bench.”

The IRFU hope the crowd on Sunday will surpass the 6,113 attendance at the RDS two years ago for Ireland’s game with Wales which was a record crowd for a standalone Women’s Six Nations game in Ireland.

Bemand also hopes this game will show more from their attack as they target their first win in the championship since the dramatic one-point win over Scotland in Belfast in April 2022 (it was Breen who scored the late try and conversion).

“We’re happy its tracking in the right direction. There’s definitely a few fixes to it from last weekend,” he said.

“I think Sam coming back into the set-piece definitely gives you a rock which can give you a bit more solidity.

“We had opportunities and unfortunately we couldn’t quite get it going but we’re in a pretty confidence place that we can this weekend.

“There are performances that are going to keep emerging. We encourage the Irish public to come and get behind the girls.

“The graft they’re putting in day in, day out is significant and tough and hard. We want to represent Ireland to the best of our ability. So come and get behind it.”

Ireland team (v Italy)

L Delany; K Corrigan, E Higgins, E Breen, B Parsons; D O’Brien, A Reilly; L Djougang, N Jones, C Haney, D Wall, S Monaghan (capt); G Moore, A Wafer, B Hogan Reps: S Delaney, N O’Dowd, S McGrath, F Tuite, E Corri, M Scuffil-McCabe, N Fowley, A Dalton