Scott Bemand under scrutiny as Edel McMahon states her case
Axing co-captain one of a number of decisions that has shifted the focus onto Ireland’s head coach ahead of Six Nations date with Wales
Edel McMahon, who was dropped from the match-day squad against Italy, has made her case to head coach Scott Bemand. Photo: Sportsfile
He’s two Six Nations games into his job as Ireland head coach and Scott Bemand is facing his biggest match-day selection when he announces his team and bench today for Saturday’s date with Wales at Musgrave Park.
Ireland need to snap their seven-game losing streak in the championship which extends back to their opening loss to Wales in Cardiff last year.
Bemand dropped some bombshells with his team selection to play Italy last month. Aoife Dalton, who was excellent against France and scored a try, was dropped to the bench. Co-captain Edel McMahon, who started against France, was dropped from the match-day squad. The versatile Hannah O’Connor, who also started against France, was dropped from the squad.
This is Bemand’s first gig as head coach, so there is leeway for experimentation, but the benefit of hindsight wasn’t required to view those decisions as risky at best.
Enya Breen hadn’t played an international since March 2023 because of injury, but she was chosen to replace the impressive Dalton, who was just beginning to cement a centre partnership with Eve Higgins.
You can see the logic behind adding a second kicking option to take the pressure off out-half Dannah O’Brien after Nicole Fowley took on all the kicking in the first half in Le Mans. However, that argument was neutralised as Breen’s boot was rarely used.
And to completely cut a co-captain from the 23? This decision backfired. Ireland needed the experience and nous of McMahon against Italy, as they showed a lack of composure, while their decision-making was also a shortcoming.
It was also co-captain Sam Monaghan’s first game back since mid-January after a concussion.
With so much work required around the lineout and with Monaghan being at her effective best in the loose, having McMahon there as a joint leader would have made practical sense.
Was McMahon surprised she got the chop two weeks ago?
“We (Bemand and her) had our chat and I went after training the last few times and tried to put my hand up for selection again,” McMahon said this week.
Read more
“We had a good conversation about the way it was and I was confident that the girls were going to do a good job for us. It’s just how you carry yourself because week in, week out, you have to compete and keep driving the standards.”
Another big decision Bemand has to make is the back-up hooker slot. In reality, it’s not a big decision because the obvious is staring us in the face.
Bemand said on Tuesday that replacement hooker Sarah Delaney picked up a shoulder knock. This may clear the way for Cliodhna Moloney to finally make her return to a green jersey for the first time since November 2021.
“We know how desperate she was to be back in. And that’s what we go after if we want to be a successful Ireland and we want to compete at World Cups and be our best,” McMahon said about Exeter Chiefs hooker Moloney.
“Having someone of her experience coming back in, and wanting to be back in, is our identity. It’s brilliant. She has slotted in really well.”
