Oct 10,2024
Enya Breen will captain Ireland for the second game in a row in Friday night's WXV1 finale against the USA in Vancouver (8.30pm Irish time).
The Munster skipper deputises as team leader in the absence of regular captain Edel McMahon, who misses out once again through injury.
Bemand has made three changes to his side for the final game of the tournament, with out-half Nicole Fowley, centre Aoife Dalton and hooker Neve Jones all coming into the starting side.
Fowley is given the start alongside Emily Lane in the half-backs after impressing in her second half cameo versus Canada on Saturday. The Connacht out-half replaces Dannah O’Brien, who drops to the bench.
Dalton, who started in the win against New Zealand earlier in the tournament, comes back into midfield to link up with Breen, while Eve Higgins steps back to a bench role.
The back three remains the same for the third game in a row, with Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Eimear Considine on the wings, and Stacey Flood starting at full-back.
The only change to the forwards sees Jones swap in for Clíodhna Moloney at hooker, with the 25-year-old packing down in between Niamh O’Dowd and Linda Djougang in the front row.
Fiona Tuite and Dorothy Wall pair up in the second row for the third game in a row, while the back row is also unchanged from last weekend, as Erin King keeps her place at blindside flanker, alongside Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan.
The only new addition to the replacements sees Ruth Campbell, who made her debut in the pre-tournament win against Australia, come into the matchday squad at the expense of Grace Moore.
Ireland, who are now ranked sixth in the world, could finish as high as second in the WXV1 table with a bonus-point win against the USA.
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Eimear Considine, Enya Breen (capt), Aoife Dalton, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Nicole Fowley, Emily Lane; Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Erin King, Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Andrea Stock, Ruth Campbell, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Molly Scuffil-McCabe, Dannah O’Brien, Eve Higgins.
