Womens' rugby Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

phog · 23-01-2023 10:03pm

https://twitter.com/fihayes27/status/1617519907633266693?t=nUAqlH1mr69bT0pxgesocw&s=19

Fiona Hayes not too happy with the selection either.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 23-01-2023 10:33pm

I wonder how much commonality there will be between the combined provinces XV and the Ireland squad for the six nations. The Welsh and Scottish fans felt that their squads were almost completely development squads.

I'm not getting the feeling that this competition is a step up from the interpros (as previously advertised).

Akrasia · 24-01-2023 1:09am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kfx80H3N1g

8 Munster players, 21 leinster players.

Munster Beat Leinster and won the interpros undefeated.

kita99 · 24-01-2023 3:47am

If Ireland lost above 3rd place in 6N,who take the responsibility?Ms mcdarbey?Or who?Too unfaiir selection.

At Interpro matches,so many players over30(like scully,feely=conncht,reidy=munster,murphy,mcdermot=leinster,van staden=ulster etc)was verry impressive both playing and fighting spirits,but all rulled out except hanah oconnor.I think that it is indecent assault to womens.They are all roo-model woman.

There are involved some no attendant to Interpro like Breen and Djougang,They are no doubt tallented but with too little game-time,is their condition OK?

kita99 · 24-01-2023 6:03am

From Ulster,10 players is selected.Wonderful.

3 leinster players(without Djougang) played no game in interpro and onthe other hand Ulster 1player.Whoes position somebody know?Chloe Blackmore, Leah Tarpey, Aoife Wafer and ulsters Brittony Hogan. Mary Healy,is she in leinster(at irfu squads list)?I think she is SH of connacht. Isn't it?

kita99 · 28-01-2023 2:34am

Members of Sunday'conbined province v Wales was announced.IT looks their front rows too small compareed to Wales woman's squads.I think that IRFU is prepareing another pack members.sizes of Wales develope team are not made public yet. almost they play at england pro teams(sarasens etc)Is Ireland OK?I am afraid of member's physical health who don't receive little professional training compared to Wales.

sydthebeat · 28-01-2023 1:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168557#Comment_120168557

thats a very fair point

wales front row will be Mica Evans and Abbey Constable propping Kat Evans. 2 sarries and a Tiger front row. with 2 more pros in the reserve front row, so 5 from 6.

as far as i can make out irelands the only member of the irish starting and reserve front row who is professional is Djougang, so 1 from 6

however, irish amateur front rows have been facing professional players from england and france for years at this stage, and there hasnt been any noticeable safety fears.

Emma hooban has 13 caps, Haney 5 caps and Linda Djougang has 12 caps, the other 3 are debutants

for wales Kat Evans is the only capped player from what i can see, and has only 4 caps,

Caranica · 28-01-2023 3:06pm

Didn't last year's Welsh front row have something like 60/70kg on ours? The equivalent of an extra woman

Lost Ormond · 29-01-2023 8:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149139#Comment_120149139

Players overage of 30 isnt an issue and as so many may not have played any rugby until their late teens/early 20s when in college it isnt much of an issue. many mightnt have huge playing time

Good to see combined provinces win in wales today 27-26

kita99 · 30-01-2023 9:12am

Ireland women have not a test rugby chance after last summer.And other teams of 6 nations were all in world cup.At last summer, Irelandwon onegame(57-22) and one lost (29-10) to Japan.after that, Japan has competed in world cup pool matches and all lost 3 matches.(v Italy 8-21, v USA 17-30, v Canada5-41). That's jJapanese level.Now I have huge question.Can Ireland win against Italy and other even adding 7's members like Parsons,Flood etc after R3?

kita99 · 01-02-2023 3:31am

I saw short hilight of above match (vs wales development) in Youtube unexpectedly.It was almost try scenes only both sides. That vedo was too short for evaluating players performance. At last, there was no impressive scene.No 4 player of Wales(LO) was very big.She did't run but jog in all appearance time. Maybe Cahil(munster) is taller and agile than her.She maybe a developing player in Wales.So I wonder that why Ireland not select her and Ormond,Reidy,Scully etc・・・.Suppose there is thought that no meaning is for win this match itself, but IRFU should use stronger players as possible imo.

Caranica · 01-02-2023 9:21am

IRFU selection policies will never make sense to any of us when it comes to women's rugby, certainly the case for this competition.

sydthebeat · 01-02-2023 9:25am

i see it as a way to develop the squad depth for the 6N.

Mcwilliams said it himself before the competition that it would be a mixture of established players and emerging players

minitrue · 04-02-2023 3:20pm

They really want the Celtic Challenge to fail don't they? Wales can't be bothered to stream their game(s) and today's Ireland Vs Scotland is at least going to be streamed but isn't it a wonderful idea to schedule it to clash with the England Vs Scotland men's six nations game!

nigeldaniel · 04-02-2023 6:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120201236#Comment_120201236

I completely forgot all about it!

CIARAN_BOYLE · 04-02-2023 7:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120201236#Comment_120201236

Final score of 45-12 Combined provinces win.

sydthebeat · 06-02-2023 10:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120202199#Comment_120202199

I never even knew about it, and I'd consider myself to have many channels of communication open for stuff like this.

The pr around these games is non existent

minitrue · 06-02-2023 5:29pm

It was an entertaining game bar the long injury stoppage (8ish minutes) and I'm really irked that I haven't been able to find any kind of update on the injury. You would like to think that with the Siobhan Cattigan story still rumbling on thanks to their silence the SRU would have been out vocally at least saying she's getting the best possible care even if they had nothing better to say ...

And of course I also forgot to mention that also at the same time were the WAIL cup series games to try and make absolutely certain there was the smallest possible audience.

I also cringed so hard when during the pre-game set of video packages on stream the IRFU ran their joke of a video about how they have decided they want Sport Ireland's money so they will comply with the requirement to increase the female composition of their board. It's going to be fun to see who they manage to co-opt and trot out to try to maintain the status quo, let's just say I'm not expecting to see that Neve Jones is going to be on the board as an Ulster representative ;)

kita99 · 19-02-2023 2:47am

Conbind team 19 Wales development 0. But it's looked not good game at all. It looked that Joy Neville was fittest in all. In coming 6N, how Ireland deal the games? Why Cahill , Ormond (both Munster) or Maher, Connoley(both Connacht) was not there? If ireland will win 0 match in 6N, who 'll take the respnsibility?

Caranica · 19-02-2023 11:14am

Saw this during the week. It's absolutely terrifying. Wishing her a full recovery.

https://twitter.com/KathrynDane2/status/1626247471050391553?t=TatLJeCGhJWZqevApwFnRA&s=19

Lost Ormond · 25-02-2023 12:32pm

final celtic challenge game today

Ireland aiming to go through the tournament unbeaten with a win today

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2023/02/24/combined-provinces-team-named-for-final-celtic-challenge-game/

minitrue · 25-02-2023 2:40pm

Holy mother of FSM the Scots are streaming IT and even have multiple cameras, a ref mic and replays! They even had the sense to abbreviate the Irish team to CMP instead of CP ;)

Of course after the last one clashing with the men's England Vs Scotland game this one is clashing with Ireland Vs Italy /facepalm

Great start all around though first try comes from a very generous decision not to call the final pass forward.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 25-02-2023 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286644#Comment_120286644

Good luck to them. Ireland should hopefully win. In general the Irish team was picked with more experience than the Scottish or Welsh teams who are playing teams that are more picked for development so it should be a win.

kita99 · 26-02-2023 12:10am

We'll soon know real ability of Ireland women's team at 6 nations.

The good thing is Enya Breen's comeback. Lately 7's rugby looks perfectly different game to 15th, so sevens player(although they are in near world class) will not useful at once. And they are so tired after long and hard tour. So Ireland need to make powerfull FW. Is it???? ,

Lost Ormond · 28-02-2023 3:28pm

6 nations squad named

12 players will also be in training camp ahead of the tournament: Mary Healy, Megan Collis, Andrea Stock, Emma Hooban, India Daley, Claire Bennett, Katie Whelan, Leah Tarpey, Kayla Waldron, Ella Durkan, Clare Gorman and Aoife Corey.

Ireland Squad, TikTok Women’s Six Nations:

Forwards (18):

Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)*

Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster)*

Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartbury/IQ Rugby)*

Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)

Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)

Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartbury/Ulster)

Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby)*

Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)

Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(captain)

Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartbury/IQ Rugby)

Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)*

Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)

Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)

Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby)

Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)

Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)

Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)

Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)*

Backs (14):

Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)

Emma Swords (Harlequins/IQ Rugby)*

Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)

Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)

Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)

Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)

Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)

Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)

Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster)

Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)

Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster)

Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)

Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster)*

Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).

Ireland Coaching Team:

Greg McWilliams – Head Coach

John McKee – Senior Coach

Denis Fogarty – Scrum Coach

Niamh Briggs – Backs Coach

Ireland Fixtures:

Wales v Ireland, Saturday 25 March, Cardiff Arms Park, 2.15pm

Ireland v France, Saturday 1 April, Musgrave Park, 3.15pm

Italy v Ireland, Saturday 15 April, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 4.45pm

Ireland v England, Saturday 22 April, Musgrave Park, 2.15pm

Scotland v Ireland, Saturday 29 April, DAM Health Stadium, 7.30pm.

kita99 · 01-03-2023 2:22am

Who are professional contractplayers with IRFU? (Scotland released )

Honestly, maybe the target of this team will be to avoid tragic defeats at home vs France and England game. And hopefully minimum (at least)1win at away. It's very harsh work.- And it will be said that if they win even 1 game, players do verry well.

At last, it looks 7'stars(Parsons, Flood, Murphy -Crowe, Higins Mulhall etc) are out.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 01-03-2023 2:51am

I don't know if the sevens players will join the squad at a later date. They have a sevens event this weekend.

The list of women's professionals released in november are below

Kathy Baker, Natasja Beehan, Claire Boles Enya Breen, Megan Burns, Aoife Dalton, Kathryn Dane, Méabh Deely, Linda Djougang, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Kate Farrell McCabe, Stacey Flood, Katie Heffernan, Eve Higgins, Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Lucinda Kinghan, Emily Lane, Anna McGann, Lucy Mulhall, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Dannah O'Brien, Maeve Óg O'Leary, Beibhinn Parsons, Aoibheann Reilly, Leah Tarpey, Aoife Wafer, Kayla Waldron, Dorothy Wall

kita99 · 01-03-2023 7:33am

Thank you.I wasn't be aware that. There are some non contracted players in this spring squads and is there some way to be professional if they hope it? No Budget problem? On the other hand, I remember dimly that 29 players of 15th rugby will become pro-contracted players.Is it wrong? I am a bit confused.

Caranica · 01-03-2023 9:29am

Professional women's rugby contracts are Dublin based. Not everyone in the squad plays their rugby in Dublin.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 01-03-2023 9:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300219#Comment_120300219

There was initially an intent to offer something like 50 contracts so I assume there's room for more professionals.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300346#Comment_120300346

That's true.

The professionals have to train in the national performance centre in abbotstown regularly.

I know there's a plan that next season when the celtic challenge expands to 6 teams and 5 games that there would be 2 training bases foe celtic challenge players. Hopefully some professionals would be able to be based in the other training base. No idea where in the country it would be though.

kita99 · 05-03-2023 2:33pm

Lately squads of U 18 girls has been selected for six nations festival in April including 12 Connacht members. I expect brilliiant activity of Roisin Maher(TH) and others.

minitrue · 21-03-2023 12:54pm

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/international-rugby/irish-female-players-love-rugby-but-the-sport-doesnt-love-them-back-42393581.html

Of course it's a "premium" article so bound to get as little attention as his epic thread of threads on twitter which have been airing the IRFUs sordid laundry.

Meanwhile Hunter is retiring after England's first game so we presumably won't face them with a team (possibly even entire 23) with less caps than a single player. Packer will be past 90 by then (I'm guessing Scarrett won't be back) but with it being our third game the likely close to 30 caps our team should have added in the first couple of games should make sure we get past her.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 23-03-2023 7:44pm

Womens six nations 23 vs Wales

Very green 23 named. 5 based in the UK. 18 based domestically.

15. Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(2 caps)

14. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster)(12)

13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(2)

12. Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(16)

11. Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(2)

10. Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)(21)

9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)(4)

1. Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry/Cooke RFC/Ulster)*

2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster)(13)

3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(24)

4. Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(29)(Captain)

5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby)(10)

6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(16)

7. Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(3)

8. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(10)

Replacements:

16. Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)(4)

17. Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)*

18. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(5)

19. Jo Brown (Worcester Warriors/IQ Rugby)(1)

20. Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby)(5)

21. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(14)

22. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(2)

23. Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster)(1).

minitrue · 24-03-2023 6:26pm

162 caps in the starting XV is just 24 more than Sarah Hunter. Our 4 most capped players fall just short of having as many caps as the other 19. I make it 6 in the UK and I think Djougang has only played a bit for the Combined Provinces since returning so listing her as OB/Leinster is questionable. 14 of the Wales 23 have wikipedia pages which say they have a combined 397 caps, I couldn't find a list of all the caps easily? Average ages would also be fun! It speaks volumes when even the Delilah banning Welsh highlight our player turnover.

It's been confirmed (for now) the 7s players won't be getting dropped in at any point. If they have a good weekend in Hong Kong to guarantee (or close enough) the Olympic spot through the VIP entrance I wonder if that panic button will be pressed creating another round of chaotic debate. Given the relatively late announcement I wonder if the one bad day in Vancouver (with no ALMC) made the decision.

I'm really fearful we are going to finish last and be on our way to division 3 of the WXV. Even if we somehow catch Wales cold and pull out a miracle win (I can't believe the bookie I checked has it as only a 2 point game) it's still likely to come down to the last game against Scotland as I really can't see us beating Italy let alone England and France. I wonder what odds I'd get on the IRFU withdrawing from the WXV pleading poverty or some other excuse?

I'd love to know the terms of the deals with the Premiership players and to have been a fly on the wall for any of the approaches they made!

CIARAN_BOYLE · 24-03-2023 7:17pm

The Irish have a slight advantage that a decent chunk of the squad has been together for the combined provinces XV for the last while. I do agree that they will struggle but I'm not convinced that we will be finishing last.

Any word on how the WXV second and third division teams will be selected. It says 2 from Europe on the website. If Ireland finish 4/5 does it get us the qualification for WXV second division?

minitrue · 24-03-2023 10:05pm

I'm not convinced we will finish last but I'm also not convinced we won't.

AFAIU 4th/5th go into WXV 2, 6th will go into WXV 3 where Spain will most likely be waiting with the long knives to take them down a peg.

Lost Ormond · 25-03-2023 12:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120396936#Comment_120396936

I wouldnt be that pessimistic at all. Yes its not a huge amount of caps but talking about Sarah Hunter... its irrelevant....

Listing Djougang as Belvedere/Leinster isnt questionable because she hasnt played much recently. I dont see us finishing last. Even with some changes in other countries i dont see us finishing last.

minitrue · 25-03-2023 3:15pm

We're about to find out ;) I mentioned Hunter just because I'd previously mentioned her as a benchmark of how green our squad is, without the Japan tour we would have a team with less caps than her. The Djpougang thing was a bit of an irrelevant way to point to the disconnect from the AIL and that she hasn't played much recently (hands up though, I've no idea if she had an injury).

The optimist in me says 1-1 with Japan means we probably are able to win against Wales/Scotland. The pessimist says we caught Japan cold in the first game and then they took us back down to our level which is a step behind Scotland (who could have beaten Wales in the world cup) let alone Wales.

Larbre34 · 25-03-2023 3:17pm

Blustery old day at the Arms Park.

I'd love to say I'm not expecting a fair beating here, but I am.

Fotish · 25-03-2023 3:48pm

Terrible display by Ireland today against Wales.

i thought that after managing to get the Coach sacked and all that talk about slurry out of the way that they would step up to the plate.

Unfortunately not happening.

Hippo · 25-03-2023 3:49pm

Huge gap between the sides in terms of quality, we're not at the races here

sydthebeat · 25-03-2023 4:03pm

Irish women's rugby is going to struggle for years due to the lack of constant top level 15s rugby.

Larbre34 · 25-03-2023 4:13pm

Quite a lot of things going on here.

All 7's players are ringfenced, to focus fully on Olympic qualification. All of Ireland's best backs play 7's.

A number of players in the ~23-30 age cohort were not able to take up Pro contracts due to career and family commitments and so are either at a massive disadvantage in training and game time, or simply aren't playing at all.

6 months Pros up against 2 years Pros, are girls against women.

I don't know whether its by necessity or by design, but we have some tiny, light and very inexperienced girls in the front 5 and that simply won't cut it. A number of the front rows that have played over the last few years, like Cliodhna Moloney, are available but haven't been selected. Why not?

All of that and more, gives you a 60 point shellacking any day.

sydthebeat · 25-03-2023 4:19pm

When you have a 72kg loose head (who was coached as a centre growing up) up against a 111kg tight head... It's practically at an unsafe level.

Ireland are trying to play athletes in specialist positions which will never work.

Wooden spoon incoming unfortunately

Larbre34 · 25-03-2023 4:23pm

Particularly when we aren't especially athletic.

We'll be lucky to get nil at this rate.

sydthebeat · 25-03-2023 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120399861#Comment_120399861

I absolutely fear what England and France could do to that team

minitrue · 25-03-2023 4:39pm

We know why Cliodhna Moloney has been exiled and that's the rub of it. It was noticeable RTÉ carefully decided to just leave it dangling unsaid in the build up.

I'm sure the IRFU will be happy to throw the players under the bus again though.

Strazdas · 25-03-2023 4:39pm

The lack of physical presence is noticeable - it's like watching an under 17s team taking on seniors. Very lightweight and easily brushed aside.

Fotish · 25-03-2023 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120399903#Comment_120399903

Maybe the players should accept some responsibility, stop blaming everyone else.

They would get more respect in that case.

Larbre34 · 25-03-2023 4:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120399878#Comment_120399878

Indeed. You'd have to rate the spread at 80 points.

But the mental scarring of being togged out for such a gulf in capability, could be lasting.

We really missed that World Cup in our cycle of development and experience. Like massively.

Womens' rugby Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

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Ireland Squad, TikTok Women’s Six Nations: