Ireland Women for England: Muldoon starts!

Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle has named his team for the final game of this year’s RBS Women’s 6 Nations against England at Ashbourne RFC on Friday night (kick-off 7.30pm).

Philip Doyle has made three changes in personnel to the Ireland team that was narrowly beaten by Wales in Gwent last Sunday.

Ailis Egan makes her first start of the campaign, coming in at tighthead prop with Lauren Day reverting to the replacements bench.

Laura Guest moves to the back row with Heather O’Brien starting alongside Marie Louise Reilly in the second row.

Scrum half Larissa Muldoon makes her first start having impressed off the bench in her first season at this level.

Ulster girl Muldoon, who has received four Ireland caps before representing Ulster at senior level, was catapulted into the Irish set up this season thanks to teammate Gillian Bourke who sent the Ireland Coaches some video analysis of Larissa playing in South Wales. On the strength of the video Muldoon was invited to the Ireland training camp and now stands on the threshold of her first start against a strong England side.

It’s a big step up for the confident youngester who started playing a few seasons ago for the Donegal U18 Development Squad and  went on to play Under 18 for Ulster. She did pre-season with the Ulster Ladies but then I moved to University in South Wales  where she played for Cardiff Blues ladies side.

Talking to The Front Row Union earlier this series Muldoon expressed her desire to play for her home Province, telling the FRU:

Definitely, it’s always an honour to play for your Province so of course I’ll come back and play for Ulster.

I for one look forward to following the youngsters progress on Friday night in what will be a challenging game for the Girls in Green.

IRELAND WOMEN: (15-9) Niamh Briggs (Munster), Niamh Kavanagh (Munster), Lynne Cantwell (Exile), Geraldine Rea (Munster), Mairead Kelly (Munster), Nora Stapleton (Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Exile). (1-8) Fiona Coghlan (Leinster) (capt), Gillian Bourke (Munster), Ailis Egan (Leinster), Heather O’Brien (Munster), Marie Louise Reilly (Leinster), Laura Guest (Munster), Claire Molloy (Connacht), Joy Neville (Munster). (16-22) Stacey Kennedy (Ulster), Lauren Day (Ulster), Deirdre O’Brien (Leinster), Carol Staunton (Connacht), Amy Davis (Leinster), Gillian Nolan (Leinster), Jackie Shiels (Leinster)

More like this:

• Lock Stock and No Smoking Barrels Part 2: Ireland Women 0 England Women 31
• Under Milk Wood Part 3: Wales Women 15 Ireland Women 14.
• Ireland Women For Wales
• Braveheart Part 2: Scotland Women 5 Ireland Women 22