WRWC2017: Teams up for Ireland v Australia

The teams are up for the WRWC2017 5th place semi final between Ireland and Australia which takes place tomorrow afternoon at Ravenhill stadium. Kick off 14:00.

Ireland have made nine positional and personnel changes to the side thot played against Australia in their opeing match of this tournament, Australia make eight changes.

Of note to us Ulster supporters is that there are no Ulster player in the starting XV for the second successive match but there are three on the bench. Cooke player Ilse van Staten has been called into the team as a replacement for Ruth O’Reilly. Van Staden is joined on the bench by fellow Cooke player Claire McLaughlin, who makes her first squad of the tournament and Railway Union’s Larissa Muldoon makes up the trio.

It’s a case of the usual awl guff from both sets of management with Australia promising a few new tricks and Ireland coming out with how hard they’ve trained and how up they are for this one. Ireland should win, but I suspect that Australia have had the better preparation after having a much more comfortable win against Japan than Ireland did.