Women's Six Nations 2024: Ireland coach Scott Bemand hints at potential recall for Cliodhna Moloney

Cliodhna Moloney celebrates a win over USA in November 2021 with the new Ireland co-captain Sam Monaghan

Ireland coach Scott Bemand says exiled player Cliodhna Moloney could "potentially" be recalled to the squad during the Women's Six Nations.

She has not played for Ireland since 2021 after making disparaging remarks on social media about an IRFU employee.

Bemand has confirmed he has been in touch with the Exeter Chiefs hooker and there is an "ongoing conversation" around her return to the Ireland squad.

Ireland open their Six Nations campaign away to France on Saturday 23 March.

In 2021 Moloney described comments made by then IRFU women's director of rugby Anthony Eddy as "slurry spreading."

It followed a difficult period for the Ireland women in the wake of their failure to qualify for the 2022 Rugby World Cup, with players unhappy at the suggestion from Eddy that their XVs programme had not been overlooked by the IRFU.

Moloney was one of a large number of players who wrote a letter to an Irish government minister to say they had "lost all trust and confidence in the IRFU and its leadership" of the game.

In 2022 IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts insisted Moloney's omission from the squad was not related to her comments.

And despite playing at an elite level Moloney, now 30, was again not included in Bemand's 35-woman Irish Six Nations squad in February.

However, the two have history and know each other, and Bemand, a former England backs' coach, has now hinted at a possible recall.

"We've had some good conversations," Bemand told BBC Sport.

"I obviously know Cli from my time with Red Roses and she plays in the UK.

"There's an ongoing conversation piece with her and when the time is right we'll look at what that looks like."

Scott Bemand was appointed as Ireland coach in July 2023

When asked if she could make a return during the forthcoming Six Nations tournament, Bemand said: "Potentially, when the group is ready and the time is right for us."

"She's a good player. She's produced some performances of late in the UK that have been good. We've given her some things we'd like to see from a playing performance piece.

"Obviously it helps when you know somebody from before anyway and I live in the UK still, I'm present at games and I come across her.

"She knows what she's got to work on and what we're looking for and when the group is ready we can look at it again.

"It's got to be right for all parties, that's all I can say on that at the minute."

Despite losing all their games and finishing sixth in the 2023 Six Nations, Ireland finished the year lifting the inaugural WXV3 title.