Wales v Ireland match preview, coverage & key stats

Bethan Lewis and Aoife Wafer are set for a back row battle in Newport

Women's Six Nations: Wales v Ireland

Venue: Rodney Parade Date: Sunday, 20 April Kick-off: 15:00 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online, listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru

Overview

Wales and Ireland each have a point to prove on Sunday as the Women's Six Nations nears its business end.

They arrive at Rodney Parade for the penultimate round off the back of heavy defeats to tournament giants France and England.

Ireland will be looking to build on their sole victory away to Italy, while Wales will be desperate to move off the bottom of the table and avoid a second consecutive wooden spoon.

In recent years Wales and Ireland have taken it in turns to give each other a hammering.

Wales ran out 31-5 winners in Cardiff in 2023 while Ireland repaid the favour in Cork last year with a 36-5 victory.

While it would appear to be Wales' turn this weekend, form suggests otherwise.

Ireland are now the fifth best side in the world after an impressive autumn saw them beat world champions New Zealand, while Wales have slumped to 10th.

But the hosts are under new management in Sean Lynn, and hope to follow the same upward trajectory Ireland have taken since Scott Bemand took charge two years ago.

Team news

Wales vice-captain Alex Callender will make her first appearance of the campaign after recovering from a foot injury.

Usually a flanker, she has been named at number eight with Georgia Evans moving to her less favoured position of second row.

Kelsey Jones gets the nods ahead of Carys Phillips at hooker in the only other starting change.

Kayleigh Powell retains the fly-half jersey despite Lleucu George shaking off a calf injury which saw her miss the defeat to France. She is instead named among the replacements.

Keeping her company on the bench is GB Sevens player Catherine Richards who is set for her first tournament outing.

Edel McMahon returns to captain Ireland who are looking to cement their "best of the rest" status, with England and France once again set for a Grand Slam decider.

The openside flanker missed last week's defeat by England through injury and is recalled to replace Erin King who has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament and the World Cup because of a serious knee injury.

There are four other changes to the side, with Siobhan McCarthy making her first Test start at loose-head prop, with Ruth Campbell coming into the second row.

Enya Breen returns in midfield while Molly Scuffil-McCabe makes her first appearance of the campaign at scrum-half.

Sadhbh McGrath and Claire Boles are recalled to the bench.

View from the camps

Wales head coach Sean Lynn said: "One thing which Ireland will bring is that energy and work rate, but we can bring that too.

"That's something that I'm asking these players, 'let's match their energy, let's match their work rate and physicality' and then it could be a tight game.

"Aoife Wafer has been outstanding [for Ireland], she's a big ball carrier and Dannah O'Brien puts them in positions with her territorial game, they are the two big players and ones we will be looking at.

"I definitely have [seen improvements]. The big thing for me is collision dominance, attack and defence, and getting better at it.

"Second half against France, we're making line-breaks, but to be in this championship and be a better team we have to be capitalising on these line-breaks.

"For me Carys Cox has been a standout ball carrier in our backline and we're really excited."

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand said: "I live fairly close and grew up next to Wales and I understand what it's like to play in Wales. It's an unbelievable experience. They are passionate about their rugby.

"We've said we want to go after winning games away from home because that's going to be a massive part of a World Cup.

"Backing the Italy piece up this week and taking the green wave over there is going to be a massive for us.

"Playing away from home you've got the noise, the atmosphere, the occasion and we've got to learn to deal with it and get excited by it.

"We're still a young group, I've seen nothing in the eyes but good energy to get over there and get the job done, but we know it's not going to be easy, it's going to come with challenges and we're fully ready for that."

Commentator’s notes

Gareth Rhys Owen said: "It seems strange to think that Wales travelled to Cork 12 months ago buoyed by a sense of optimism.

"The expectation was that they'd win, very few predicted a handsome Irish victory.

"That result was a reality check for the game in Wales. A new coach has brought fresh enthusiasm and until this game, little in terms of pressure.

"The red roses and France were a freebie – but having lost to Scotland – the next two matches come with a little bit of extra pressure.

"A win for Ireland will give them hope of finishing the best of the rest."

Match stats

• Ireland have won 10 of their last 13 Six Nations matches against Wales, however that includes a run of seven straight victories between 2012 and 2018. Honours are even across the last six clashes, with both sides winning three apiece.

• Wales have conceded the fewest penalties of any team (25). However, they have received the most cards of any side (2 yellows, 1 red), while no nation has been awarded more penalties than Ireland (31).

• Ireland beat Italy 54-12 in their last away match, ending a run of seven straight losses on the road, during which they conceded an average of 47 points and seven tries per game.

• Ireland's Neve Jones and Wales' Abbie Fleming have each made three turnover-winning tackles in this year's championship — no one has made more. Overall, Jones has been successful from all 44 of her tackle attempts; only Wales' Georgia Evans (55/55) has made more without missing one.

• Ireland's Aoife Wafer has made the most carries of any player in this year's Six Nations (46).

Line-ups

Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Courtney Keight, Carys Cox; Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender.

Replacements: Carys Phillips, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Alaw Pyrs, Sian Jones, Lleucu George, Catherine Richards.

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh; Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang, Ruth Campbell, Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan, Edel McMahon (capt), Aoife Wafer.

Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney, Sadhbh McGrath, Christy Haney, Fiona Tuite, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.