Irish Rugby

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland forward Dorothy Wall has been ruled out of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup with an Achilles tendon injury.

Wall, 24, sustained the injury during Ireland's final Women's Six Nations game against Scotland last weekend and will undergo surgery in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Exeter Chiefs player, who can play as a lock or flanker, was forced off early in Ireland's 26-19 loss.

"I'm devastated to be missing the next couple of months, but my main focus now is on my rehab programme and I'm looking forward to supporting the team in the Rugby World Cup," said Wall.

Former sevens player Wall has won 37 caps for the Ireland XVs since making her debut in 2020 and started four of Ireland's five Six Nations games this year.

Her injury is another significant blow for Ireland after back row Erin King was ruled out of the tournament with a serious knee injury earlier this month.

The 2025 World Cup takes place in England between 22 August and 27 September.

Ireland, who finished third in the Six Nations, will face Japan, Spain and New Zealand in the pool stage.

Scott Bemand's side will face Japan in their opening fixture on 24 August before games against Spain and New Zealand on 31 August and 7 September.

Before that, Ireland will have warm-up matches against Scotland in Cork on 2 August and Canada in Belfast on 9 August.

Ireland did not qualify for the 2021 World Cup and finished eighth when they hosted the tournament in 2017.

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Concerns over the fitness of Leinster second row RG Snyman before Saturday's Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton at the Aviva Stadium have been allayed.

A squad update issued by the Irish province on Monday indicated that the former Munster forward has returned to full training.

Ireland lock James Ryan, who has not played since the Six Nations, remains a major doubt however as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

Leinster say they will "look to increase his training load this week as he continues his recovery from injury and will be further assessed as the week goes on".

Snyman was introduced as a replacement in the URC win over Ulster nine days ago but was replaced midway through the first half.

At the time Leinster indicated that he had sustained a dead leg and he subsequently missed his side's weekend defeat by the Scarlets.

"RG Snyman has returned to full training having recovered from injury," Leinster confirmed.

Back Rob Russell will be assessed during the week as he steps up his recovery.

Forward Ryan Baird came through the game at the weekend with no issues after his return from injury, but Will Connors suffered an arm injury against Scarlets and has been ruled out of the meeting with the English Premiership side.

Second row Brian Deeny, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing a procedure on a knee injury.

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy praised the "effort and commitment" of his side despite the latest blow to their United Rugby Championship play-off hopes.

The province were beaten 22-19 by the Sharks at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday despite leading 19-0 after half an hour.

The result leaves the side 12th in the URC with two games remaining, three points off the all-important top eight who will advance to the play-offs and secure Champions Cup rugby next season.

"You're probably looking at 47 points getting through into the top eight so we go away to Munster and away to Edinburgh to finish and we'll be fighting all the way to the end until there's nothing left to play for," said Murphy whose side have taken 38 points from 16 games.

"I think we've shown that over the last number of weeks, there's been great commitment out of the lads.

"We've put some really good rugby together at times."

The reverse against the Sharks, who featured eight World Cup winners in their side even with captain Eben Etzebeth ruled out through illness, was Ulster's third in a row in all competitions.

Despite some spirited performances, Ulster have also lost to Bordeaux-Begles and Leinster during the run and Murphy said there could be no question that playing for the side "really means something" to his squad.

"The effort and the commitment and the heart that the lads are showing in relation to playing for Ulster Rugby, it really means something to this group," he added.

"That was questioned a number of months ago, but I would find that hard to question now.

"I never questioned it myself but for people looking in, they must see a group of players who are working really hard and are completely committed to getting Ulster Rugby back to where we want to be which is in the top eight."

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Lions (11) 26

Tries: Du Plessis, Pretorious, Van der Merwe Con: Dobela Pens: Wolhuter 3

Connacht (0) 7

Try: De Buitlear Con: Hawkshaw

Connacht's hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs suffered a blow with a 26-7 defeat by the Lions in South Africa.

In contrast to Connacht's dramatic defeat by the Stormers in their previous fixture, when there were eight first-half tries, the opening 40 minutes in Johannesburg proved to be relatively low key.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 14th minute after slick offloading in the Connacht 22 allowed back Renzo du Plessis to crash over.

Kade Wolhuter pushed the conversion attempt wide, but the fly-half soon made a penalty count to extend the Lions' advantage.

Wolhuter was on target again four minutes before the break as the Lions led 11-0 at half-time.

The Lions' number 10 kicked the first score after the restart with his third penalty of the game, but the South Africans were reduced to 14 players when Du Plessis was sent to the sin-bin for a trip on Santiago Cordero.

Connacht, without a head coach after Peter Wilkins stepped down, thought they had immediately capitalised when Dylan Tierney-Martin rounded off a rolling maul by dropping over the line, but the TMO adjudged there was obstruction and the try was ruled out.

It was the Lions' turn to have a try ruled out when Edwill van der Merwe looked to have scored a sensational solo effort. Play was brought back for a high tackle on centre David Hawkshaw by opposite number Heco van Wyk when Connacht had the ball earlier in the play.

However, the hosts got a deserved try with 10 minutes to play when JC Pretorius got on the end of Jarod Cairns' offload to score.

Eoin de Buitlear responded for Connacht on his return from injury with seven minutes to play, and David Hawkshaw converted, but the Lions had the final say when Van der Merwe pounced on a loose ball to race clear and score.

The defeat is a blow to Connacht's play-off hopes. They are 14th in the URC table and now five points off the top eight with two matches remaining, while the Lions move into 13th with the win.

Lions: Horn; Kriel; Van Wyk, Mills; Van der Merwe; Wolhuter, Van den Berg; Naude, Visagie, Ntlabakanye; R Schoeman, Delport; Pretorius, Du Plessis, Cairns.

Replacements: Botha, Kotze, RF Schoeman, Landsberg, Esterhuizen, Steyn, Dobela, Jonker.

Connacht: O'Conor; Bolton; Hawkshaw, Forde; Jennings; Carty, Devine; Dooley, Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Murphy, Joyce; Prendergast, Oliver, Jansen.

Replacements: De Buitlear, Duggan, Illo, Dowling, Boyle, Reilly, Gavin, Cordero.

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Co-captain Edel McMahon believes three away victories are more important than Ireland's finishing position in the Women's Six Nations.

Ireland had been without an away victory in the Six Nations since 2021 but take on Scotland on Saturday after wins in Italy and Wales.

Regardless of the result in Scotland, the Irish look set to finish the tournament as they are five points clear of Italy with a vastly superior points difference.

"Three wins away from home is what we targeted as a squad," said McMahon, who is co-captain with the injured Sam Monaghan.

"We want to be getting wins away from home, and that builds confidence heading into the World Cup."

Scotland, who have just one victory in this year's Six Nations, won 36-10 in Edinburgh in 2023 while Dannah O'Brien's late penalty handed Ireland a 15-12 win last year.

Ireland will head into the game without injured back row Aoife Wafer, but Niamh O'Dowd returns in the front row after sitting out the 40-14 win in Wales.

"Our history with Scotland has been a bit tit-for-tat, so we're just focused on the game and we'll worry about the table after that," added McMahon.

"We respect Scotland and they know they will give us a good fight.

"We know it's not going to be enough to turn up."

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Niamh O'Dowd says victory over Scotland in Saturday's final Women's Six Nations match can give Ireland momentum heading into the World Cup.

Ireland travel to Edinburgh looking to secure third place in the standings behind England and France.

Scott Bemand's side have won in Italy and Wales to end their run of four years without an away victory in the Six Nations.

"This weekend is a really good opportunity to hopefully finish the campaign with some momentum," said prop O'Dowd, who returns to the starting line-up after missing last weekend's win in Wales because of a shoulder injury.

"We've had two good wins this year. Even last weekend, we put 40 points on Wales and there were still areas we definitely could have sharpened up.

"There is quite a vast difference from two years ago [when Ireland lost 31-5 to Wales and 36-10 in Scotland] and we'll be hoping to put some points on them away from home this time as well."

After the Six Nations, Ireland will prepare for the World Cup with warm-up fixtures at home to Scotland and Canada in August.

The Irish will then face New Zealand, Spain and Japan in pool three when the World Cup gets under way later that month.

"Everyone will then get out of here, get back to their friends and families for a while for a break," added O'Dowd, 25.

"We've then a bit of remote training, come back in June and hit the ground running."

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Werner Kok said his three-month spell out injured was "very frustrating" but that he now hopes to contribute to Ulster's United Rugby Championship play-off push.

The South African winger is set to make his long-awaited return to the pitch against his former side the Sharks in Ulster's must-win game at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.

The 32-year-old is keen to make up for lost time and build on a bright start to his Ulster career as the province attempt to secure a victory that will help their hopes of finishing in the top-eight.

"It's been three months since I played so it's been very frustrating," he told BBC Sport NI.

"The first six weeks with a bit of a rest, I came back and felt really good, then a small tweak of the hamstring kept me out for a little bit more. It wasn't planned to be that long, so it was a tough one, especially the last two weeks with the boys playing so well."

Kok is looking forward to a reunion with the Sharks, where he spent four years of his career.

He admits he has been trying to give Ulster's coaches an "insight" into the Sharks, who have named a strong travelling squad for the trip to Belfast.

"I've been speaking to the coaches and trying to give them personal things I know about the guys [at Sharks], I was with them for four years so I know them in and out and hopefully we can capitalise on it," he added.

"I know 80% of their squad and I know what we're going to get, and they will know what they're going to get from me.

"They're going to come with 11-12 Springboks, but if we're on top of our game we'll out work and out play them. We really need to get at least four points out of it so it's a really big game."

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Guinness Women's Six Nations: Scotland v Ireland

Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Coverage: Watch live on iPlayer & online, follow live text and watch video highlights on BBC Sport website & app

Ireland coach Scott Bemand has named two uncapped players in his matchday squad for their Women's Six Nations finale away to Scotland on Saturday, but Aoife Wafer misses out through injury.

Munster's Aoife Corey will make her debut at full-back in Edinburgh as she takes the place of Stacey Flood who drops to the bench.

In the only other change to the backline from the win away to Wales last weekend, Vicky Elmes Kinlan is promoted from the replacements and will make her first Six Nations start on the wing in place of Anna McGann.

Loose-head prop Niamh O'Dowd is fit again and will return to the number one jersey, joining Neve Jones and Linda Djougang in the front row.

With number eight Wafer missing out through a knee injury sustained at Rodney Parade last week, Fiona Tuite comes into the second row alongside Ruth Campbell with Dorothy Wall moving back to blind-side flanker.

Brittany Hogan switches from the six jersey to number eight, with captain Edel McMahon again lining out at open-side flanker.

Munster lock Jane Clohessy, the daughter of former Ireland international prop Peter Clohessy, is named among the replacements and will make her debut if called upon.

Scotland have welcomed back captain Rachel Malcolm and scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden to their side.

Ireland are seeking a third away win of the campaign after already beating Italy and Wales on the road.

Ireland: Corey; Elmes Kinlan, Dalton, Breen, Costigan; O'Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, Wall, McMahon (capt), Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney, McGrath, Haney, Clohessy, Boles, Lane, Higgins, Flood.