Ireland's Women Look to Bounce Back in Parma

Fresh off a valiant 27-15 defeat against France, Ireland's women's rugby squad undergoes strategic reshuffling ahead of their Six Nations showdown with Italy at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. Flanker Edel McMahon reclaims the captain's armband in a bold move by head coach Scott Bemand, who makes three pivotal lineup changes.

Tactical Overhaul

• McMahon replaces Brittany Hogan at blindside flanker
• Aoibheann Reilly takes scrum-half position from Emily Lane
• Fiona Tuite replaces Dorothy Wall in second row

"We're building momentum and the squad is in good health," Bemand told reporters, emphasizing Ireland's narrow miss against 14-player France last weekend. The squad showed particular promise in set-piece execution, winning 92% of their lineouts.

Historical Context Ireland holds a 6-2 advantage in previous Six Nations meetings, though Italy claimed a dramatic 24-7 victory in their 2022 encounter. This marks Ireland's first visit to Parma's 5,000-capacity rugby fortress since 2019.

Team Lineups

• Ireland: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan; O'Brien, Reilly; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, McMahon (c), King, Wafer
• Italy: TBA (Expected to field 7 Benetton Treviso players)

Broadcast Details 📅 Sunday, 30 March | 🕒 15:00 BST 📺 BBC Two NI & BBC iPlayer

With Italy coming off a 38-5 loss to England and Ireland seeking their first win, this clash promises high-intensity rugby as both teams vie for mid-table positioning. McMahon's leadership will be crucial in containing Italy's dangerous back-row combination of Giada Franco and Beatrice Rigoni.