Ireland aim to confirm improvement by beating bogey team Spain

WXV3: Ireland vs Spain, Dubai, 2pm kick-off (Irish time), streamed live on RugbyPassTV

To label Saturday afternoon’s clash in Dubai a grudge match would be a tad excessive but, in many ways, Ireland’s meeting with Spain is the perfect test of just how many leaves this new Irish coaching ticket has actually turned over.

The last time the two side’s met wasn’t the most memorable failure of Ireland’s disappointing bid to qualify for the most recent World Cup. That title instead goes to the infamous defeat to Scotland in Parma, which marked a low point for women’s rugby in this country.

Yet Ireland’s defeat to Spain in the same qualifying event just 12 days earlier was no less a contributing factor to the demise.

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Two years later, with a new coaching ticket led by former England assistant Scott Bemand, Ireland look to avoid a second consecutive defeat to Las Leonas. With both sides two from two in their opening fixtures of this brand new WXV competition, the victor will be crowned the inaugural winner of the third division.

Silverware at this stage of the rebuild would do wonders for the confidence of this Ireland side. As would a win in the first real test of the Bemand era. As morale boosting as the 109-0 and 64-3 victories over Kazakhstan and Colombia were, it is difficult to say that much has been learned, given the calibre of opposition. We’ll know more come 4pm Irish time.

One thing that can be said after the previous fortnight is, unsurprisingly, Ireland look better with their Sevens stars back in the mix. Eve Higgins and Béibhinn Parsons, once made available again, duly combined for 10 tries in two matches.

The lower level of opposition has also allowed Bemand to create some depth. Though she was a late scratch from her start last week, Nicole Fowley has had at least some game time at outhalf to compete with Dannah O’Brien. Similarly, Aoibheann Riley and Molly Scuffil-McCabe have rotated, while it remains clear the latter is first choice.

While welcome, the WXV3 title doesn’t provide the clarity of automatic promotion up to the next division, WXV2. Ireland and Spain cannot be caught by the WXV3 teams below them, meaning three European teams are guaranteed a WXV2 spot next year.

The 2024 Six Nations will determine who they are. Ireland would need to finish fourth or fifth to be promoted, or finish bottom and beat the winner of the Rugby Europe Championship, likely Spain, in a playoff. If Ireland finished in the top three of the Six Nations, they would go into WXV1.

Aiming for such a lofty goal may be a case of getting ahead of ourselves. For now, the symbolism of beating a bogey team from that dreaded fortnight in Parma will suffice.

Ireland: Méabh Deely; Natasja Behan, Eve Higgins, Aoife Dalton, Béibhinn Parsons; Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Christy Haney; Dorothy Wall, Sam Monaghan (co-capt); Grace Moore, Edel McMahon (co-capt), Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Clara Nielson, Niamh O’Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corri, Aoife Wafer, Aoibheann Reilly, Nicole Fowley, Leah Tarpey.

Spain: Amalia Argudo; Claudia Perez Perez, Claudia Peña Hidalgo, Zahia Perez, Clara Piquero; Ines Bueso-Inchausti, Maider Aresti Felix; Ines Antolinez Fernandez, Cristina Blanco Herrera (capt), Laura Delgado; Anna Puig, Carmen Castellucci; Vico Gorrochategui Juste, Alba Capell, Maria Calvo.

Replacements: Maria Roman Mallen, Maria del Castillo, Sidorella Bracic Rodriguez, Beatriz Rivera, Nadina Cisa, Julia Castro, Alba Vinuesa, Tecla Masoko Bueriberi.