Doyle changes team to face Scots

RUGBY WOMEN'S SIX NATIONS:THE IRELAND team shows a number of changes from the side that lost narrowly to France (14-12) for this weekend's Women's Six Nations Championship match against Scotland at Lasswade RFU in Edinburgh on Saturday (2pm kick-off).

Coach Philip Doyle has promoted two players from the bench in Leinster prop Emer McManamly and Munster secondrow Heather O’Brien. Laura Guest moves to the backrow while Lauren Day and Carol Staunton have been named in the replacements.

Doyle admitted: “We came very close to a win against France, but in the end they held out. We can take a lot of positives from that performance with us to Scotland. The mood in the camp is upbeat and there is a sense of desire to deliver a performance in what will be another tough encounter against Scotland.”

IRELAND WOMEN(v Scotland, Lasswade RFU, Edinburgh, Saturday, 2pm): N Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); N Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster), L Cantwell (Richmond/Exile), G Rea (Highfield/Munster), M Kelly (UL Bohemians/Munster); N Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), A Davis (Blackrock/Leinster); F Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster, capt), G Bourke (Bristol/Munster), E McManamly (Blackrock/Leinster); H O'Brien (Highfield/Munster), M L Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster); L Guest (Highfield/Munster), C Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), J Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster). Replacements: S Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster), L Day (Waterloo/Ulster), D O'Brien (Blackrock/Leinster), C Staunton (Galwegians/Connacht), L Muldoon (UWIC/Exile), G Nolan (St Mary's/Leinster), J Shiels (Richmond/Leinster).