Eimear Considine and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe will win their first international caps since 2022 after they were named in the Ireland team for Saturday’s 150th Anniversary Test against Australia at Ravenhill [kick-off 2.30pm].
Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has also named two uncapped players in the team with sevens player Vicky Elmes Kinlan named on the right wing and Leinster lock Ruth Campbell replacing injured co-captain Sam Monaghan in the second row.
Overall, there are seven changes to the team that started the 15-12 win over Scotland on the final day of the 2024 Women’s Six Nations in Belfast in April.
Considine – who was called into the squad last week after Méabh Deely was ruled out with an ankle injury – is named at full-back. Murphy Crowe – who played in the Ireland sevens team at the Paris Olympics – will start on the left wing.
Aoife Dalton replaces Eve Higgins in the centre while Molly Scuffil-McCabe starts at scrum-half with Aoibheann Reilly injured.
In the pack, Leinster prop Niamh O’Dowd will win her eighth international cap with Linda Djougang switching across the front-row to tighthead.
The back-row is the only area that remains unchanged from the Scotland game with Aoife Wafer, Edel McMahon – who will captain Ireland – and Brittany Hogan starting against Australia.
There are two more uncapped players on the bench – Siobhán McCarthy and Erin King.
The other sevens Olympians among the subs are Emily Lane, Higgins and Stacey Flood who also makes a return to the 15s game for the first time since 2022.
Clíodhna Moloney is also on the bench – the Exeter Chiefs hooker is the only player involved the last time Ireland played the Wallaroos which was the 36-24 defeat in the fifth-eighth place play-off game at the 2017 Rugby World Cup at Ravenhill.
Ireland team to play Australia
(15-9) Eimear Considine; Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; (1-8) Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Ruth Campbell; Aoife Wafer, Edel McMahon (captain), Brittany Hogan.
Replacements:Clíodhna Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Christy Haney, Fiona Tuite, Erin King, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Stacey Flood.