Former England international Ellena Perry is set to make her Ireland debut off the bench in the World Cup warm-up game against Canada at the Affidea Stadium in Belfast on Saturday (12pm).
The 28-year-old Gloucester-Hartpury prop, who won 11 caps for England, the last in November 2020, qualifies for Ireland through a maternal grandfather.
It comes a week after another former English international, the Hong Kong-born centre Nancy McGillivray made a try-scoring debut for Ireland in the 27-21 win over Scotland at Musgrave Park.
Ireland are back at the World Cup. How will they fare?
Irish head coach Scott Bemand has made 10 changes to the starting side that beat Scotland in Cork last weekend. Wing Béibhinn Parsons, outhalf Dannah O’Brien and the backrow of Grace Moore, Ivana Kiripati and Brittany Hogan are retained.
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Hooker Neve Jones will lead out the run-on team as captain Sam Monaghan is named among the replacements.
In the pack, Niamh O’Dowd and Linda Djougang join Jones in the frontrow. Fiona Tuite and Ruth Campbell make up the engine room. Connacht’s Aoibheann Reilly starts at scrumhalf, Enya Breen partners Aoife Dalton in the centre with Anna McGann and Stacey Flood coming into the back three.
Bemand said: “Having another opportunity to test ourselves is essential in the run up to the Rugby World Cup and we know Canada will provide us with a really strong test.
“Last week we fought back hard from conceding early tries and we know we will need to start stronger this week. There is a lot at stake with the squad for the Rugby World Cup being announced early next week.”
Ireland open their World Cup campaign against Japan at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday, August 24th. They also face Spain and New Zealand in the pool stages of the tournament.
IRELAND (v Canada, World cup-warm-up, Affidea Stadium, Belfast, Saturday, 12pm): Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Grace Moore (Trailfinders/IQ Rugby), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs/Connacht), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster).
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Ellena Perry (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby)*, Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Ulster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster).
*Denotes uncapped player
