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BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ireland without injured Wafer against Scotland
Guinness Women's Six Nations: Scotland v IrelandVenue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 14:30 BSTCoverage: Watch live on iPlayer & online, follow live text and watch video highlights on BBC Sport website & app Ireland coach Scott Bemand has named two uncapped players in his matchday squad for their Women's Six Nations finale away to Scotland on Saturday, but Aoife Wafer misses out through Aoife Corey will make her debut at full-back in Edinburgh as she takes the place of Stacey Flood who drops to the bench. In the only other change to the backline from the win away to Wales last weekend, Vicky Elmes Kinlan is promoted from the replacements and will make her first Six Nations start on the wing in place of Anna prop Niamh O'Dowd is fit again and will return to the number one jersey, joining Neve Jones and Linda Djougang in the front number eight Wafer missing out through a knee injury sustained at Rodney Parade last week, Fiona Tuite comes into the second row alongside Ruth Campbell with Dorothy Wall moving back to blind-side Hogan switches from the six jersey to number eight, with captain Edel McMahon again lining out at open-side flanker. Munster lock Jane Clohessy, the daughter of former Ireland international prop Peter Clohessy, is named among the replacements and will make her debut if called upon. Scotland have welcomed back captain Rachel Malcolm and scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden to their are seeking a third away win of the campaign after already beating Italy and Wales on the road. Ireland: Corey; Elmes Kinlan, Dalton, Breen, Costigan; O'Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, Wall, McMahon (capt), Moloney, McGrath, Haney, Clohessy, Boles, Lane, Higgins, Flood.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Scotland aim to 'finish on high' against Ireland
Guinness Women's Six Nations: Scotland v IrelandVenue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 14:30 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC Scotland, iPlayer & online, follow live text and watch video highlights on BBC Sport website & app Captain Rachel Malcolm and scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden return to the Scotland team for the final Six Nations outing of the year at home to pair missed last weekend's heavy defeat to England after suffering concussions in the previous loss to Bartlett comes in at loosehead, replacing Anne Young, who drops to the bench along with Becky Boyd, while there is no place for Caity Mattinson as Rhea Clarke continues to offer cover at number accommodate the Malcolm taking her usual place in the back row, Jade Konkel moves into the second row, her third different starting position of the are on 10 points and need one more in Edinburgh to be sure of third place following wins over Italy and sit six points behind the visitors, having lost three in a row since beating the Welsh on the opening weekend."This weekend is about finishing on a high," said head coach Bryan Easson. "It's about everything coming together post some really good performances and some really difficult stages in games."We've learned a lot about ourselves and now have an opportunity to put together those learnings on the pitch."Scotland finished one point behind the Irish in 2024, losing 15-12 in Belfast."Ireland are a very physical side and we have to fight fire with fire," added Easson. "I see it being tight. Last year was a difficult one for us to take."We believe we can put Ireland under pressure if we get our processes right."Scotland open their World Cup campaign against Wales in late August and will also meet Fiji and Canada, with matches taking place in Manchester and Exeter."We don't have long before we come back in for World Cup preparation," added Easson."I think we're on track. We've capped seven players in this Six Nations, we're working hard on growing the base around the squad." Line-up Scotland: Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke – Bristol Bears, Jade Konkel, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (captain), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Elis Martin, Anne Young, Molly Poolman, Becky Boyd, Gemma Bell, Rhea Clarke, Evie Wills, Lucia Scott.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wassell 'has so much to fight for' after tumour scare
Guinness Women's Six Nations: Scotland v IrelandVenue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 14:30 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC Scotland, iPlayer & online, follow live text and watch video highlights on BBC Sport website & app On the face of it, it's not the most exhilarating of news stories - 'rugby player returns to training, now hitting tackle bags' - but in Emma Wassell's case it's as close to a sporting miracle as you are likely to recap the story of the 30-year-old, 67-times capped Scotland lock - last September a tumour (mercifully, benign) was discovered in her chest, then there was a bleed on the tumour, then there was the first surgery to remove part of the tumour, then a second surgery to remove the rest, a procedure that involved the collapsing of a wanted to call out for her mum, but Pauline had sadly passed away suddenly earlier in the year. Whenever you hear 'rugby family' being used in the parlance of the game the temptation is to brand it a cliche, but in Wassell's case, it's not. Her team-mates rallied round her in, and out, of hospital like a large gang of protective now here she is at Murrayfield, the picture of health and talking about the comeback, which she hopes will happen before the World Cup in England in August."The health is very good," the second row said on the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast."I've been running for four weeks now. I'm able to hit bags and hit the deck. I feel ready to keep pushing on. Mentally, I was worried about how I was going to feel doing contact, but I'm ready to get stuck in."The last thing that really needs ticked off is bone-on-bone contact, which we might trickle into very, very soon. We're honestly a few weeks short of playing. I tried very hard to push for the Ireland match [on Saturday] but there was no need to risk it. Focus on the World Cup. There's so much to play for and I'm just so excited." She was only 29 when all of this was happening. Her energy and positivity, her absolute love of the game and her appreciation of what it's given her, is a sight to behold."Everyone's like, 'how did you get through?' I do believe everyone would be the same," she explains. "You don't have a choice. When it's happening to you, you have no choice other than to get through it."I'm in a fortunate position. I have so much to fight for. For me, a huge motivator is playing for Scotland."The surgeon heard it many times. When I got told I was going to need a sternotomy, I went, 'I'll be able to play rugby again, right?' They're like, 'just be grateful you're alive'. Yes, I had a very serious operation, but I believe I've been really lucky in this whole situation. I don't know how you get through it, but you do."I always had this bigger picture of, 'I have been given this shot again to be able to play again', which I thought at one point was going to be taken away. There was a point where I thought I might never play rugby again. That's what broke me." Getting the boots on again was the driving force. There's no naivety here. She knows there's still a distance to travel between getting well and getting back in the Test doesn't just want to come back, she wants to come back as a better version of her old self. That alone will be a challenge. Wassell played 54 consecutive games for Scotland at her peak. Beat that. "Hopefully this thing has given me a few extra years," she laughs."Sometimes you cannot control your health but everything I've been able to control, I believe I've done. The goal is no sweeter than a World Cup, is it? That's the ultimate. Some of the girls have given me a bit of stick. 'You're just wrapping yourself in cotton wool to get there!'"The details of her treatment is the stuff of nightmares. "The scariest bit was when I didn't know what it was and they didn't know how they were going to operate so I obviously had to get all these biopsies," she explains."They initially went through my neck to get the biopsy and they couldn't get enough cells so then they had to go through my ribcage to get under my sternum to get into the main part of the tumour to get enough cells to be able to get a biopsy."When you're going through the rib to make sure that you don't cause any damage, you have to collapse a lung to get there. When I woke up after these biopsies, I would say that was one of the hardest moments. My body was in all sorts of pain. I couldn't understand why I couldn't breathe properly, I had chest drains in which were extremely sore and I was in the high dependency ward in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary."There was a lot of very, very sick people in there and that was when I was scared. I'm almost crying out for…well…I didn't have my mum there. She was a ray of sunshine in a room, a typically embarrassing proud mum. She was always watching me play. Honestly, with binoculars, couldn't bloody see a thing. Didn't know the rules. Didn't matter. She was there, a constant."A lot of the reason why I wear a headband was so she could spot me. It was hard enough telling my brother about being sick because I didn't want to put him through that. I would have hated putting my mum through it."Enter the Scotland team as auxiliary nurses. "I live my life with a lot of humour so even when I am lying in my hospital bed with tubes coming out of me, please crack a joke," she says."And they did and sometimes I would crack the joke and they'd be like, 'can we laugh? We don't know'. We've been through a hell of a lot. It's not just me. We've been through a huge journey together."Wassell joked with them that she'd be back in time for the Ireland game and the reaction was hilarious. Don't even think about it, was the hysterical gist. They weren't emotionally ready for her return. They wouldn't be able to a warm-up game ahead of the World Cup is the hope and the plan. No matter where it is and no matter who it's against, it will be special. The thought of it got her through the most awful time in her life and it feels more real now than at any point since illness got she keeps the tears at bay that day then she might be the only one.
BBC News
20-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'My goal has always been the World Cup' - Scuffil-McCabe
Women's Six Nations: Wales v IrelandVenue: Rodney Parade Date: Sunday, 20 April Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online, listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru Ireland scrum-half Molly Scuffil-McCabe said that her goal has always been to secure a place in Scott Bemand's squad for this year's Women's World will make her first appearance of this year's Six Nations against Wales on she is hoping to impress enough to earn herself a place at the World Cup in England which kicks off in August, as she battles with Emily Lane for a starting berth."My goal has always been the World Cup then working past that," she said."I've put a lot of work into this World Cup being the one I want to be involved in and that has been my 'why' the last few years." The 27-year-old said she will assess "what's next" in terms of club rugby after the World currently splits her time between playing domestically in Ireland with Railway Union and Leinster, as well as in New Zealand with Manawatu to spend three months at a time in each country, she says the experience in New Zealand has been eye-opening in a rugby sense."I'm hoping to go for permanent residency over in New Zealand, I had a small stint with the Hurricanes before I came over which was really nice, a good level and good to see a few more of the Black Ferns and see their structures," she explained."I've enjoyed how much of a different environment it is in one way, but I also love coming back here, I try do my hard work over there to be my best here. "I was a lifeguard over there, so I took a job where I worked three days and trained four days, so it was enough to cover everything."Ireland managed two wins in the Six Nations last year as they finished have already beaten Italy this year and with games against Wales and Scotland to come, Scuffil-McCabe says the team are targeting three wins in this campaign to secure third place again."Looking at last year, what we want to do is push on and get those three [wins] and focus on our own performance," she added."We determine what success is for us, but we will definitely want to push on to those wins."
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Captain McMahon returns as Ireland make five changes
Women's Six Nations: Wales v IrelandVenue: Rodney Parade Date: Sunday, 20 April Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online, listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru Ireland captain Edel McMahon's return is one of head coach Scott Bemand's five changes for Sunday's Women's Six Nations game against Wales. McMahon missed last week's defeat by England through injury, but is recalled to the back row to replace Erin King, who earlier this week announced she will miss the rest of the tournament and the World Cup because of a serious knee injury. Elsewhere in the pack, Siobhan McCarthy makes her first Test start as she replaces Niamh O'Dowd at loose-head prop. Ruth Campbell is named in the second row as Fiona Tuite drops to the bench. Enya Breen, who also missed the England game, returns to partner Aoife Dalton in midfield while Molly Scuffil-McCabe makes her first appearance of the tournament at scrum-half ahead of Emily Lane. Ulster's Sadhbh McGrath and Claire Boles are recalled to the bench. Wales have recalled back row Alex Callender following her return from a foot injury. Ireland are third in the table with one win from three games, while Wales are hoping for their first victory after defeats by Scotland, England and France. The Irish won last year's meeting 36-5 in Cork. Line-ups Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Courtney Keight, Carys Cox; Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Alex Carys Phillips, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Alaw Pyrs, Sian Jones, Lleucu George, Catherine Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh; Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang, Ruth Campbell, Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan, Edel McMahon (capt), Aoife Cliodhna Moloney, Sadhbh McGrath, Christy Haney, Fiona Tuite, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.
