Sadhbh McGrath set for Irish senior rugby bow in Six Nations opener with Wales
Burt native McGrath is selected in the front row having impressed coach Greg McWilliams and the Ireland coaching team during the recent Celtic Challenge competition
Donegal’s Sadhbh McGrath is in line for her first senior international start when Ireland get their TikTok Woman’s Six Nations Championship up and running against Wales, in Cardiff, on Saturday.
18-year-old Ulster prop McGrath - a Burt native - is selected in the front row having impressed coach Greg McWilliams and the Ireland coaching team during the recent Celtic Challenge competition, while Leinster’s Niamh O’Dowd is also in line for her debut cap off the bench.
The Ireland backline contains an exciting blend of youth and experience, with the likes of Méabh Deely, Aoife Dalton and Natasja Behan – who all made their debuts during last summer’s historic Tour of Japan – set to make their first Six Nations appearances.
Deely, Behan and Aoife Doyle make up the back three, with Dalton joined by the experienced Enya Breen in the Ireland midfield. Nicole Cronin and Molly Scuffil-McCabe are named as half-backs, with Dannah O’Brien and Vicky Irwin providing the backline reinforcements on the bench.
The weekend’s encounter kicks off 2.15pm and is live on RTÉ2/BBC iPlayer.