There are just three changes to the Irish team that will line out against Scotland this Saturday in the final round of the Guinness Women's Six Nations.
Co-captain Sam Monaghan returns once again this weekend as she starts in the second row with Dorothy Wall.
Speaking about her return assistant coach John McKee said:
Sam is a very important player for us. You saw her form earlier in the competition and credit to her, she's worked very hard to make sure she is fit for this game. It'll be a boost to have her back both for her skills as a player and for her leadership within the group.
In the backs Enya Breen replaces Aoife Dalton at inside centre and Méabh Deely replaces Lauren Delany at full back.
On the bench, sevens star Katie Heffernan is set to earn her first cap, as she joins Cliodhna Moloney, Niamh O'Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Fiona Tuite, Shannon Ikahihifo, Molly Scuffil-McCabe and Aoife Dalton.
McKee praised Heffernan for her work ethic juggling both 7s and 15s and commended her on the performance she put in at training this week that ultimately lead to her securing that coveted call up.
Katie is a highly skilled player but also has a tough metal resolve to play well in her position in the centres. People who put their hands up in training performance will also put their hands up selection and Katie has certainly done that this week.
Taking on the Scots this weekend will be a test within itself, especially with World Cup Qualification on the line, but McKee made clear that the team's main focus for Saturday is to put a performance in.
The focus for us this week is the performance we bring to the game. What is in our control is how we approach that game, how we play in the game and the level of performance we bring. Where we finish in the competition will depend on other results but certainly for us we'll bring our best game to Kingspan and if we play well then positions in the table will look after themselves.
Scotland currently sit at 3rd in the table with 8 points having defeated Italy 17-10 last weekend. Speaking about what he thinks the Scots will bring McKee said:
We know Scotland are a good team and they're a well balanced team across the park. They've got stability around their forward pack so we will have to be really on top of our game there and that will lay the platform for us and also maybe put them under some pressure. Around their back line, they've made a few changes so it will be interesting to see. But we see it as two even teams going into this competition and you know for us it's not so much focussing on Scotland but focussing on the game that we can bring and the performance we can bring.
The final game of this years Guinness Women's Six Nations kicks off at 2:30pm this Saturday in the Kingspan Stadium Belfast. With over 6,600 tickets already sold it is shaping up to be a cracker of a game. Get your tickets here.
IRELAND: Méabh Deely, Katie Corrigan, Eve Higgins, Enya Breen, Beibhinn Parsons; Dannah O' Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Christy Haney; Dorothy Wall, Sam Monaghan; Aoife Wafer, Edel McMahon; Brittany Hogan.
Subs: Cliodhna Moloney, Niamh O’ Dowd, Sadhbh Mcgrath, Fiona Tuite, Shannon Ikahihifo, Molly Scuffil-Mccabe, Aoife Dalton, Katie Heffernan
