Bemand: Out-half competition vital for Ireland development

Scott Bemand believes creating competition within the Ireland squad is crucial to the team's development.

For many years a problem position, the new head coach, whose side opening their WXV3 campaign with a 109-0 win over Kazakhstan last weekend, has two dependable options at out-half.

Connacht’s Nicole Fowley starts Saturday’s clash with Colombia in Dubai (2pm Irish time) with Dannah O’Brien, one of the bright lights from the disappointing Six Nations campaign, in reserve.

"We’ve got some good fly-halves with us here," said Bemand as he named his team for the second round of the competition.

"I’m really impressed with Dannah and really impressed with Nicole.

"[Competition] is an intrinsic part of what we are trying to become. A lot of our training, we compete.

"Hopefully that identity transfers to the pitch and you need that inter-positional competition.

"It drives people to higher levels so really happy with how Dannah is going and really happy with how she was supported last week by Nicole and this week we simply switch.

"Going into the Six Nations we are going to need more than one fly-half.

"Going into a successful World Cup we need a couple of girls who can stand in and do a great job, whoever gets picked.

"I’m really happy with both their form and this week it’s Nicole's chance to shine."

Ireland ran in 17 tries in the mismatch, with 12 successful conversions, shared equally between O’Brien and Fowley.

The improvement in the return rate off the tee was another aspect that pleased Bemand.

"That isn’t a hundred-point performance without 12 successful kicks," said the former England assistant.

"Kicks from out wide, in the middle and we’ve got two players who have got high aptitude for goal-kicking.

"As we get to the business end of