Denis Fogarty: Week off has given Ireland chance to regroup

Ireland are reporting a clean bill of health heading into Saturday's TikTok Women's Six Nations meeting with Italy in Parma.

Following last week's break week, the full squad gathered at the IRFU high performance centre in Abbotstown on Sunday night, as attention turned to their Round 3 meeting with Italy, with both sides looking for a first win of the championship.

Ireland are bottom of the table after heavy defeats to Wales and France, with Italy just marginally better off, with their points difference of -73 only three better than Ireland's.

The squad's IRFU contracted players did gather for a small training camp last week, with the uncontracted and English-based players joining them back in Abbotstown this week.

And scrum coach Denis Fogarty says the championship's break week has allowed them refresh mentally as well as physically after a difficult first two games.

"It's been massively beneficial to be honest," said Fogarty, whose older brother John is scrum coach of the Ireland men's team.

"It's given us time to regroup and obviously the players as well after a tough two games. So mentally as well as a players and coaches’ point of view to reflect over those last two games and have a look at those areas where we can continually improve on going into this week.

"So it has been massively important and you can see the energy that they’re bringing already from the start of this week which is really positive."

Hopes of a top-three finish have already been recalibrated for Ireland in this championship, with Greg McWilliams' side scoring just eight points across the opening two games, while also conceding 14 tries.

A fourth-place finish now looks like being the best Ireland can hope for, but a defeat this weekend would likely leave