Ireland make three changes for trip to Italy in Women's Six Nations

Ireland have made three changes to their team for Saturday's TikTok Women’s Six Nations clash against Italy (4.45pm).

Head coach Greg McWilliams has drafted in full-back Lauren Delany, centre Anna McGann and scrum-half Ailsa Hughes in place of Méabh Deely, Vicky Irwin and Molly Scuffil-McCabe from the side defeated 53-3 by France in round two.

Railway Union’s McGann will make her first championship start, while club-mate Hughes gets her first appearance of this year’s Six Nations.

Aoife Doyle and Natashja Behan are on the wings, with Aoife Dalton partnering McGann in midfield.

Dannah O’Brien is retained at out-half.

The pack remains unchanged for the match in Parma with Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Christy Haney continuing in the front row.

Captain Nichola Fryday partners Sam Monaghan in the second row, while Dorothy Wall, Grace Moore and Deirbhile Nic a Bháird are retained in the back row.

On the replacements bench, Clara Nielson, Sadhbh McGrath, Kathryn Buggy, Hannah O’Connor and Brittany Hogan provide the reinforcements up front, with Scuffil-McCabe, Irwin and Méabh Deely completing the match-day 23.

McWilliams said: "It has been a really good block of preparation for this game. We arrived in Parma yesterday afternoon following three days of hard work in Dublin, and the group have come back focused and energised after the down week.

"Saturday will be another stiff challenge for us against a side that reached the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup, but again it is one we are relishing as a group as it gives us the opportunity to continue our development in the Test arena."

Ireland: Lauren Delany; Aoife Doyle, Aoife Dalton, Anna McGann, Natasja Behan; Dannah O'Brien, Ailsa Hughes; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Christy Haney;