Ireland's 'Red headgear' Aoife Wafer a target for Black Ferns

Aoife Wafer may have a target on her back but it's the cap on her head that marks her out.

That’s the version coming from the Black Ferns camp, anyway, ahead of their WXV1 clash against Ireland in Vancouver.

Famously, New Zealand men’s players, B.C. (Before Chicago), struggled to name many more than Brian O’Driscoll when asked who Ireland’s main threats were; that all changed after 2016.

Some level of unfamiliarity is understandable with the womens' teams only meeting for a third ever time on Monday morning and for the first time since 2017.

"Their 6/8 in the red headgear, very quick off the back of the scrum," assistant coach Tony Christie replied to RTÉ Sport when asked who they had picked out as the Irish danger women.

It’s no surprise that the Wexford woman has been identified by appearance if not by name by the Black Ferns management.

In fairness, 'Aoife’ can be tricky for non-Irish so it may not have been worth a possible mangling on a long distance Zoom call in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The versatile 21-year-old was a Six Nations player of the tournament nominee and twice player of the round back in the spring.

She’s played eight times for Ireland and scored four tries, including a brace in the 36-10 win over Australia earlier this month.

"If they are going to focus on me and leave off our other threats then I'm happy to get smashed in a tackle," Wafer said ahead of their departure to Canada.

"If it means Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe is down the wing and scoring a try under the posts [that’s fine].

"We have numerous threats, scattered throughout the park, 1-23.

"The girls who came off the bench made an impact. If they are focussing on me they are going to be leaving someone off."

Ireland out-half Dannah O’Brien (above),