Prior to their opening TikTok Women's Six Nations game, Ireland had targetted a top-three finish in the table.
"If we’re to get three wins, we get to the WXV, we’re in the top tier," head coach Greg McWilliams said before the dispiriting 31-5 defeat to Wales after which goals were quickly reassessed.
The round-three defeat to Italy meant a fight to land in tier two for the new Women’s XV tournament, while Scotland’s win over the same opponents last weekend means that, barring a big win tomorrow in Edinburgh, Ireland will be in tier three.
That six-team group will contain Brazil or Colombia, the runner-up from the Africa Cup, which features Cameroon, Kenya, hosts Madagascar and South Africa, the runners-up from the Asia championship, featuring Japan, China, Hong Kong China and Kazakhstan, and the second-placed Oceania team, which will be one of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.
The fifth-placed team from the Six Nations, likely to be Scotland or Italy, will face a play-off against Spain with the loser going into the bottom tier.
It’s worth noting that while tier one is boxed off for the first cycle, the team that finishes top in group three wins promotion to group two.
Given the consequences of losing, or winning without a bonus point tomorrow, the question of whether any thought was given to bringing in members of the Sevens squad, who have been training at the high performance centre since their last World Series event at the start of April (their final outing is in France in two weeks’ time), was put to the head coach.
They are currently fifth in the standings but and would qualify as hosts France have automatic Olympic qualification and sit fourth.
Adding in the likes of Beibhinn Parsons, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe,
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