Ireland’s cause is boosted by the return of star back row Aoife Wafer, the 2025 Six Nations player of the tournament who has not featured since April because of a pair of knee injuries.
The 22-year-old’s availability became a running theme of Scott Bemand’s media briefings through the tournament but, after surgery in July and a delayed arrival in England, she has been named in the seven jersey to face France.
“It’s huge,” said captain Sam Monaghan of Wafer’s return.
“Aoife’s a powerful unit. We know from the last few competitions what she can bring to this team.
“I have to say, fair credit to her character. It just shows the work she’s done over the last couple of months.”
Wafer’s return, however, comes in place of Edel McMahon. The flanker, who is Ireland’s co-captain, struggled with a knee problem in the build-up to the tournament and suffered another injury to the joint in the pool-stage defeat by New Zealand last week.
Monaghan endured her own issues when missing over a year with an injury sustained in the PWR final of 2024 and McMahon’s absence for this game brought a tear to her eye.
“Tricky [McMahon] is probably one of the most phenomenal leaders I’ve ever got a chance to work with. She puts everyone else before herself and she always has done,” said the lock.
“No matter what’s going on in her own personal life or whatever, she puts this team first, and you can see that in the way she plays, the way she leads this group, the inspiration she is to all the girls around her.
“She does everything she can, whether she’s playing or not playing, to get this team in the right place and I think we’re all playing for her on Sunday as well.”
