Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Dannah O'Brien 'really excited' to work with Johnny Sexton.Inpho Sports. Freejohnny be good 'An unbelievable opportunity for us kickers. It's exciting to be able to pick his brain' Ireland number 10 Dannah O’Brien on the prospect of working with Johnny Sexton. 7.31am, 19 Apr 2025 Share options AFTER WORKING CLOSELY with a former out-half from the professional men’s game in recent times, Dannah O’Brien is excited by the prospect of learning off another one in the near future. Since last August, Armagh native Gareth Steenson – an English Premiership and European Champions Cup winner with Exeter Chiefs in his playing days – has been part of the Ireland women’s rugby backroom team as a kicking coach. During his time as an underage international, Steenson was part of the same Ireland U21 squad as Johnny Sexton. The latter was in the news on Wednesday for a couple of reasons with both the British & Irish Lions and the IRFU announcing the ex-Leinster and Ireland skipper was to take on key coaching roles within their organisations. In addition to confirming he will become a full-time assistant coach of the Ireland men’s senior team, the IRFU revealed Sexton will assume an expanded role with the Union from August that will see him working with the various men’s and women’s national age grade sides up to senior level. It remains to be seen what involvement he might have with the senior women’s side, but given she is currently their first-choice option in the number 10 jersey, O’Brien will be eager to pick the brain of the 39-year-old Dubliner. “I have never spoken to him. He was someone that was retiring when I came in and started my career in here [with Ireland]. It will be an unbelievable opportunity for us kickers in here. It is really exciting to be able to pick his brain on his kicking game especially,” O’Brien remarked at a press conference in the IRFU High Performance Centre on Thursday. Advertisement “Steeno [Gareth Steenson] has unbelievable experience as well. To have those two coaches in, they have a wealth of knowledge. To be able to work with him and Gareth Steenson is great. I am really excited.” Any link up with Sexton will be somewhere down the line, however, and for now O’Brien is fully focused on Ireland’s campaign in the 2025 edition of the Women’s Six Nations. After falling to a 49-5 defeat at the hands of defending champions England in Cork’s Virgin Media Park last weekend, Scott Bemand’s side will be looking to bounce back against Wales at the Newport-based Rodney Parade tomorrow afternoon [KO 3pm]. When the two teams clashed in Cork during the third round of last year’s Championship, O’Brien registered 11 points off the kicking tee as Ireland defeated the Welsh on a final scoreline of 36-5. While the Carlow native – who amassed 14 points in last month’s 54-12 win over Italy in Parma – is wary of a Wales outfit that are under a new head coach in the shape of Sean Lynn, she believes they have grown as a team since their victory against the same opposition on the Leeside. She also pointed out how the current Ireland squad have a strong sense of familiarity with their upcoming opponents. O’Brien and her fellow home-based Irish colleagues have come face-to-face with Welsh sides Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning in the Celtic Challenge with the Wolfhounds and the Clovers, while those who are playing across the water in Premiership Women’s Rugby have also had regular encounters with their Celtic cousins. O'Brien speaking at a press conference this week.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO “We have definitely come up another level [since last year’s win against Wales]. Especially after WXV as well. We are not going to take Wales lightly. They have progressed hugely as well, especially in this Six Nations. They are a team that is continuously growing as well,” O’Brien added. “Travelling away from home is always a difficult challenge as well. We are going to have to turn up on both sides of the ball. We have had good experience against Welsh teams in the Celtic Challenge. They are a power team with a good maul. You can’t go around them, they are a good physical team. “The girls, some of them play for Gloucester-Hartpury and teams in the ‘Prem’. So we are well familiar with them and know it is not going to be an easy game this weekend.” For tomorrow’s game in Newport, O’Brien will be joined at half-back by Molly Scuffil-McCabe. The starting scrum-half when Ireland secured an eye-catching victory over New Zealand in last year’s WXV 1 tournament in Canada, Scuffil-McCabe will be making her first appearance of the 2025 Six Nations. Up until now in this year’s Championship, the largely ubiquitous O’Brien has been partnered by either Aoibheann Reilly or Emily Lane – who will be amongst the replacements in Rodney Parade. “It is a battle between the three of them at the moment and I think that is a great thing to have going into the World Cup. Three good options,” O’Brien said of Ireland’s scrum-halves. “They are all slightly different, but I have the same relationship with all of them. 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