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 Sam Monaghan captains Ireland.Ben Brady/INPHO FreeTeam news Monaghan returns as Ireland name team for opening World Cup warm-up clash Scott Bemand has also included three new caps in the 23 to face Scotland this weekend. 10.03am, 31 Jul 2025 Share options SAM MONAGHAN RETURNS to captain Ireland in the first of two World Cup warm-up games, with Scott Bemand’s side taking on Scotland at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Saturday [KO 2pm, available to stream on IrishRugby+ in Ireland & on BBC iPlayer in UK]. Monaghan suffered an ACL injury in the 2024, and then had setbacks with calf and hamstring issues over the past eight months. Monaghan starts in the second row in a matchday 23 which also includes three new caps. Ivana Kiripati debuts the back row, Nancy McGillivray starts at centre, while Ailish Quinn is primed to win her first cap off the bench. Advertisement In the pack, Siobhán McCarthy, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald and Sadhbh McGrathare start in the front row. Eimear Corri-Fallon, also returning after nearly 12 months out, partners Monaghan in the second row. Grace Moore, Kiripati and Brittany Hogan make up the back row. In the backs, Molly Scuffil-McCabe starts at scrum-half with Dannah O’Brien at out-half. Eve Higgins is named alongside McGillivray in the centre, with Amee-Leigh Costigan and the returning Béibhinn Parsons on the wings. Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird and Ailish Quinn are the replacement forwards, with backs Emily Lane and Enya Breen completing Ireland’s 23. “This is the first real opportunity for players to put their hands up for World Cup selection, and that’s brought great intensity to our work in camp,” Bemand said. “We’ve seen real growth in this group since we assembled at the start of June, and now it’s about transferring that onto the pitch. There’s a lot of competition for places, which is exactly what we want heading into a major tournament. Scotland are a quality side, and our recent encounters have all been tight, physical battles — that’s the kind of test we need as we build towards the Rugby World Cup.” 15. Méabh Deely (13) 14. Béibhinn Parsons (26) 13. Nancy McGillivray * 12. Eve Higgins (26) 11. Amee-Leigh Costigan (18) – vice-captain 10. Dannah O’Brien (24) 9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (21) 1. Siobhán McCarthy (8) 2. Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (43) 3. Sadhbh McGrath (14) 4. Eimear Corri-Fallon (4) 5. Sam Monaghan (21) – captain 6. Grace Moore (20) 7. Ivana Kiripati* 8. Brittany Hogan (32) Replacements: 16. Neve Jones (35) 17. Niamh O’Dowd (15) 18. Linda Djougang (46) 19. Fiona Tuite (15) 20. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (11) 21. Ailish Quinn* 22. Emily Lane (15) 23. Enya Breen (29) *denotes uncapped Ciarán Kennedy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Monaghan returns as Ireland name team for opening World Cup warm-up clash”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Monaghan returns as Ireland name team for opening World Cup warm-up clash”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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