Ciara Griffin excited to see what debutant Lucy Mulhall can add to Ireland
Ireland women’s rugby captain Ciara Griffin has stressed “there will be no room for complacency” when her side begin their World Cup qualifying campaign against Spain at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma this evening (kick-off 5pm Irish time).
The lowest-ranked team in a mini-tournament that also includes Six Nations regulars Italy and Scotland, the Spanish are viewed as an outside bet to reach next year’s delayed finals in New Zealand. Nevertheless, José Antonio Barrio’s charges merit their inclusion in these qualifiers as recent winners of the European Championship and will receive due respect from Griffin and her Irish colleagues.
“You’ve got to bring everything you can to every game and focus on one game at a time. That’s our main focus. First up is Spain, so that has been our main focus this week, and that’s the job to be done,” Griffin explained from the Captain’s Run in Parma yesterday.
“Obviously they’re a team we haven’t played very often, which is a challenge in itself. For us, it’s focusing on what we can do. We know they’ve some very good 7s and 15s players integrated together. They like to play expansive, quick rugby. It’s up to us to counteract that in our defensive systems and we should do the job, hopefully.”
Technically, Griffin won’t be the only Ireland captain on the field of play for their showdown with the Spanish as 7s skipper Lucy Mulhall has also been named in the starting line-up by head coach Adam Griggs. A former Wicklow ladies footballer – who won an All-Ireland junior title with the Garden County in 2011 – the 27-year-old Mulhall is thrown in at the deep end for her 15s international debut at outside centre.
A part of the IRFU’s sevens programme since 2015, Mulhall will line up alongside the vastly experienced Sene Naoupu in the Ireland midfield.
She has had limited exposure to 15s rugby – having only played on a handful of occasions for her club Rathdrum – but Griffin is excited by what she can bring to their attacking play.
“It’s great for Lucy. It just shows the work she has put in since she was brought into the squad, in terms of training and putting her hand up for selection. I’m excited to see her go and bring her own stamp to it. I wish her all the best,” the Kerry native added.
IRELAND (v Spain): E Considine; AL Murphy Crowe, L Mulhall, S Naoupu, B Parsons; S Flood, K Dane; L Peat, C Moloney, L Djougang, A McDermott, N Fryday, D Wall, C Griffin (capt), B Hogan.
Replacements: N Jones, L Feely, L Lyons, S Monaghan, E McMahon, E Lane, E Breen, L Delany.