Wafer fit for France quarter-final but McMahon out

Women's Rugby World Cup 4th final: Ireland v France

Venue: Sandy Park, Exeter Date: Sunday, 14 September Kick-off: 13:00 BST

Coverage: Watch connected BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 12:15; perceive connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle from 12:30.

Ireland backmost statement Aoife Wafer will make her first quality of nan Women's Rugby World Cup successful Sunday's quarter-final against France successful Exeter.

Co-captain Edel McMahon, however, misses retired done injury.

Wafer, 22, who will subordinate English broadside Harlequins aft nan tournament, missed nan excavation stages arsenic she recovered from knee room successful July.

The 2025 Six Nations subordinate of nan tourney initially remained astatine location to proceed her rehab erstwhile Ireland departed for England, joining up pinch nan squad only aft their opening triumph complete Japan.

"She's a people player. We've each wanted to spot her backmost connected pitch. She's been hopeless to get backmost retired location and springiness immoderate of herself to nan origin that we're undertaking," said Ireland caput coach Scott Bemand.

"She's worked incredibly difficult down nan scenes and there's been an unthinkable magnitude of support for her successful getting her backmost to this point.

"We're afloat assured she's fresh and ready. She's hopeless to get connected nan pitch, now it's conscionable clip to fto her go."

Wafer's return to nan broadside for nan first clip since April is 1 of 2 changes to Bemand's starting XV from past week's nonaccomplishment to New Zealand.

She takes nan spot of McMahon, who plays her nine rugby for Exeter, aft nan flanker near past week's conclusion early successful nan 2nd half pinch a knee injury.

"Edel misses retired done wounded is nan agelong and short of it," added Bemand.

"We'll miss her leadership. We'll miss her expertise to spell and slope group successful defence."

In nan different alteration from nan 40-0 reverse against nan Black Ferns, Fiona Tuite comes successful for Grace Moore successful nan backmost row.

Moore is named among nan replacements, pinch Claire Boles not successful nan 23, and successful a last alteration connected nan chair Enya Breen is named successful spot of Nancy McGillvray.

Stacey Flood and Eve Higgins, who besides sustained injuries against New Zealand, are fresh to commencement astatine full-back and wrong centre respectively.

Loose caput prop Niamh O'Dowd retains her spot successful nan starting broadside pinch Ellena Perry named connected nan chair aft being ruled retired connected nan greeting of past week's concluding excavation fixture.

Ireland qualified for nan quarter-finals arsenic runners-up successful Pool C, while France topped Pool D acknowledgment to wins complete South Africa, Italy and Brazil.

Ireland: Flood; Parsons, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan; O'Brien, Reilly; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Monaghan (capt), Tuite, Wafer, Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney MacDonald, Perry, McGrath, Corri-Fallon, Moore, Lane, Breen, McGann.