Athlone native handed first Ireland start for Italian job
Athlone native Anna McGann will make her first start for the Ireland women's rugby team in Saturday's Six Nations clash with Italy in Parma (kick-off 4.45pm).
McGann from Moydrum has been selected at inside centre, where she will be partnered by Aoife Dalton, a former Moate Community School student from Clara.
It will be McGann's fourth appearance for Ireland in the 15-a-side game, having previously featured off the bench. The Athlone woman has represented Ireland on several occasions in sevens rugby.
A daughter of Terry and Mick McGann, Anna excelled in hockey as a youngster and played with Athlone Hockey Club. Now with Railway Union RFC and Connacht, McGann previously played for Buccaneers.
Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams has made three changes to the starting XV for the Round 3 clash at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, with Lauren Delany, Ailsa Hughes and McGann being drafted into the team.
Commenting ahead of the game, McWilliams said: "It has been a really good block of preparation for this game. We arrived in Parma yesterday afternoon following three days of hard work in Dublin, and the group have come back focused and energised after the down week.
"Saturday will be another stiff challenge for us against a side that reached the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, but again it is one we are relishing as a group as it gives us the opportunity to continue our development in the Test arena."
Ireland have endured a very difficult start to their Six Nations campaign, having suffered heavy defeats to Wales in Cardiff and France in Musgrave Park.
Saturday's match against Italy will be shown live on Virgin Media Two.
Ireland team v Italy (TikTok Women's Six Nations)
15. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby)
14. Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster)
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
12. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht)
11. Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
9. Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)
1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster)
3. Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
4. Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (captain)
5. Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby)
6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)
7. Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby)
8. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster).
Replacements: 16. Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), 17. Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), 18. Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), 19. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), 20. Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), 21. Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), 22. Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster), 23. Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht).