Ireland to Gain from Rest Before Italy Match
Niamh O’Dowd thinks the extra day of rest will do Ireland some good after their tough game against France last Saturday. Scott Bemand’s team lost 27-15 in Belfast, and now they’re gearing up for their match against Italy in Parma this Sunday at 3 p.m. Ireland to Benefit from Short Break.
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Italy’s Struggles Against England
Italy had a rough start in the Six Nations, losing 38-5 to England in their opening game. They fell behind quickly, giving up two tries in the first six minutes and trailing 33-5 at halftime. But they bounced back in the second half, holding England scoreless until late in the game when Emma Sing added another try for the win. Ireland to Benefit from Short Break.
Extra Recovery for Ireland
Bemand will announce the team for Sunday’s game on Friday. With eight days to prepare, Ireland can take advantage of this extra time as they aim for their first away win in the Six Nations since 2021. O’Dowd recognizes the importance of having this extra day, but also points out that they’ll only have six days before their next match after that.
The eight days will definitely help, but then it will be six days after, so it all balances out, O’Dowd said. It’s just an extra day to recover.
This time off is especially important for O’Dowd and her fellow front-row players. While Ireland does have some depth in the squad, they really rely on their starting props. In the game against France, O’Dowd and tighthead prop Linda Djougang both played 77 minutes before they were subbed out when France built a 12-point lead.
Physical Challenge Ahead
O’Dowd mentioned how tough the French pack was, stressing the need for good fitness. We both work hard on our fitness. If it comes down to the wire, we trust we have the stamina to keep going, she explained.
She recognized the strength of the French forwards but is proud of how Ireland handled the scrums and physical play. Their scrum is solid. They have big ball carriers and a stronger pack, so we knew we had to match them physically, which I think we did for the most part, she added. Ireland to Benefit from Short Break.
O’Dowd’s Path to a Key Role
The Wexford native got her 12th cap against France, having first played in the 2023 Six Nations opener against Wales. She started as a substitute but won the starting loosehead spot during last year’s WWXV in Canada, allowing Djougang to switch back to tighthead.
It was a tough change at first because I’m not as big as most props, O’Dowd said. But I’ve worked on my technique to make up for that.
She credited her teammates and coaches for their encouragement. The girls support me, and our coaches—last year it was Dec Danaher and this year it’s Hugh Hogan and Alex Codling—have really pushed our standards, she shared. Codders [Codling] has been fantastic. His attention to detail is impressive, and he trusts us to meet those expectations. Ireland to Beanefit from Short Break.
Finding Positives from the France Game
Even though Ireland lost to France, O’Dowd thinks they can take some positives from their performance. They came within two points of France with less than 10 minutes left, but a penalty and a late try sealed the win for France.
I think our defense held up well, and our set pieces were solid, O’Dowd pointed out. Sometimes our execution let us down, with a few handling mistakes and forced passes, but we kept our composure overall.
Looking ahead, she sees the match against France as a chance to learn. We didn’t get the win, but if we face them again in a World Cup, it could go either way. We’ll take a lot of confidence from this. Ireland to Beanefit from Short Break.
Focused on Italy
With the extra recovery time and lessons learned from their last match, Ireland is motivated to get their first win of the tournament against Italy. The game kicks off this Sunday at 3 p.m., and live coverage will be available on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
