Ireland's McGillivray selected to start against Italy
Published on: 16/04/2026
Exeter Chiefs Women’s centre Nancy McGillivray will start for Ireland when they play Italy in the second round of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
The 23-year-old will be joined in the starting line-up by hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, who made her 50th appearance last weekend.
Lock Dorothy Wall will be looking to make an impact off the bench.
Ireland play Italy on Saturday (KO 17:45) at the home of Connacht Rugby, the Dexcom Stadum in Galway. They will be hoping to claim precious points in the table after both teams lost their games in the opening round.
Italy and Exeter Chiefs Women’s winger Francesca Granzotto will miss out, however, after suffering concussion against France last weekend.
Meanwhile, tighthead prop Demi Swann will be looking to get her second cap against England from the bench. Scotland will host the Red Roses at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Saturday (KO 13:30) with a record-breaking attendance expected.
England’s squad will be announced at 19:30 tonight.
Ireland
15 Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster, 25 caps)
14 Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht, 32 caps)
13 Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 29 caps)
12 Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby, 4 caps)
11 Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, uncapped)
10 Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 31 caps)
9 Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster, 21 caps)
1 Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby, 5 caps)
2 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 50 caps)
3 Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 53 caps)
4 Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 13 caps)
5 Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster, 21 caps)
6 Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks, 39 caps)
7 Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 8 caps) (c)
8 Aoife Wafer (Harlequins, 17 caps)
Replacements:
16 Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury, 42 caps)
17 Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester Hartpury, 21 caps)
18 Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster, 19 caps)
19 Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs, 38 caps)
20 Sam Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby, 27 caps)
21 Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 1 cap)
22 Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster, 33 caps)
23 Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht, 15 caps)
Scotland
15 Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Méditerranée, 82 caps)
14 Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks, 63 caps)
13 Evie Wills (Sales Sharks, 9 caps)
12 Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears, 23 caps)
11 Shona Campbell (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)
10 Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning, 76 caps) (vc)
9 Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning, 16 caps)
1 Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks, 50 caps)
2 Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears, 85 caps)
3 Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears, 25 caps)
4 Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women, 73 caps)
5 Hollie Cunningham (Bristol Bears, 3 caps)
6 Rachel Malcolm (Trailfinders Women, 62 caps) (c)
7 Alex Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh, 17 caps)
8 Emily Coubrough (Glasgow Warriors/University of Edinburgh, 1 cap)
Replacements:
16 Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning, 27 caps)
17 Demi Swann (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
18 Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC, 8 caps)
19 Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County, 1 cap)
20 Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier, 56 caps)
21 Rianna Darroch (Glasgow Warriors/Hillhead Jordanhill, 1 cap)
22 Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning, 7 caps)
23 Francesca McGhie (Trailfinders Women, 26 caps)
Written By:
Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club
