Offaly player in Ireland team for World Cup qualifier

Offaly's Nichola Fryday has been named in Ireland's starting team for the Rugby World Cup 2021 Europe Qualifier against Spain today (Monday, kick-off 5pm Irish time).

Kilcormac native Fryday plays for Connacht and is with the Blackrock College club, having previously played for Tullamore RFC. Fryday has been selected in the second row alongside Aoife McDermott.

It will be the fourth consecutive Ireland game for Fryday and McDermott to play together in the second row.

Ireland head coach Adam Griggs has included two uncapped players in his squad, with Ireland Sevens captain Lucy Mulhall named to start at outside centre. The other uncapped player is Sam Monaghan who has been selected among the replacements for the Round 1 encounter in Parma.

Mulhall's inclusion is the only change in personnel to Ireland's starting XV from the Women's Six Nations victory over Italy back in April.

Ballinasloe's Béibhinn Parsons has been selected on the left wing, with Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe on the other flank.

Speaking ahead of the game at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Griggs said: "We have been building towards this tournament for a number of months now, and the players have put in a huge volume of work to get to this point. The 23 selected have the honour of representing the wider group as we set out to achieve our goal of Rugby World Cup qualification."

Ireland women's rugby team (v Spain)

15. Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster)

14. Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)

13. Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster)

12. Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

11. Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/Connacht)

10. Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster

9. Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster)

1. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster)

2. Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby)

3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

4. Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster)

5. Nichola Fryday (Blackrock College/Connacht)

6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster)

7. Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/Munster), captain

8. Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster).

Replacements:

16. Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster)

17. Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht)

18. Leah Lyons (Sale/IQ Rugby)

19. Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby)

20. Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby)

21. Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster)

22. Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/Munster)

23. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).