Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald to reach Ireland milestone in Six Nations opener

Michael Bolton

Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald will win her 50th cap for Ireland in their opener of the women's Six Nations against England in Twickenham on Saturday.

Moloney-MacDonald starts at hooker, as she is one of five Irish players playing their rugby in the Premiership Women’s Rugby.

Either side of the Exter club woman in the front row is Ellena Perry and Linda Djougang.

Erin King captains the side, where she is joined in the back row by Brittany Hogan and Aoife Wafer.

The back three is made up of Stacy Flood, Béibhinn Parsons, and Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

Dannah O’Brien is joined at half-back by Emily Lane, and in addition to Fiona Tuite linking up with the aforementioned Wall in the second row.

It is expected there could be up to 70,000 fans in Twickenham for the game, with England naming seven players from the World Cup final.

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane; Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Aoife Wafer. Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Eilís Cahill, Ruth Campbell, Grace Moore, Katie Whelan, Nancy McGillivray, Anna McGann.