Sam Monaghan to start for Ireland in Aviva showpiece

Fri, 15 May, 2026 - 13:12

Michael Bolton

Ireland second-row Sam Monaghan has been named to start against Scotland in the only change from the team that defeated Wales last Saturday.

Monaghan comes in for Dorothy Wall, who drops to the replacements for the final game of the Six Nations.

Ireland is looking for three wins in a Six Nations campaign for the first time since 2020, in their first standalone game in the Aviva Stadium, with over 30,000 tickets sold.

Erin King will captain the team on what will be a historic game on Sunday, and she will be joined in the back-row by Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan.

It is an unchanged backline with Stacey Flood at full-back, and wings Béibhinn Parsons and Robyn O'Connor rounding out the back three. Eve Higgins partners Aoife Dalton in midfield, as scrum-half Emily Lane and fly-half Dannah O'Brien link up once more in the half-backs.

In the front row, Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and Linda Djougang will pack down together for their fifth consecutive start in the 2026 championship, with vice captain Fiona Tuite partnering Monaghan in the second row.

Ireland (v Scotland): Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere/Leinster) – captain, Aoife Wafer (Harlequins)

Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian/Munster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).