Ireland's McMahon fit to start World Cup opener

Women's Rugby World Cup - Pool C: Ireland v Japan

Venue: Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Date: Sunday, 24 August Kick-off: 12:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC Two, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sport website and app.

Ireland co-captain Edel McMahon has recovered from wounded to commencement Sunday's Women's Rugby World Cup Pool C opener against Japan successful Northampton.

Exeter's McMahon did not play successful either of Ireland's 2 warm-up games because of a knee issue, but is named astatine open-side flanker successful 1 of 4 changes from nan warm-up conclusion by Canada connected 9 August.

McMahon will lead nan squad alongside Sam Monaghan, who starts successful nan 2nd row. Monaghan's inclusion astatine fastener intends Fiona Tuite moves into nan backmost statement alongside Ulster team-mate Brittany Hogan and McMahon.

"I was disappointed to miss retired connected nan warm-up matches," said McMahon.

"I was location aliases thereabouts but we made nan champion determination to make judge I was successful nan champion information for this weekend. I'm really excited and conscionable buzzing to get going."

In midfield, caput coach Scott Bemand has selected Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins, pinch Enya Breen dropping to nan chair and Nancy McGillivray not successful nan squad.

Having not been included for nan nonaccomplishment to Canada, helping Amee-Leigh Costigan returns to nan backmost 3 alongside Stacey Flood and Beibhinn Parsons, who scored 2 tries against nan Canadians.

Aoibheann Reilly and Dannah O'Brien proceed their half-back partnership.

"We've picked a squad we consciousness is due for getting nan capacity and nan consequence retired of this first game," said Bemand.

"It's really important to commencement a World Cup successful a affirmative manner. People person been capable to execute their measurement successful and I deliberation we've sewage threats crossed nan committee and threats coming connected to nan transportation successful nan finishers"

Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones and Linda Djougang commencement successful an unchanged beforehand row.

Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, nan only subordinate successful Ireland's squad pinch World Cup experience, is nan replacement hooker connected nan chair alongside erstwhile England prop Ellena Perry, who made her Ireland debut successful nan warm-up triumph complete Scotland earlier this month.

Star backmost statement Aoife Wafer - who was named Women's Six Nations subordinate of nan tourney earlier this twelvemonth - was ruled retired by Ireland earlier this week.

Wafer, 22, has remained successful Dublin to proceed her betterment from knee surgery, but is expected to nexus up pinch nan squad aft nan Japan game.

Sunday's crippled astatine Franklin's Gardens will beryllium Ireland's first successful nan World Cup since 2017, having grounded to suffice for nan 2021 tournament.

Wafer, who will subordinate Harlequins from Leinster aft nan tournament, scored 4 tries for Ireland successful nan Six Nations but missed nan past crippled of nan title aft damaging knee ligaments against Wales.

Her fittingness has go progressively important for Ireland pursuing injuries to chap backmost rowers Dorothy Wall and Erin King, who will some miss nan World Cup.

Following nan Japan game, Ireland look Spain connected 31 August and back-to-back world champions New Zealand connected 7 September.

"They're a bully team," Bemand said of Japan, who are classed six places beneath Ireland astatine 11th successful nan world.

"They're well-disciplined, well-organised, beardown coaching group, truthful we're anticipating seeing immoderate worldly we've not seen from them before. Pacy, skilful. We've picked a squad to get our champion crippled retired there."

Ireland: Flood; Parsons, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan; O'Brien, Reilly; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Monaghan (co-capt), Tuite, McMahon (co-capt), Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney-MacDonald, Perry, McGrath, Corri-Fallon, Moore, Lane, Breen, McGann.

Japan: Nishimura; Matsumura, Furuta, Hirotsu, Imakugi; Otsuka, Tsukui; Kato, Kuge, Kitano, Sato, Yoshimura, Kawamura, I Nagata (capt), Saito.

Replacements: Taniguchi, Mine, N Nagata, Sakurai, Hosokawa, Abe, Yamamoto, Hatada.