WXV – USA vs Ireland – ARN Guide

The WXV returns to Vancouver’s BC Place this weekend with the final round kickoff off on Friday afternoon in a clash between the USA and Ireland. Both teams are coming off a second-round defeat, with the Eagles coming up short against France and the Irish running into a Canadian wall in Langley.

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 8 (74.97 points)
2024-10-05 – USA 14, France 22 (Langley)
2024-09-29 – USA 21, England 61 (Vancouver)
2024-08-17 – Japan 8, USA 11 (Osaka)
2024-08-11 – Japan 17, USA 17 (Kitakyushu)
2024-05-17 – Australia 25, USA 32 (Melbourne)

Current World Ranking: 6 (77.25 points)
2024-10-05 – Canada 21, Ireland 8 (Langley)
2024-09-29 – New Zealand 27, Ireland 29 (Vancouver)
2024-09-14 – Ireland 36, Australia 10 (Belfast)
2024-04-27 – Ireland 15, Scotland 12 (Belfast)
2024-04-20 – England 88, Ireland 10 (London)

STARTING LINEUP CHANGES

9 Cassidy Bargell replaces Taina Tukuafu

2 Neve Jones replaces Cliodhna Moloney
10 Nicole Fowley replaces Dannah O’Brien
13 Aoife Dalton replaces Eve Higgins

NOTES

• this will be the 9th meeting between the two sides since their first in 1994, but only the fourth time outside of World Cup competition… the USA holds the head-to-head lead with five wins but Ireland were the better side in Dublin three years ago
• the match result could have an impact on the World Rankings and consequently the upcoming World Cup draw… a USA loss combined with an Italy win over South Africa would see the Eagles dropping to 9th… that would bump the USA into Band 3 for the tournament draw instead of Band 2
• Sione Fukofuka has made just one alternation to his run-on side with Cassidy Bargell handed her first test start at scrumhalf after three replacement appearances… the only other change to the 23 sees Emily Henrich coming in as a backline reserve
• loosehead prop Hope Rogers is set to become just the second Women’s Eagle to win 50 caps, with Jamie Burke the record-holder on 51 caps… captain Kate Zackary also hits a career milestone with her 40th international appearance
• Scott Bemand has rotated three of his starting squad… Neve Jones returns at hooker with Nicole Fowley and Aoife Dalton running out at flyhalf at outside center respectively… 21-year-old Ruth Campbell is set to win her second test cap, providing second row cover from the bench

QUOTES

Sione Fukofuka (Head Coach)

“We are looking forward to putting in a team performance that reflects the respect that the entire playing group and management have for both these players. We have looked to speed the game up with Cass coming into 9, while the two changes to our bench with Taina and Emily reflect the manner in which we want to finish the game with our bomb squad adding impact off the bench.

“Ireland are playing with confidence after beating Australia and New Zealand recently, so we know that it will be an 80 minute contest with set piece and the collision zone a feature. Ireland have a good kicking game and are tactically smart, so we are looking to turn that pressure into opportunities with ball in hand and expressing ourselves with and without the ball.”

Hope Rogers (on winning 50th cap)

“For me, it’s always been trying to enjoy every moment you get. You don’t always know when your last cap will be. I am a girl with big aspirations, so it was definitely something I wanted but I’m just enjoying each moment.”

PREDICTION

The Eagles have shown improvement in their two games but haven’t been as clinical in scoring position as they would have liked, with discipline also a concern at times. For the Irish it was delight against New Zealand followed by frustration against Canada. This should be a competitive contest but rankings and recent form suggest that Ireland are slight favorites in Vancouver.

TEAMS

USA
1 Hope Rogers, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Charli Jacoby, 4 Erica Jarrell, 5 Hallie Taufo’ou, 6 Tahlia Brody, 7 Kate Zackary (capt.), 8 Rachel Johnson, 9 Cassidy Bargell, 10 McKenzie Hawkins, 11 Lotte Clapp, 12 Gabby Cantorna, 13 Alev Kelter, 14 Cheta Emba, 15 Bulou Mataitoga

Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Maya Learned, 18 Mae Sagapolu, 19 Rachel Ehrecke, 20 Tessa Hann, 21 Taina Tukuafu, 22 Emily Henrich, 23 Tess Feury

IRELAND
1 Niamh O’Dowd, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Linda Djougang, 4 Dorothy Wall, 5 Fiona Tuite, 6 Erin King, 7 Aoife Wafer, 8 Brittany Hogan, 9 Emily Lane, 10 Nicole Fowley, 11 Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, 12 Enya Breen (capt.), 13 Aoife Dalton, 14 Eimear Considine, 15 Stacey Flood

Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney, 17 Siobhan McCarthy, 18 Andrea Stock, 19 Ruth Campbell, 20 Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, 21 Molly Scuffil-McCabe, 22 Dannah O’Brien, 23 Eve Higgins

MATCH INFO

Date: Friday, October 11
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver
Kickoff: 12:30 local (15:30 Eastern, 20:30 Dublin)
Weather Forecast: partly cloudy, 56°F (13°C), wind SW 3-5mph (5-8km/h)
Broadcasts: RugbyPass TV

OFFICIALS

Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand)
Assistants: Aurélie Groizeleau (France) & Emma Gallagher (Canada)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (8): USA 5,  Ireland 3
2021-11-12 – Ireland 20, USA 10 (Dublin)
2018-11-18 – Ireland 10, USA 19 (Dublin)
2014-08-01 – Ireland 23, USA 17 (Marcoussis)*
2010-09-01 – Ireland 3, USA 40 (Guildford)*
2010-08-24 – Ireland 22, USA 12 (Guildford)*
2006-09-04 – USA 24, Ireland 11 (Edmonton)*
2006-01-25 – Ireland 5, USA 23 (Limerick)
1994-04-17 – Ireland 0, USA 76 (Edinburgh)*

*denotes World Cup match