Prior to Friday’s WXV1 championship match between the USA and Leinster, Katie Whelan of Leinster has been called up to the Ireland squad, while her provincial teammate Katie Heffernan has returned to Ireland owing to an injury.
Heffernan sustained an arm injury during training, which has forced him to miss the last week of the international block.
The uncapped Whelan, who will cover the back line this week before the WXV final game against the USA on Friday night (8.30 p.m. Irish time) at BC Place in Vancouver, has taken the place of Mullingar’s centre.
Whelan, a scrum-half by trade, made an impression during Leinster’s Women’s Interprovincial campaign. Against Connacht in the championship’s opening game, she scored two tries and was named player of the match.
Ireland could still go as high as second in the standings with a bonus-point victory, but head coach Scott Bemand is expected to announce his selection on Wednesday.
“The team is in a rather good mood. Some fatigued bodies out there, but a genuine focus on being refreshed out there and getting back in action for the USA game, second row Fiona Tuite said.
“We learnt a great deal from the Canada game; it was a very difficult match that had intense physical combat. We anticipated that from Canada because they have one of the strongest teams in the world.
“There was areas we could have been stronger in, and we have a lot to improve on for the USA.”
This Friday
The USA, who are a physically strong side with a few returning Sevens players, will undoubtedly present a formidable challenge to us.
“We know what we need to offer, we’ve concentrated on our physicality and we saw that against New Zealand and Canada.
“We are still concentrating on ourselves and making preparations for the upcoming year. We’re utilising this as a springboard to continue developing, we continue to put on shows, we continue to inspire confidence and belief, and we continue to deliver performances one after the other,” Tuite continued.
