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Tipp's Murphy-Crowe could make debut in unchanged Ireland XV

Tipp's Murphy-Crowe could make debut in unchanged Ireland XV

Kevin Galvin

Ireland women's head coach Adam Griggs has named an unchanged starting XV for their second pool game at home to France.

The Irish hammered the Welsh 45-0 in their opening game at the Cardiff Arms Park, the girls in green are looking to finish top of their pool with against the French this Saturday in Donnybrook at 2.15pm

It means once again Ciara Griffin captains the side at number eight, while Tipperary's Dorothy Wall keeps her place in the back row alongside Claire Molloy.

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Aoife McDermott and Nichola Fryday are once again the Irish locks, in behind a front three of Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney and Linda Djougang.

Eimear Considine, who scored Ireland's opening try last weekend, continues at fullback while Lauren Delaney and the rising star Beibhinn Parsons complete a back-three that's full of pace against the French, who themselves enjoyed a massive 53-0 win over Wales on the opening weekend.

Sene Naoupu makes her 40th cap in the centre, alongside 21-year-old Eve Higgins, who only made her debut last weekend, while Hannah Tyrrell and Kathryn Dane line out in the half-backs.

However one change on the bench is the introduction of sevens star and Tipperary native Aimee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, who Griggs described as a 'work in progress' having not made the matchday squad last week.

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The 25-year-old was the leading try-scorer on the 2018/19 World Series circuit, scoring with 35 tries, but whether she will be introduced into a full test game that's expected to go down to the wire remains to be seen.

If Ireland can win on Sunday, they will face England for a chance of Six Nations glory.

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