Garrett gives fringe players chance to shine

There were mixed fortunes for Munster women’s players today as Guy Garrett announced his Ireland A selection for the women’s Celtic Cup in Scotland. Gene Muller and the senior squad will be competing in the Champions Challenge II event in Kazan, Russia, allowing a number of fringe players to stake their claims in Edinburgh, as is the case with the men’s tournament. Garrett has named a much-changed 16-strong panel for the tournament, given Emma Smyth, Lauren Barr, Megan Frazer, Michelle Harvey and Lizzie Colvin are all with the senior panel while Grace Watters and long-term injury victim Zara Delany are unavailable.

Kate McConnell returns after a stint in Australia while Slough-based Hannah Bowe, sister of rugby star Tommy, who revealed in his Lions diary that his sibling has, for the moment, joined him in South Africa, gets a recall. The tournament should also provide UCC’s Audrey O’Flynn with a chance to show off the drag-flicking prowess that lit up the latter stages of the Munster league this term, while Glenanne’s Nicci Daly gets further reward for a superb season in Leinster. Quins’ Cliodhna Sargent adds a weight of experience at this level having been an eyebrow-raising exlcusion from the Kazan squad, but Cork C of I’s Mel Ryan misses out altogether. UCC’s Miriam Crowley is also retained having done well against Germany U21 back in March. Ireland A women’s squad for Senior Celtic Cup, Edinburgh: H Bowe (Slough), A Campion (Loreto), M Crowley (UCC), N Daly (Glenanne), N Evans (Hermes), V Green (GK, Clifton), K McConnell (Pegasus), L McInerney (UCD), R Mulligan (Armagh), A O’Flanagan (Hermes), A O’Flynn (UCC), S Quinn (Armagh), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), K Steenson (Armagh), H Stevenson (GK, Railway Union), E Thornbury (Armagh).