ACCORDING TO IRISH MEDIA publication The42.com Ireland's coaching staff on the women's side are looking at training with the men's team in an effort to get better.
Greg McWilliam's side have lost their opening two games in this year's Six Nations and before that failed to reach this year's World Cup in New Zealand.
Ireland women's scrum coach Rob Sweeney think's that it would be a brilliant idea to mix the sides in training and get the women's team training with Andy Farrell's triple crown winners.
“It’s a smashing idea, it’s one that I suggested last year when I first came in,” said Sweeney when speaking to Murray Kinsella of the 42
“There was a lot of Covid going on so it wasn’t really a runner.
“It’s something that we are working on pretty hard at the moment because we see the benefit in it and we know what it would do for the scrum and lineout and things like that.
“We have to be careful still around some of the Covid situations and make sure that that’s OK.
“As soon as we can get something like that against one of the provincial underage sides, 18s, 19s, 20s, I think it would be absolutely smashing.
“The girls would go well from it and also it would open the lads’ eyes up to the level that the girls are at, which I think would be class.”
"It’s something that we are working on at the moment because we see the benefit in it and we know what it would do for the scrum and lineout" - @IrishRugby women's team open to training with underage men's sides #RTErugby #RTESport #IREvITA https://t.co/NXFGCLhWtE pic.twitter.com/t4YcAvJVj0
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 5, 2022
Ireland will host Italy in Musgrave Park this Sunday and will be looking to record their first win of the campaign after losing 40-5 to France last week.
That will be without Wasps hooker Cliodhna Moloney. She was left out of McWilliam's squad selection back in March, but has not had the door completely shut on her international career according to Sweeney.
"The door is not closed on Cliodhna, obviously, she still comes up in conversation but if you look at what Neve Jones has done in the last few games, she has been outstanding and there’s no need to drop Neve at the moment," Sweeney admitted
[Cliodhna] will never be off the cards. At the moment we are backing what we have.
"Neve Jones has been one of our best players for the last two games, she’s been outstanding, her growth has been exponential since she’s gone to Gloucester and come back in.
"She’s really merited being in there."
Ireland plays Italy at 17.00.
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