Fit-again Aoife Wafer (left) takes over the Ireland No 7 jersey from the injured Edel McMahon for the clash with France (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)
RICHARD BULLICK IN EXETER
SKIPPER Sam Monaghan has vowed that wanting to prolong her stricken co-captain Edel McMahon’s World Cup campaign will be added motivation for Ireland as they face France in Sunday’s quarter-final in Exeter (1.00pm, BBC2/RTE2).
In a cruel twist of fate, 31-year-old openside flanker McMahon has been ruled out of what would have been the biggest game of her life so far at the stadium where she plies her trade for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership.
One of the finest people in sport, the hugely relatable Edel is a firm favourite with Chiefs fans so would have had the locals cheering her on as well as the Irish support expected to descend on the Devon venue in good numbers for this all-or-nothing tie.
But she’s having to sit out this weekend’s big game after failing to recover from the knee injury which forced her off against New Zealand last Sunday, a terrible blow for someone so has given so much in the green jersey and is deeply committed to her country’s cause.
It speaks volumes for the selfless McMahon’s character, however, that despite her personal heartache she will still be at the heart of helping prepare her team-mates for the challenge ahead and giving valuable leadership.
As her co-captain in this Irish set-up – it was an inspired decision by Scott Bemand to appoint them – and former clubmate at Wasps, Monaghan knows McMahon better than most and she herself is sadly well aware what it is like to be sidelined by injury.
The towering Gloucester Hartpury lock, who had stood unbowed in the mixed zone last Sunday evening after the New Zealand defeat, welled up after being asked by Local Women Sport to sum up McMahon’s contribution at Friday’s team announcement press conference.
An emotional Monaghan had to pause briefly as she choked back the tears when offering a heartfelt tribute to her fellow leader and bosom buddy who is affectionately known in rugby circles by the nickname ‘Tricky’.
“Tricky is probably one of the most phenomenal leaders I’ve ever got a chance to work with. She puts everyone else before herself and always has done,” Sam began before having to take a moment to compose herself.
“I know after that win over New Zealand (in Vancover last September) and she got that knock (causing her to missing the remaining two matches), like she was still the most incredible captain and galvanised that group after such an emotional win.
“No matter what is going on with herself personally or whatever, she puts this team first and you can see that in the way she plays, the way she leads this group, the inspiration she is to all the girls around her.
“She does everything she can whether she’s playing or not to get this team in the right place for (matchday) and I think that’s why I have so much love for her. She’s just, she’s one of those people you’d die for.
“I think we’re all playing for her Sunday as well, she’s such an inspiration to this group and yeah we’re gutted not to have her there (against France) but we’ll get her back for the semi,” Monaghan declared defiantly.
The warm words from Monaghan added poignancy to the press conference and her touching tribute, with head coach Bemand nodding in agreement by her side, gave a strong sense of how strong the bonds are within this tight-knit group.
So striking was the tribute from Monaghan that it became RTE’s main angle from the press conference in their output later on a day when Irish followers were buoyed by news that fit-again taliswoman Aoife Wafer will finally make her World Cup debut this Sunday.
Sam Monaghan (bottom) and Edel McMahon have formed a brilliant partnership as co-captains of the Ireland team
At one stage, both back-rowers had been in a race to be fit for the World Cup but, while Wafer has had to wait until the knockout stages, McMahon made it back in time to lead the team in the opening game but finds herself sidelined again now.
That is tough for McMahon obviously but, in terms of the big picture, Ireland’s injury situation going into this weekend is better than at one stage feared, with Wafer’s return and Stacey Flood fit to start despite being carried off against New Zealand
Classy fullback Flood needed stitches for a nasty laceration on her foot but will play, Eve Higgins has had no delayed reaction after passing a head injury assessment last Sunday, while several others return to the matchday squad having had to sit out the last group game.
Ellena Perry, who was selected to start the Black Ferns fixture before dropping out, has been named on the bench while Ulster forward Fiona Tuite comes back into the run-on line-up and Clovers skipper Enya Breen returns to the No 22 jersey.
“We’ve had a few questions over the past few weeks, haven’t we, about Aoife coming back in?” quipped an upbeat Bemand at the press conference just after naming his team, when Wafer was the obvious first topic of conversation – not for the first time either.
“Look she’s a class player, we’ve all wanted to see her back on the pitch. She’s been desperate to get back out there and give some of herself to the cause that we’re undertaking.
“She’s worked incredibly hard behind the scenes and there’s been an incredible amount of support for her in getting her back to this point. We’re fully confident she’s fit and ready, she’s desperate to get back on the pitch, and now it’s just time to let her go.”
Monaghan concurred, adding: “It’s huge, Aoife’s a powerful unit – we know that from the last few competitions and what she can bring to this team. I have to say fair credit to her character, and it just shows the work she’s done over the past couple of months.
“I know what rehab can be like and what a dark place it can be and to have a time on it as well has been really tough. She’s been incredibly humble throughout this experience and it’s amazing to watch the gains she’s made week in, week out.
“I’ve worked with the physio she has as well and he’s unreal, he really puts you through your paces and I know how hard that must have been, physically and mentally, so it’s great to have her in, great to have her back.
“But this squad has never been about one player, or the 23 that take the field, it’s about all of us, including the girls at home, it’s amazing to have Aoife in that squad and be back part of this unit together and have her firing for Sunday.”
Scott Bemand with his co-captains Edel McMahon (left) and Sam Monaghan at the World Cup welcome ceremony
Bemand talked through the other changes, explaining: “Edel misses out through injury. We’ll miss her leadership, we’ll miss her ability to go and bang people in defence, but unfortunately she’s not quite recovered from last week’s hit against New Zealand.
“So what we have got is some firepower, because we’ve been growing the depth. Bringing Fiona back in this week, she’s completely fine now, recovered from getting a bump in game two, so she’s back fully firing. It gives us lineout options, gives us carrying options.
“Stacey picked up a cut against New Zealand, so again the medical team have been on top of her and she’s fully fit and ready to go,” said Bemand who would otherwise have had to bring in Maebh Deely or switch Eve Higgins to fullback, breaking up his star centre pairing.
The Ireland coach of course continues to be without influential forwards Dorothy Wall and Erin King, both of whom are sidelined long-term as a result of injuries sustained during the Six Nations, while experienced prop Christy Haney had an ill-timed hamstring problem.
Meanwhile, McMahon and Monaghan’s predecessor as Ireland skipper Nichola Fryday also addressed her former Exeter Chief clubmate’s absence from Sunday’s showdown in her World Cup column on the BBC website.
“What Tricky brings is not just her performances on the pitch but her leadership too. She does her job extremely well week in, week out, and you could never say that she hasn’t put everything on the line,” wrote Fryday.
“She’s someone who is going to give absolutely everything to get a win and that’s the kind of player that you always want in your squad, especially going into a knockout game like this. She is going to be a big loss for Ireland.
“It’ll be so disappointing for her on a personal level. You want to be involved in every game when you’re in that squad, especially so whenever you’re leading the team, but Edel will just help prepare them in any way she can.
“It just means that her role will have changed throughout this week. She’s very detailed and really reads, and can analyse, the game like no-one else. She’ll probably look more off-field and step up on that side of things,” Nichola concluded.
Both Monaghan and McMahon have had injury miseries during their Ireland captaincy period, the former missing all nine Test matches last season after rupturing her cruciate in the English Premiership final and also two fixtures in the previous Six Nations.
Up until the start of last month, Monaghan had sat out 11 of the 17 matches since she became co-captain but thankfully has now been fit for six in a row including starting all four World Cup fixtures so far.
McMahon has had more sporadic absences, but has played just two of six matches since the start of this season and the duo have only taken the field together from the off on a mere seven occasions in these past two years.
That tally included their first three fixtures after their appointment – at the WXV3 tournament in Dubai – so joint appearances have been more rare recently, though those other four times have all been significant games.
They were the breakthrough victory against Wales in Cork in last year’s Six Nations, the day Ireland qualified for the World Cup by beating Scotland at Ravenhill, the tournament opener against Japan last month and then last Sunday’s memorable Black Ferns fixture in Brighton.
The warm embrace between the two women as McMahon limped off early in the second half was a poignant moment and Edel sadly won’t be taking the field this weekend, but will give everything in whatever way she can to support those who are wearing the green jersey.
She and Monaghan are both important players for Ireland who are much missed when they can’t line out, but their overall value can’t be calculated in match minutes alone and their contribution to growing the Green Wave will never be in doubt.
Edel McMahon signs an autograph for a young fan during Ireland’s open training session before the Spain game (©INPHO/Ben Brady)
Joint captains Sam Monaghan (left) and Edel McMahon share a moment after Ireland clinched World Cup qualification
