Happy Six Nations Day, everyone!

Yesterday we introduced you to Ireland’s starting XV against Wales this Friday night, including the views of skipper Fiona Coghlan and former skipper Joy Neville.

The game kicks off this year’s RBS Six Nations proceedings from Ashbourne RFC.

Here we take a look at the XV’s replacements. An overview of the full squad (before the final cut) can be found here.

Let the games begin – Smashy smashy!

• Tonight’s XV Replacements

16. NEWBIE: Paula Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s/Leinster) *

New to the Ireland side, and a member of the Leinster squad, Fitzpatrick was captain of St Mary’s RFC for several years and coaches Leinster’s youth side. When she’s not belting around a rugby pitch, you might find her wielding a hockey stick at Glenanne Sports Club in Dublin. Or if she’s not there, you might find her in a lab. Like her team mates, she’s got plenty of brains as well as braun, and is a PhD candidate at DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance. It involves lots of NaHCO³, and that’s all we need to know really.

17. NEWBIE: Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht) *

Another newbie, and another woman from the Wesht. Ruth O’Reilly is a Munster ex-pat, from Tralee, and lives in Galway. Along with provincial and national team mate Carol Staunton, she’s an assistant coach to the Connacht u-17 girls team, and therefore is one of those people who are instrumental to developing the pathways in women’s rugby mentioned by skipper Fiona Coghlan. O’Reilly can produce some impressive tackles, and has impact defensively as well as in anchoring the scrum, so here’s hoping it won’t be long until she gets the opportunity to demonstrate her skills.

18. NEWBIE: Siobhán Fleming (Tralee/Munster) *

Another of the uncapped players called up by Philip Doyle, and it’s easy to see why, Siobhán Fleming plays at flanker position. Another latecomer to rugby, Fleming started out in the sport only in 2007, and yet she’s captain of her club, Tralee RFC, and last year won Munster Ladies Rugby Player of the Year. She had originally been called up to play for her country last year, but was unable to participate due to personal reasons, so it’s particularly welcome to see her wearing the green jersey in 2012. She and her team mates appeared on Monday’s “Against the Head” on RTÉ Two. Take a look, sure (skip to 25 minutes in).

19. LEGEND: Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster)

The second qualified physiotherapist on the Ireland side (as far as I can tell), Cork’s Heather O’Brien plays in the lock position with Highfield, Munster and Ireland. She probably knows all about struggle and hard graft, and must be made of grit, having worked as a physio at two hospitals in the Irish health system before settling in private practice. Oh, and while she was working in the public system, she worked as a physio in private clinics, with rugby teams, GAA teams, basketball teams and the FAI. As well as pursuing further qualifications in specialist areas of her discipline. Clearly there are too many hours in the day, like.

An honours graduate from university in Edinburgh, she has also plaid college rugby in Scotland, as well as with the Irish Exiles and the invitational Shamrock Warriors 7s side. And if she’s feeling bored, she might just complete a marathon, climb Kilimanjaro, compete and/or teach various equestrian sports, and cycle the 80km round trip to work. Apparently. What is it with over achieving Irish rugby-playing physiotherapists, eh?

20. Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC/Ulster)

After new cap, Ashleigh Baxter, is Larissa Muldoon the second-most wee member on the squad? (Well, they’re both born in 1991, so I feel old either way.) All the way from Ballybofey (wahey!), Cappry native Muldoon returns to the Ireland side again since the last Six Nations, after earning three caps thus far. Studying at and playing for the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, as well as the Irish Exiles, she will be very familiar with some of the opposition tonight who on other days are fellow team mates. Here she is speaking to IRFU TV and being just adorable. Aw. Mind you, she’s a scrum half, so that’s actually a bit scary.

21. NEWBIE: Nikki Caughey (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *

We’ve found our baby of the bunch! (Née 1992.) Another brand new player called up to the national side and addition to Ireland’s Ulster contingent (that number is now seven, down from nine following the final cut) is Belfast Harlequins captain Nikki Caughey. Like her club team mate, Baxter, Caughey has been racking up the tries in her first two years playing senior rugby. She recently made several excellent runs, scored two tries and converted 5 out of 6 conversions for her club when Longford received a tremendous drubbing. Unsurprisingly, she was voted Players’ Player after the match.

It’s easy to understand Caughey’s accomplishments at such a young age, given that she has been playing since the age of five or six. She’s also a dab hand at hockey and netball, for the laughs, like. Caughey’s dream of playing for Ireland may be just around the corner (perhaps tonight), and the next goal? World Cup 2014 in France, baby!

22. AN Other

Ireland have left a spot empty on the bench as they await word on centre Shannon Houston‘s fitness. The Canadian, now a naturalised Irish citizen, collected an impressive 25 caps coming into the 2010 World Cup as a strong running centre, and since her debut in 2006 the tally is now running into the 30s.

A doctor by profession, she plays club rugby for Blackrock RFC and for Leinster. When she’s not representing club, province and country on the field, or curing disease, she’s a fan of skiing, and includes competitive weight lifting as part of her fitness programme. Of course!

* Denotes uncapped player

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