In last year’s RBS 6 Nations, Doyle’s side recorded an emphatic 36-0 victory over their Welsh rivals on home soil but a visit to Aberavon RFC first up they will be hoping just for the win.

Lynne Cantwell, Ireland’s most capped player, will start at out-half, partnered by Larissa Muldoon, whilst Grace Davitt and Jenny Murphy make up a new centre partnership.

Whilst Niamh Briggs starts at ful- back with Niamh Kavanagh and Alison Miller on the wings whilst up front, captain Fiona Coghlan is joined by Gillian Bourke and Ailis Egan.   

But all over the park, Doyle insists the effort put in by his players in preparation for the tournament has been unprecedented – a sign of how important World Cup qualification is.

“It was an extremely difficult decision in selecting the 23 players for this weekend’s match and even more difficult in selecting the starting line up,” said Doyle.

"The players have been working very hard over the last number of months and they made my job very difficult in team selection.

" Qualification for the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup is dependent on the result from both this year’s and last year’s 6 Nations so we will be looking to raise the bar again this year in terms of our performances.

"We are under no illusions of the difficulty that this campaign will hold for us as all teams are looking to qualify for the WRWC which is the pinnacle of the XVs games."

IRELAND

15 Niamh Briggs (Munster)

14 Niamh Kavanagh (Munster)

13 Grace Davitt (Ulster)

12 Jenny Murphy (Leinster)

11 Alison Miller (Connacht)

10 Lynne Cantwell (Exiles)

9 Lariss Muldoon (Exiles)

1 Fiona Coghlan (Leinster) captain

2 Gillian Bourke (Munster)

3 Ailis Egan (Leinster)

4 Sophie Spence (Exiles)

5 Marie Louise Reilly (Leinster)

6 Laura Guest (Munster)

7 Claire Molloy (Exiles)

8 Joy Neville (Munster)

Replacements:

16 Stacey-Lee Kennedy (Ulster)

17 Fiona Hayes (Munster)

18 Lauren Day (Exiles)

19 Heather O’Brien (Munster)

20 Siobhan Fleming (Munster)

21 Amy Davis (Ulster)

22 Nora Stapleton (Leinster)

23 Ashleigh Baxter (Ulster)