Women: Doyle shuffles the pack for Italy.

Four Ulster players will start for Ireland Women when they take to the pitch at the Aviva for their Six Nations match against Italy.

The start is a fitting reward for Cooke’s Grace Davitt who picks up her 50th cap for Ireland and few could deserve it more than the unassuming Davitt who has been Ulster’s most influential women’s player on and off the pitch for a fair few years. Davitt is joined in the starting line up by Stacey Lee Kennedy, Amy Davis and Ashleigh Baxter with Donegal’s Larissa Muldoon benching.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the selection is both squad hookers, Kennedy and Gill Bourke, starting in the front row with Bourke moving to tighthead to accommodate Kennedy. It’s always been a close call between this pair and, with both aggressive at the break down and good ball carriers, coach Philip Doyle must be looking to punch a few holes in the Italian defence close to the rucks.