A sharp start from Molly Scuffil-McCabe who has been brought into the side this afternoon.

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Monaghan is back on her feet and is doing a few squats to prove she is ok. Perhaps she just needed a moment to catch her breath after a massive hit.

Thank goodness for that!

Sam Monaghan gets smashed in the contact and is down on the ground with the medics having a look.

Hopefully nothing too serious for the Ireland captain who, as we know, has had her injury woes over the past year.

Spain have plenty of ball in hand after an Irish knock on. However, Ireland's defensive line is quick and stop them behind the gain line. They fling it wide but winger Clara Piquero is stopped and is penalised for holding on as Eve Higgins pounces.

Good defensive work by Scott Bemand's side.

Spain's exits have been excellent so far and full back Amalia Argudo launches a superb clearance kick from inside her own 22 to the halfway line.

Ireland on the attack now.

Ireland look to go on the attack from a lineout on the 22. Dannah O'Brien ends up taking a crash ball and is isolated allowing Ana Peralta to win an excellent turnover penalty.

The trademark boot of Dannah O'Brien puts Ireland into the corner with a beautiful dink over the top. Spain under pressure already.

American referee Kat Roche gets us underway as Ireland in green kick off to Spain wearing their white change shirts.

Spain look emotional as La Marcha Real rings out while Ireland's Call is belted out with gusto as always!

Kick off is imminent!

Anna Caplice
Former Ireland international on BBC Two

This Irish team is in a brilliant place and they're showing young girls all across Ireland what they can be.

Ireland are led out by Linda Djougang celebrating her 50th cap today. It is another raucous atmosphere at Franklin's Gardens!

The anthems are coming up now...

Prop Sadhbh McGrath, 21, won't start today's game but could make an impact from the bench, according to someone who knows her well.

Ulster back row Lucy Thompson played alongside McGrath in their under-18s team.

"I just can't wait to see her play on the world’s biggest stage," Thompson told BBC Newsbeat.

"I think they've got a really exciting group with the mix of young players coming through, and experienced players as well."

Maggie Alphonsi
2014 England World Cup winner on BBC Two

I was so impressed with Spain [against New Zealand last week], they were relentless.

They will work incredibly hard. The player to watch out for is number 13 Claudia Pena, she will cause problems for Ireland.

"First and foremost, it's picking a squad to get the job done," Scott Bemand tells BBC Two of his selection for this afternoon.

"We've brought in some dynamism, some power. We've brought some pace into the pack.

"I don't think we're diminishing the squad, we're picking appropriately for the challenge we're going to face."

Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald is Ireland's sole survivor from the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and says it is "a very different experience" this time around.

The 32-year-old hooker will make her first start of the 2025 competition against Spain this afternoon having been a second-half replacement in last Sunday's opening 42-14 win against Japan.

Moloney-MacDonald - whose wife, Claudia, scored a try in England's 92-3 win over Samoa on Saturday - has experienced the highs and lows in the green jersey and says she is "excited" to start against Spain.

"It's a very different experience, even in terms of the members of staff we have and how big the squad is," she told BBC Sport NI.

"We'd only 28 back then and now we've 32. You'd be surprised how much those four players can make to the quality of training.

"The last one was special because it was a home World Cup in Ireland and this one is as close as it could be, but then you have the numbers growing."

Read more.

Image source, Inpho

There is still no Aoife Wafer for Ireland as the star back row continues to work her way back from a knee injury.

Player of the championship in the Six Nations, Wafer will join Harlequins after the World Cup but is still waiting to make her bow at the tournament.

"She is tracking really well and a decision will be made next week," said assistant coach Larissa Muldoon yesterday on whether the 22-year-old will be available for the Black Ferns game next Sunday.

Image source, Inpho

"From watching them against New Zealand, it's clear to see that Spain are quick and fiery," says former Ireland captain Nichola Fryday.

"Like Ireland, their backline is packed with Sevens players so that is going to be an intriguing battle.

"Spain will be full of fight after losing to the Black Ferns, too. Nobody really expected them to beat New Zealand but they will be fired up to prove a point against Ireland.

"And Ireland will not underestimate them. The 2021 World Cup qualifier and 2023 WXV3 game both went down to the wire, with a win apiece, so Ireland do not need reminding how competitive Spain can be in big games."

You can read the rest of Nichola's BBC Sport column here.

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Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has made seven changes from the side that beat Japan last week.

There's no Edel McMahon or Beibhinn Parsons in the starting line-up, while the likes of Neve Jones and last week's player of the match Brittany Hogan drop down on to the bench.

"There's always a balance to strike on these occasions," said Bemand of his rotated selection

"There's always that blend, we want to get our best game out there and we want to achieve the quarter-final at the first possible opportunity and that's this weekend so there's a job we've got to get done.

"I always emphasise how we compete in training and the girls that have come in are fully ready. They've earned their spot and I think we've got the blend right of team and physical capability across the board."

Spain head coach Juan González Marruecos has tinkered even more as he makes nine changes from their 54-8 defeat to New Zealand last week.

Ireland: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan; O'Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; Perry, Moloney, Djougang; Corri-Fallon, Monaghan (co-capt); Tuite, Boles, Moore.

Replacements: Jones, McCarthy, McGrath, Campbell, Hogan, Lane, Breen, McGillvray.

Spain: Argudo, Perez-Perez, Pena-Hidalgo, Cano, Piquero, Z. Perez, Fernandez de Corres, Silva, Roman, E. Garcia, Alameda, Martinez, Pineiro, Peralta, V. Perez

Replacements: Blanco, Delgado, de Andres, Puig, Castelo, N. Garcia, Vergara, Ducher

Image source, Inpho