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Getty ImagesIreland head coach Scott Bemand says he can see a notable “mindset shift” across all levels of the women’s game in the country.
The Ireland senior side have moved up to fifth in the world rankings after a positive 2025 and are aiming to finish off this year’s Women’s Six Nations campaign with two home victories against Wales and Scotland, following a disappointing defeat by France last time out.
Bemand also pointed to the positive strides made at underage level, referencing Ireland Under-21s’ historic first victory over England in the Women’s Six Nations on Saturday and the under-18s’ win over the Red Roses last month.
“Yes, I do see that [mindset shift] and it is highlighted by the level of disappointment after the France game. We said we didn’t want to be plucky losers and we’re not operating in that space anymore,” he said.
“I like that little bit of expectation we place on ourselves. People say we appear confident and we should be, we have good players a group that can score tries. We hadn’t scored a maul try against a top-four side and over in France last week we got a maul try. We’re developing and showing we have the capability.
“Two or three years ago we were talking about belief and confidence but now we have the tools to keep going after it. I think there has been a mindset shift. The under-18s beat England recently, under-21s have just beaten England, the mindset now is we have the capability.”
Captain King ‘incredibly driven’
After a fallow week, Ireland will be aiming to bounce back from disappointment in Clermont when they host Wales in Belfast on Saturday.
While Bemand said he has been “really pleased” with the opportunities Ireland have created in all three games, he wants his side to be more clinical against a Welsh side that are without a win but did score 26 points against England in their previous game.
“We just need to take our points when they’re there. We did that in spades in the first half against Italy but we know there are two halves and we think there were still points out there to be gained,” he added.
“We want a fast start and to keep going deeper into the game. If we can keep the performance levels, the result will take care of itself. Hopefully we give the people of Belfast something to shout about.”
The 47-year-old has also praised Erin King for stepping seamlessly into the role of captain at 22 in this year’s tournament.
“She’s an absolute pleasure to work with. You can see the energy and passion that she brings into a media room. She’s so incredibly driven,” Bemand explained.
“I picked her and I used the Sam Warburton model, we wanted a player people would follow. We wanted her to lead the charge and she’s a great role model for how to get continually better. She’s growing all the time and uses her leadership group really well – that’s been her biggest leap.
“The amount of support she gets from Fiona Tuite is great. If Erin is the follow me, Fiona is the calm line-out caller and a voice of reason who sits behind it. One person can never shoulder all the pressure, so I’m delighted with how Erin is growing in the space and how the leadership triangle has grown too.”
