Ireland hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald admits she has found the smaller ball being trialled in women’s rugby “challenging” in the build-up to Sunday’s game against the United States.

World Rugby is trialling a size 4.5 ball – about 3% smaller than the size five used in the men’s game, but the same weight – during September and October’s WXV Global Series.

England players May Campbell and Helena Rowland raised concerns before the Red Roses’ win over Australia last week, while Wales wing Lisa Neumann spoke positively about the impact it has had on her passing.

“It is different, I’m not going to lie. It’s probably a bit frustrating to have to deal with it in a competition at this level, like Test matches,” said Moloney-MacDonald.

“It is a bit of a transition period, particularly because we don’t use it in the domestic game.

“It doesn’t hold as true as the size five ball would I’d say and maybe, I’m no expert, but I don’t know if the technology in terms of developing it has gone in as much as previous balls that we’d use in Six Nations windows for example.”

Moloney-MacDonald, who as a hooker will be responsible for throwing the ball in at line-outs, also expects to encounter difficulties while playing in bad weather.

“I am finding it a bit challenging, particularly in windy and rainy conditions, I think it will be a little bit more difficult to control,” added the 33-year-old.

“It definitely has a finer sweet spot I guess. I think a few people have mentioned that.

“I’ve heard kickers saying it can die off at the end of kicks and at the end of long range passes, it can die off or be taken by the wind. It is what it is and we will give our feedback in due course and that’ll be the process we have to follow.”

Moloney-MacDonald has spent the majority of her career in England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby [PWR], having joined Exeter Chiefs in 2022 following a four-year spell with Wasps.

Asked about the prospect of Irish teams joining an expanded PWR after the league opened an expression of interest process, Moloney-MacDonald said it would be “brilliant”.

“I think everyone’s looking for more intense competition and difficult games,” said the front row.

“I think with the Celtic Challenge (a cross-border competition featuring sides from Ireland, Wales and Scotland) they’re getting that, but putting an Irish side in the PWR would give them more regularity of facing those opponents.

“It would be very difficult for the side coming from Ireland, having to travel every second week, but it’s something the girls would relish, they’d love to be a part of it and it’d be very exciting for the league as well.”

After finishing third in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, Ireland open their WXV Global Series campaign against the United States at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium on Sunday (13:45 BST).

Scott Bemand’s side then face Japan in a double-header in Galway and Cork on 27 September and 3 October – the first of which is a WXV game – before travelling to South Africa for two WXV matches in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October.