Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has thrown his full support behind back-row star Aoife Wafer, backing her to bounce back strongly in this Saturday's Women's Six Nations clash against Italy.

Wafer, who has established herself as one of Ireland's most dynamic talents, had a subdued performance in last week's defeat to a dominant England side, seeing limited ball before being substituted after 61 minutes. Bemand, however, was quick to contextualize the outing, attributing it more to the flow of the game than a dip in form.

"Maybe she's human. She's a great player, so driven," Bemand said. "It was a tougher game to get her into. If you don't get through enough phases, you miss the opportunity to get your best players on the ball."

The coach emphasized that Wafer, who endured an injury-disrupted 2025, is now in a "good space" and has been impressive in training. The focus this week has been on finding ways to unleash her trademark power and pace. "I'm excited for you guys to see what she can do when she hits the ground this weekend," Bemand added, signaling a clear intent to feature the 23-year-old prominently against Italy.

Ireland will be looking to replicate their commanding 54-12 victory over Italy from last year's tournament. However, Bemand issued a warning, noting that the Italian side is a much-improved outfit. "They're a well-coached group. You can see they have a plan," he said, pointing to the overall growth of rugby in Italy as a rising tide lifting all boats.

For Wafer, Saturday's match in Galway represents a prime opportunity to reignite her Six Nations campaign and remind everyone of the explosive talent that makes her such a key figure for both Ireland and her club side, Harlequins.