Clara Barrett is looking forward to the grand finale of the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series in Ireland

Clara Barrett is calling on Ireland to deliver a full 80-minute performance in the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series final against Scotland.

Niamh Briggs’ side lost 33-10 to England in their opening match in Parma, but bounced back in the closing stages against hosts Italy, scoring two late tries to overturn a 17-point deficit before eventually losing 24-17.

Good finishing has been a recurring theme throughout Ireland’s season, but winger Barrett is now challenging her team to make a convincing start against a Scottish side who are also winless in their first two games.

“Everyone is really excited about this last game,” she said.

“Against Italy we really showed that we can fight to the end and against Scotland we want to see the fight through from start to finish.

“We’ve really worked on our form and made some really good line breaks, so now it’s about building on that.

“Scotland are a really good team and they played a great game against France, especially with a strong first half. We all know they are a strong team and we need to be just as strong.

“We’re really looking forward to this last game, but at the same time we don’t want it to end and we would definitely like to play a few more.”

Barrett first picked up a rugby ball at the age of 11 at Erris Rugby Club and honed her skills as part of the Ballina girls team.

She quickly attracted attention and was called up to the senior national team for the first time in 2023. Last fall, she made her debut in WXV3 against Colombia.

“I started playing rugby when I was 11 with a close friend, but there was no girls’ team, so we played with the boys for about a year,” she said.

“Then one of the coaches told me to move to another club about an hour away, which was an all-girls team. That’s where I played most of my youth rugby.

“I’ve always played Gaelic football, but rugby has really taken off in recent years.”

Ireland head coach Briggs has made seven changes to her team that lost to Italy, with vice-captain Kate Flannery starting at link-up and Robyn O’Connor returning to full-back.

And Barrett, who now plays alongside Flannery at UL Bohemian RFC, believes the team’s long history of friendship was key to their most memorable moments at the inaugural Summer Series.

“I now play in a club with many girls on the team,” she said.

“It really helps us play well together on the pitch and I’m always happy to go out there.

“I have played with a lot of girls for Ireland’s U18 national team, which is great because it shows how we have all come through this journey together and are now able to continue playing at international level as a team.”

The Women’s Summer Series will be available to fans around the world via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channels, with supporting coverage on dedicated U20 Six Nations social media channels.