WOMENS' SIX NATIONS:THE IRELAND coach Philip Doyle has named the same side that started against Wales last weekend. The opening Test was, however, called off at half-time due to deterioration in weather conditions in Ashbourne on Friday night. This week's match in Pau has been brought forward on account of the freezing weather that has hit France.
“Thankfully after last week’s performance, even if it was only 40 minutes long, we are able to name an unchanged team and bench for this week’s game,” said Doyle.
“France away is always a hard place to go and get a win but the ladies are in a good space at the moment and will take that into the weekend. I am in no doubt that the ladies will put in a performance and raise their game in order to get where they want to be.”
Joy Neville again starts in an experienced backrow alongside Laura Guest and Claire Molloy. Again the squad is a mix of youth and experience, with fullback Ashleigh Baxter and lock Sophie Spence both earning their second caps as their debuts were the truncated game last week. In last year’s meeting France narrowly won the match 12-14 in Ashbourne.
FRANCE: Tremoulière; Delas, Mayans, Agricole, Ladagnous; Bailon, Yahé (capt); Ba, Hebel, Canal, Bouisset, Rabier, Chobet, Salles, Ezanno. Replacements: Mignot, Dupont, Mert, André, Pelle, Di Muzio, Troncy.
IRELAND: A Baxter (Ulster); N Kavanagh (Munster), N Briggs (Munster), G Davitt (Ulster), A Miller (Connacht), L Cantwell (Exile); A Davis (Leinster); F Coghlan (Leinster, capt), G Bourke (Munster), A Egan (Leinster), ML Reilly (Leinster), S Spence (Exile), L Guest (Munster), C Molloy (Exile), J Neville (Munster). Replacements: P Fitzpatrick (Leinster), R O’Reilly (Connacht), S Fleming (Munster), H O’Brien (Munster), L Muldoon (Ulster), N Caughey (Ulster), J Murphy (Exile).
