Ireland v France: Daunting task ahead for Ireland’s women as team rebuilding continues

Women’s Six Nations: France v Ireland, Stade Marie-Marvingt, Le Mans, Saturday, 2.15pm Irish time – Live on RTÉ2

Ireland’s first women’s Six Nations campaign under former England attack coach Scott Bemand begins with a fairly daunting assignment against the runners-up for the last three seasons.

Only England have beaten France in the last three campaigns and Les Bleus have also beaten Ireland six times in succession, including a World Cup pool meeting in 2017. Ireland last beat the French in the 2017 Women’s Six Nations by 13-10 at Donnybrook.

It is a further measure of the task facing Ireland in Le Mans on Saturday afternoon that France’s average winning margin in the last five meetings in the Six Nations has been 36 points.

Furthermore, Ireland are undergoing quite a rebuild under Bemand since losing all five games last season, and this relatively inexperienced and young side will require patience. While Sam Monaghan has been ruled out of this opening match due to a head injury, only centre Aoife Dalton, the frontrow of Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Christy Haney, as well as lock Dorothy Wall, remain from the starting XV which was beaten 53-3 in Cork last season, along with five others from the matchday squad.

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By contrast, the France co-coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have retained eight of their starting line-up from last season’s meeting, when they won with ease despite a 22nd-minute red card, and 14 of the matchday squad. This includes centre Gabrielle Vernier and scrumhalf Pauline Bourdon Sansus, each of whom scored two of France’s nine tries that day.

While Nicole Fowley makes her first appearance in the championship since 2019 after returning at outhalf in the WXV 3 in Dubai last October, France are without their first-choice 10, Caroline Drouin, who has been ruled out of the entire competition and has been replaced by Lina Queyroi.

Allowing for the low standard of competition, Ireland’s successful march to that inaugural WXV 3 title, courtesy of wins over Kazakhstan (109-0), Colombia (64-3) and Spain (15-13), has presumably helped to build confidence within the group, and Bemand has retained nine of the starting XV from the latter final.

In addition to Fowley, fullback Lauren Delaney and 19-year-old Old Belvedere debutant winger Katie Corrigan come into the backline, as does scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly, who, along with lock Hannah O’Connor and blindside Aoife Wafer, was a replacement against Spain.

The debate regarding the primacy of the Sevens, especially in an Olympic year, over the Six Nations, which is broadcast on terrestrial television, will continue. But the inclusion of the excellent Eve Higgins, whose kicking game is likely to be particularly useful, Béibhinn Parsons and Reilly from the Ireland Sevens squad should make the Irish team more competitive.

[ Bring the noise: Ireland women’s rugby team prepare for encounter with France ]

This year’s championship, which will have Guinness as title sponsors for the first time, is expected to again come down to a shoot-out between France and England on the final weekend, when they meet at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux.

Last year’s Grand Slam shoot-out between the big two at Twickenham, when England led 31-0 at half-time before withstanding a stunning French comeback to win by 38-33, drew a world record crowd of 58,498 fans. Ticket sales for Ireland’s round four game at Twickenham on April 20th are on course to eclipse that total.

The expectation is that Bemand, John McKee and new defence coach Declan Danaher have decided upon a fairly functional, kicking-based game. In something of a free shot given they are 42-point underdogs, if Ireland have an identifiable style and are competitive, that would be an encouraging start a week before hosting Italy.

FRANCE: Émilie Boulard; Kelly Arbey, Nassira Konde, Gabrielle Vernier, Marine Ménager; Lina Queyroi, Pauline Bourdon Sansus; Annaëlle Deshaye, Agathe Sochat, Assia Khalfaoui; Manaé Feleu (capt), Madoussou Fall; Charlotte Escudero, Gaëlle Hermet, Romane Ménager.

Replacements: Elisa Riffonneau, Ambre Mwayembe, Clara Joyeux, Kiara Zago, Emeline Gros, Alexandra Chambon, Lina Tuy, Morgane Bourgeois.

IRELAND: Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby); Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht); Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Christy Haney (Blackrock College/Leinster); Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster), Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College/Leinster); Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs) Captain, Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere /Ulster).

Replacements: Sarah Delaney (Blackrock College/Leinster), Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster), Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster), Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Méabh Deely (Blackrock College/Connacht).

Referee: Kat Roche.

Last five meetings – 2023: Ireland 3 France 53. 2022: France 40 Ireland 5. 2021: Ireland 15 France 56. 2019: Ireland 17 France 47. 2018: France 24 Ireland 0.

Betting: 1-200 France, 50-1 Draw, 50-1 Ireland. Handicap odds (Ireland +42 pts) 10-11 France, 25-1 Draw, 10-11 Ireland.

Forecast: France to win.