Welcome, everyone, to The 42′s live coverage of Ireland’s Women’s Six Nations opener against France at the home of Ulster Rugby, Kingspan Stadium.
Scott Bemand’s side will look to build upon their superb WXV1 campaign in the autumn and narrow the gap to ‘the big two’, while Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz’s France side bring to Belfast title ambitions and plenty of serious talent.
Kick-off at Ravenhill is at 1pm.
Here are French skipper Manae Feleu, Ireland’s starting skipper Amee-Leigh Costigan (née Murphy Crowe) and squad captain Edel McMahon enjoying a catch-up during the coin toss.
The sides will line out as named earlier in the week.
Amee-Leigh Costigan will captain Ireland for the first time in a XV Test Match, with Neve Jones the other on-pitch leader as vice-captain. Squad co-captain Edel McMahon is named among the replacements.
Ruth Campbell and Erin King — World Rugby Women’s Breakthrough Player of the Year — are both set for their Six Nations debuts in a strong starting team, while there’s a 6/2 split on the bench.
Our line up for a lunchtime showdown in Belfast! 👊#IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/zzhgP7bKPF
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 22, 2025
☘️🇫🇷 Le 𝐗𝐕 𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐞́𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 de nos Bleues !
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 20, 2025
Samedi, le #XVdeFrance féminin affrontera l’Irlande à Belfast pour son premier match des @Womens6Nations ! 💪#IRLFRA #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV | @AltradR pic.twitter.com/ObwBxhNbiY
Scott Bemand laid out his intentions earlier in the week. He’s not hedging anything in this fixture: he wants his Ireland side to go out and take France into what would be unchartered territory in recent years.
“We’re targeting trying to close that gap on the top two,” Bemand said. “We want to become World Cup contenders. At some point, we’ve got to take some chunks out of a Tier 1 nation and for us that’s doing something against a France or an England,” Bemand added.
“I love playing the French. They’ve done an incredible job for the women’s game over in France. Now we get a chance to show our people over in Ireland what we can do. We want to do something just to shake up that top-two piece.”
Can Ireland pull off the upset?
Poll Results:
1′ – IRE 0-0 FRA: Hollie Davidson sounds her whistle and France get us underway at Ravenhill!
4′ – IRE 0-0 FRA: Ireland under the pump early, here. Repelled a couple of early French attacks but have just conceded a scrum pen on their own 22′.
France take it to within inches with their advantage but Ireland hold out once more. Out-half Arbez kicks to touch towards the Irish 5′.
Chance, again, for Les Bleus!
8′ – TRYYYYYY FOR FRANCE! Inside centre Gabrielle Vernier — on her 50th cap — powers over on a gorgeous late line from close range.
Fullback Morgane Bourgeois adds the extras from an easy angle.
That’s… ominous.
10′ – IRE 0-7 FRA: Aoife Wafer makes a couple of big impacts with ball in hand but Ireland’s first real attack breaks down in the French 22′ — seemed to be a disconnect between Emily Lane and Dorothy Wall with the latter failing to claim a pass.
Knock-on, scrum France.
12′ – IRE 0-7 FRA: SO CLOSE FOR IRELAND!
A brilliant linebreak by Eve Higgins who surges into the French 22′ and plays it to Costigan — a bit too early, to be honest.
Costigan still breaks a tackle and offloads to the support runner — I didn’t see exactly who — and Ireland rumble it up to within five metres.
They go wide right and Dannah O’Brien opts for a crossfield kick, which was really unnecessary as they had numbers, and it flies into touch over the head of Anna McGann.
Sugar!
17′ – IRE 0-7 FRA: Ireland’s handling is really letting them down here. Fashioning plenty of promising pictures, but ball just going to ground way too often.
Stacey Flood has kicked two exits out on the full, too, under no pressure.
An error-strewn start by the hosts who are doing plenty of good things, but getting in their own way!
18′ – TRYYYYYY FOR FRANCE! Marine Menarger! Disaster!
Flood’s second kick out on the full is duly punished by France.
They sweep the ball from left to right and put co-captain Menarger over in the right-hand corner. Two visits to the Irish 22′ and two tries.
Bourgeois nails her conversion from a wide angle out right. Superb kick.
France lead by 14!
21′ – IRE 0-14 FRA: Ireland win a penalty after a feisty attack in the French half. Dannah O’Brien kicks them to the 5′ — excellent line kick.
Big chance for Ireland to respond here now.
22′ – TRYYYYYY FOR IRELAND! AOIFE WAFER!!! Oh yes!
Ireland win the lineout uncontested and Aoife Wafer crashes over from the back of a dummy maul. The speed and power: incredible!
A seventh try on her 12th Ireland appearance!
O’Brien’s conversion is unfortunately a miscue with which she’s disgusted, but Ireland are on the board.
25′ – IRE 5-14 FRA: Just poor discipline by Ireland as they’re pinged for an early drive in a lineout maul on their own 22′.
Arbez kicks France to the 5′.
Chance, again, for the visitors, who have been potent in the Irish 22′ so far.
26′ – IRE 5-14 FRA: Superb defence by Brittany Hogan initially, and then by the likes of Neve Jones and Niamh O’Dowd, as Ireland hold France up in a choke tackle near their own line!
That’s a big escape.
29′ – IRE 5-14 FRA: Another huge defensive stand by the hosts as Aoife Dalton rips the ball from a French carrier inside the Irish 5′.
Flood eventually clears but France will have the put-in to the lineout inside the Irish 22′.
Relentless pressure from the away side at the moment, with the great Pauline Bourdon-Sansus conducting the heavy-metal orchestra.
31′ – IRE 5-14 FRA: Ireland turn over France again deep in their own territory but their exits are becoming disastrous.
There’s a charge-down inside the in-goal area and Ireland are forced to dot down under savage pressure. Five-metre scrum to France.
31′ – IRE 5-14 FRA: Massive hits coming in from Ireland again but France won a scrum penalty so when the move breaks down, Davidson brings it back.
Bourgeous is going to have a kick for three points, here, from inside the 22′, left of centre.
33′ – IRE 5-17 FRA: The metronomic Bourgeois goes three-from-three, and France lead by 12 in Belfast.
HT – IRE 5-17 FRA: A superb kick by Dannah O’Brien dribbles into touch inside the French 5′.
Ireland steal the lineout but their attack breaks down with a handling error as Neve Jones is forced to take a ball at a standstill. Good French defence, to be fair.
That brings us to the break.
Ireland are well in this. If they can iron out some of these costly errors and get a score back, they could even pull this off. But that’s a big ‘if’, and France are deservedly in the lead after a comparably clinical first half by them.
41′ – IRE 5-17 FRA: Dannah O’Brien gets us back underway. Her opposite number Carla Arbez returns it with interest.
Big 40 minutes ahead for both of these sides.
44′ – IRE 5-17 FRA: Unreal turnover on the ground by Aoife Dalton — her second — and Ireland counter down the right.
Anna McGann’s inside offload finds a French hand but they eventually win territory and a lineout on the French 22′.
45′ – IRE 5-17 FRA: Hollie Davidson and the TMO looking at a high hit by Gabby Vernier on Eve Higgins.
Clear head contact, yellow card and bunker. That could be upgraded to a 20-minute red.
In fairness to Eve Higgins, she patted Vernier on the shoulder afterwards and rose to her feet. Some blood on her lip and she’ll go off for a HIA.
Penalty Ireland, and Dannah O’Brien boots them into touch inside the French 22′.
46′ – TRYYYYYY FOR IRELAND! NEVE JONES!!!
Dorothy Wall takes the lineout and Ireland roll France all of 12 metres to the line, where Neve Jones dots down at the back of the maul!
What a week for Jones, who won a league title with Gloucester-Hartpury on last Sunday!
O’Brien’s conversion from wide right is off the mark. But Ireland are within seven!
48′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: Ireland with the bit between their teeth launch another strong attack. Aoife Wafer seismic again.
France, though, eventually turn them over with a poach inside their own 22′.
Positive signs, though, for Scott Bemand’s side.
49′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: Aoife Wafer has made 40 metres off eight carries, as well as 10 tackles, in just 48 minutes of rugby. Scored Ireland’s first try, too, don’t forget.
50′ – Red-card upgrade for France: Try-scorer Vernier is given her marching orders and France will be down to 14 for an extra 10 minutes.
52′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: Eve Higgins back on having passed her HIA. Enya Breen back to the bench.
France win a scrum pen after a pass by Emily Lane is dropped by the outstretched Dorothy Wall. Scrum-half Lane has been erratic with those all day, truth be told. She’s had positive moments but she’ll be disappointed by a fair few of her passes.
53′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: Ireland about to make four introductions from their 6-2 bench. They sense an opportunity here.
59′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: It’s Ireland, now, with all of the territory. No real chances of note yet. But they’ve been broadly on top here while France have been down to 14.
65′ – IRE 10-17 FRA: France are pinged for a tip tackle just outside their own 22′. Dannah O’Brien prods Ireland into touch near the French 5′.
Huge chance for the hosts!
67′ – TRRYYYYYYYYYYY FOR IRELAND! AOIFE WAFER AGAIN!
IRELAND MAUL FRANCE OVER ONCE MORE! WAFER DOTS DOWN FOR HER SECOND! GAME ON!
O’Brien’s conversion is wide left. Her misses could yet prove costly. But Ireland are back within two points here in Belfast.
70′ – IRE 15-17 FRA: France win a penalty in Ireland’s half as Aoife Dalton is caught ahead of the kicker. They’ve had a couple of those. Just frustrating errors that are hamstringing them.
Morgane Bourgeois is gonna have a knock from 40-odd metres.
72′ – IRE 15-20 FRA: Unreal by Bourgeois. She nails it. The difference in place-kicking today has been absolutely crucial.
75′ – TRYYYYYYY FOR FRANCE! EMILIE BOULARD SEALS IT!
Ah, that’s gutting from an Irish perspective.
It’s a great French score down the left with replacement back Boulard eventually crashing over as Ireland scrambled.
Bourgeois goes five-from-five.
Irish hearts broken. France lead by 12 and there’s no way back from here.
A super effort by Ireland: worth remembering they were beaten by 50 points by a 14-player France in this fixture two years ago.
But unforced errors, poor exits, and a bad day from the tee cost them today against a frankly more polished and clinical French outfit.
Still serious signs of progress in a World Cup year.
Thanks for joining us for live updates. Catch you for the next one!
That will be mental!
What about the Scotland fans?
Should be a great occasion and atmosphere!
Ah lads, couldnt we go to Ibrox?
No guarantee it would till be “Ibrox” by then….. might belong to the Liquidators…..
Someone threw a pound on the pitch at ibrox and police are investigating whether it was a missile or a bid to buy the club :)
Pound? Bit steep for Rangers
Two home games for Ireland!
Well I’m sure the Celtic supporters will be supporting their own Country, right?
Do you think it will be a crowd made up of Irish and Celtic supporters only? Celtic supporters will support their own country anyway.
Majority of Celtic supporters support the Republic of Ireland……..
of course they will be supporting their own country, why would celtic fans in Glasgow want to support west liverchester?
Bollocks to the notion that the majority support Ireland
Surely the majority of Celtic Supporters born and raised in Scotland would support Scotland? Irish connection aside, they are a Scottish club so logic would suggest they’ll support their National side.
Exactly why would they want to support a country full of English fans
Barstoolers must be watering at the mouth, where is Glasgow in Ireland. EMBARRASSMENT”
Majority support scotland with a bit of a gra for Ireland. A smaill minority of hardcore support Ireland.
Hung if you haven’t got a breeze what you are talking about don’t comment
Where is Liverpool, Manchester, London or Newcastle in Ireland. The last time I checked there was no ban on people supporting which ever team they want to…………
Frankie Boyle will be delighted.
Can’t wait for it#COYBIG
Session on
Yeah once the session is on and we have the ‘craic’ sure the match itself is only secondary … Je*us wept
Screw the session chris, looks like someone thinks you’re one of the players.
Jackie Macs testimonial with a game against Ireland was fantastic, even the zombies stayed in hiding and didn’t cause any trouble, Glasgow truly was Green & White that weekend
More fans in the Scotland will know the words of the irish national anthem than in the irish end
Hail hail……..
not since celtic played arsenal in a CL qualifier a few years back has there been so many EPL fans packed into the away end at celtic park
Home from Home.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that now!
Scotland could be an independent country by the time the
match comes around, if they vote ” yes ” to leaving the U.K.
In the referendum in September.
They better make sure that they have the required license needed before they sell tickets
That joke was boring last week
Apparently street sellers in Glasgow have ordered hundreds of green St Georges cross flags that play the match of the day tune when you wave them for the ole ole brigade
Surprised they’ve not taken the opportunity to play some qualifiers in the Capital. Oh well, a train journey and a trip to dark head it is!
None of the stadiums are big enough, apart from the rugby one. I doubt the Scottish FA want to be knocking on their door when they have a bigger stadium in a city which cares more about football.
Why not? They’ve played Internationals in Easter Road before. Murrayfield is a nicer ground than any other in Scotland. It’s not a secret that the SFA will be paying Celtic and Sevco handsomely for use of the grounds, which they probably wouldn’t have had to do at Murrayfield. The chances of Celtic Park being filled are near enough 0 anyway.
Cares more about football? Tell that to any Hibs, Hearts or Aberdeen fan and they’ll tell you that’s rubbish. Supporting Celtic and “The” Rangers is the easy option in Scotland, just because they’ve more fans doesn’t mean Glasgow cares more about football.
The game is in Paradise not in the egg chasers ranch, dry your eyes and move on
That will be some shit game
That will be some sing off ( oh and match of course)