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!
game of the season.
It was alright. bit sloppy for the most part but most of them tried their best.
presumably your joking right
I fell asleep during the second half lol. It wasn’t the worst was just expecting more.
I’d say you get that comment a lot from your lovers
@Katie, more likely that your generator ran out of petrol.
haha that was bad form in fairnness
Yes it was a fabulous game but let’s not go forgetting that up to today it’s mostly been a dreadful hurling championship. Today only highlights how the people that run the game have utterly failed it. Well done to Galway and seamus callinan.
I’d say katie finds it hard to get a man if she only uses her feet to play with balls!!
The stands were lifting. My voice is gone. Fantastic match. I’m real proud of ye Galway today, that required sheer grit and determination.
incredible game…. a testament to both teams and the reason why hurling is one of the best games in the world
Well it requires a lot less skill than most sports but it can be fun to watch the odd time.
@Katie, bad attempt at trolling. Foolish comment.
It’s not trolling. its just much easier to use a stick to drive a ball than your own feet.
Oh Katie.. Don’t be a knob.. That was an excellent game. You’d fall over your ignorance if u attempted the same!
Hahahahaha , just trying to rise people today I suppose u must b bored , fastest field sport in the world , ask a baseball R cricket players would they even b brave enough to try and catch a ball with opposing players swinging a weapon at their hand , also both sports when striking a ball u r in a stationary position and the ball must b thrown towards that area, yet these R professional sports where the players R paid very well , that’s only two sports I compared it too
Mary I doubt Katie even watched the match. she’s just commenting to get a reaction……..attention seeker
The hitting the ball is the easy part.
It’s the rising under pressure, fielding the ball with someone ready to take your hand off oh and there is the pin point accuracy of hitting the ball from 65m away to within a cm of where you want.
So don’t be a complete muppet. You must have 7 or 8 all Ireland’s in your back pocket to be making a crazy comment like that.
One competitive game all year won by a team whose defence is weak and they are there to be taken to the cleaners by the cats – Cody smiling all the way to another all Ireland
Try it sometime dear!!!
Lotto, nail on head. Was lucky to be there. Breathtaking action right till the last.
shut your hole you don’t know what your on about.
Congratulations to Galway from a hugely disappointed Tipp man. You deserved that victory 100% with such commitment, never-say-die attitude and some great skill. I think Galway supporters will know they’ll need to raise their game even higher again to beat KK, but that victory will bring belief and confidence and momentum, and honestly the very best of luck to them.
What a game lads. Time for a shower and a fresh pair of jocks
Cracking game . We were well beaten all day bar Seamy. Brilliant stuff from galway . One just hopes now that it’s not their one good game all summer and they can bring that sort of commitment to the final .
one of the best games I have ever seen I’m wrecked after that
Fantastic game of hurling !!
Awesome game, best of the championship, had it all!! Shame there had to be a loser
What an amazing game of hurling. Unbelievable stuff from both teams. Pity there had to be a loser.
Galways workrate and tenacity was unreal. Credit to both teams for an unbelievable match
Well done Galway. It’s disappointing to have Trolls on the Journal. I was asked to verify my account with phone number etc. Would be great if The Journal could do the same with all the existing accounts to eliminate the Trolls. Hurling is a fantastic game and today proved it.
I agree.
ya we could get rid of people like u
fantastic game. great to see Noel Mc Grath back on the field. Best of luck to Galway in the final
Yes! Hurling match of the 2015 Championship, so far.
What incredible skill levels by both teams and, in the end, just the puck of a ball in it!
And what about that Joe Canning sideline cut for a point…
A professional golfing career is surely a possibility for this wizard!
as a tipp man well done galway they just about shaded it .galway had a better spread of scorers .the tipp forward line was poor .seamie callanan almost single handly stole it for tipp . drive it on galway & bring Liam back
Congratulations Galway. Super game, best of the season by far.
Absolute classic – credit to both teams. Tipp’s forwards (aside from Callanan) were poor while Galway’s main man (Canning) was inconsistent – he hit 5 wides from play and also missed a 65 and penalty in the first half. Huge improvement required to beat KK but they have a chance.
Championship 2015 finally produces a game with everything! Brilliant from both sides. Hopefully the final produces more of the same…with the same result!!!
The whole pub stood up and clapped after that game, great entertainment, wont be a better GAA game this year
I’m absolutely delighted for Galway what a brilliant game true winners the West Awake on September.
People of Galway I love you
From one neutral ……greatest game of hurling I’ve seen bar the 1973 all ireland final but I was only 7 months old for that so could have been wrong
Was it really as good as last years all Ireland final? The drawn match.
It was close but I don’t think it was as good.
Katie and Lindsay can both go f#ck themselves with Bernard Brogan’s boot, but that was the best game from Irish sport this year, shame we lost. But fair play to Galway and also delighted for Joe Canning and Seamus Callinan in particular for standing up after their last games and showing what they’re all about.
Sounds hot.
This bimbo hates hurling & wants everyone to stop talking about it but goes into a comment section entirely focussed on hurling to say this? And then calls someone else dopey? What a tool.
You don’t like hurling either, so why are you here? Maybe I don’t want to read crap on an otherwise good news site, and I’m trying to introduce quality control.
quality control would be more about the writer than the sport. Maybe try controlling the quality of your own output. The vast majority clearly believe you’re sub par
I love hurling you dumbass. Where did I say I didn’t like it? Y’know your comments depict an intelligence that the only drama you’d be fit for is Barney the dinosaur.
I’m making sure we don’t get crap articles actually. Jimmy, you have a profile picture with rugby on it, either you like rugby or hurling, and unless you’re being ironic, you chose rugby. And for your information, I was in a cereal ad and an episode of a soap before, so get your facts right.
That’s the first time you’ve said the article was crap. what exactly displeased you about it? how dare an Irish sports news app have an article on irish sport! I live hurling, football, soccer, rugby, golf, and much more. just because two things can’t occupy your brain at one time doesn’t mean we’re all that dim
Well you can only like one. Pick one now.
as I said, unlike you most people have the mental capacity to like more than one thing at a time. it’s like asking someone what the only food they like is
Pick one now.
apples
No, you’re just contributing crap to articles. And a profile picture is hardly a detailed profile of a person. No doubt your glorious achievements will inspire us all to eat corn flakes while watching Coronation Street for the rest of our days.
So… rugby or hurling?
Both. You can throw gaelic football & soccer in there too. Perhaps if I had a profile picture of a gaelic footballer hitting a rugby ball with a hurl into a goal, it might make sense to you.
Why are you refusing to answer a simple question?
I think of it more as refusing to answer a stupid question from a simple person
Hahaha brilliant! Funniest comeback I’ve ever heard I was in a cereal commercial pmsl!!!!!
I fear the answer would be too much for you. Now lie down before you hurt yourself.
Mr O Keeffe, somewhere there is a nail with a very sore head…
Oh my my! What a game had everything in the first 60 seconds and then just kept giving! Need a lie down after that
Just WOW, best sport in the world
Good game and very exciting , wouldn’t go as far as saying it was one of the best ever ! 2 many mistakes and poor performances to call it a classic ! some match all the same , galway look like a team that could put it up to the cats in a few weeks ! Great to see noel mcgrath back playing again !
What an absolutely incredible game of hurling! The skill and commitment levels on show were simply world class, we as a nation should be very proud to have hurling and the GAA as our national sports. Well done to both teams and thanks for putting on an exhibition!
Magnificent game, thought a draw was inevitable, both teams deserved something though Tipp over reliant on Callinan
omg ,bring on the cats
holy fook
Fantastic play from both sides. Well done Galway and especially the Mannion brothers from my neighbouring parish. Hurling and camogie are games that require skill and it’s a great game to watch as well as play. Can’t wait for the final.
Just wondering did anyone else think Barry Kelly made a few unusual decisions in terms of frees there ??
Yes, several in the first half.
No. played the advantage well. thought he had a good game and let it flow.
He should have played advantage when the goal was scored in first half but he had blown.
Yes definitely a few questionable ones
I thought he had a good game overall. The players decided this game, not the ref.
I thought myself now that he seemed to give Galway an awful lot of soft frees where Tipperary were made work an awful lot harder for there’s
Best game in years, well done Galway, felt a bit sorry for Tipp, get those Galway flags out, too many Mayo flags about!! Gaillimh Abu!!
In 14 seasons of Hurling, Tipp only have One All Ireland!
2 actually. 2001. And Galway have…..zip.
Players on the Galway team were not born when they won the last All Ireland, beggars belief! 1988
Runners up, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2005, 2012……..going for 6 in a row now! :(
Matt you’re a Muppet if soccer was more skillful then why is it more boring and why aren’t there more goals. soccer was better when players were paid less and it was more entertaining
obviously soccer is more entertaining bar our country and a few outsiders not many people care about the gaa final. compare this to the champions league final people from countries all over the world are watching. #stats educate
here’s a stat, there’ll be 2000 more people at each GAA final than at the Champions League final
goes without saying mate.. here’s another stat, there’ll be more people queuing for the toilets in Croker than attend a domestic soccer games in the month of September.
“MunsterExile, that match today was excellent, proven simply by the fact that my family were all in the room together, not knowing anything about the sport, but all enthralled”
Written by a welsman in Wales on drop kick rugby’s forum.
Says it all, what a game.
Great game, best team just about won it, Tipp too soft and intensity not there, Tipps goalie a good shot stopper but absolutely terrible otherwise and cost them countless points, Cody smiling like a Cheshire Cat on his way out of Croker and will eat Galway alive in the final.
Ooh galway won??? That means an easy all ireland for kilkenny…im from cork and even i believe that Tipp are the only county that can beat kilkenny…they’ll be like mayo and sink without a trace in the final
Shame on you cally , comparing Galway to Mayo, they are no bottlers!!!
Bottlers!! And time will tell
I hate hurling, stop talking about it.
Said nobody ever
No
stay away from articles about it so dopey
You stay away from me dopey, I have a degree in drama.
what’s that got to do with anything dopey
Then stay the Puck-Out of here lindsay.
Means I’m not dopey, dopey.
I broke the dam
You’re a dam idiot.
I agree, Lindsay.
Drama!! That’s appropriate
a degree in drama and replying to yourself. yup, nothing wrong there
#iblamemonologues
Stop being judgey. Actresses have feelings too.
says the person that only came here to judge
Only cause I’m better than you all.
*because. was it not English drama you got a degree in?
Well here’s a tip then don’t click on a subject that’s about hurling dumbass
Keep going Lindsay, loving this!!!
No, just drama.
Thanks Peadar.
really? what dramas that weren’t in English did you study?
I studied dramas in English, I just never studied grammar or spelling or anything like that.
so you did study English drama then?
Lindsay your are also an idiot
I studied performance techniques, and we looked at some dramas written in English. That has nothing to do with grammar. Just quit while you’re ahead.
Nikki, don’t call me an idiot while misusing basic words.
at least we agree I’m ahead.
you’re*
I’m not misusing words it’s auto correct ;)
Also Lindsay it’s damn not dam….before you call someone out on their spelling make sure your own is in order. Idiot.
It’s a pun based on the reference to dams earlier. Shakespeare used puns, maybr idiots like you don’t understand them.
Educated people like myself prefer irony to dumbed down puns for the lower down the scale such as yourself
*maybe
idiot
Don’t be so hard on yourself
The GAA are none too pleased with Shane Coleman for costing them €1 million.
Sorry Shane Moloney
the hurling match was good but tbh anybody can pick up a hurl and just become a hurler everyday. where as in soccer we have to learn a lot more skills than hurling players this is why hurling isn’t paid because there is no skill involved
so the level of pay is directly determined by the skill required?
I’d like to see you do what Seamie Callinan did today Matt.
yes obviously why would you get paid 0 for playing gaa. but you get paid thousands for being a footballer. at the end of the day we can even see by the Irish national team that our country hasn’t got the skill for football
yet they get paid thousands for it. what was your point again?
That some crazy logic you have the Matt
that’s the most invalid and ridiculous comment I ever seen lol
stop reading your own comments then
Did you realise that hurling is an amateur game played to professional standards for the love of the game? A lot more dignified than the Nancy boys who must have attended acting school in order to try get their opponents sent off on the soccer pitch.
Matt your an idiot
Seriusly, Dave, Cathal?? Y are ye even bothering yet arse replying?
I stopped 4 hours ago
A very exciting game no doubt, but the quality at times was questionable. The Tipp forwards (aside from Callinan) were poor. Massive work-rate from Galway but lacking a real goal threat. They are probably the one team KK don’t relish playing all the same.
Thanks to both teams for an absolute cracker of a game.