Ireland go close but lose out to France in Women's Six Nations opener

Ireland 15

France 27

Daire Walsh reports from Kingspan Stadium

DESPITE FINDING THEMSELVES within touching distance during a tense second half of action, Ireland eventually fell to a 12-point loss at the hands of France in the opening round of the 2025 Women’s Six Nations at Kingspan Stadium this afternoon.

You have to go back to the 2017 edition of the championship for the last time Ireland defeated France in an international encounter – a converted try from Leah Lyons helping them to secure a 13-10 victory in Donnybrook on that occasion. France appeared set for another convincing day at the office when Gabrielle Vernier and Marine Menager tries propelled them into a 14-point cushion by the 19th minute.

Yet with Aoife Wafer and Neve Jones registering five-pointers either side of a 20-minute red card for Vernier, Scott Bemand’s charges were very much in the mix at the Belfast venue. Another Wafer try left just two points between the teams inside the final quarter before France rallied in the closing moments to deny the hosts a major scalp.

Player of the match Manae Feleu is tackled by Ireland replacement Enya Breen. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Ireland came into 2025 on the back of an impressive second-place finish in the WXV 1 tournament in Canada last October, but it was the visitors who laid down an early marker in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations.

After out-half Carla Arbez kicked a penalty to touch in the sixth minute, the resulting set-piece move was worked towards the left-hand side for inside centre Vernier to dot down in clinical style. Fullback Morgane Bourgeois expertly split the uprights from the subsequent conversion and while Ireland got themselves inside the opposition 22’ with a series of strong carries, France bagged their second converted try just shy of the first-quarter mark.

Despite the best defensive efforts of Jones (one of two Ulster natives in the Irish starting line-up), an extended attacking move from the French was finished off on the right flank by team captain Menager.

France's Marine Menager scores France's second try. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

While these were early ominous signs for Ireland, the home team came roaring into the contest on 22 minutes. Wafer claimed a try in the latter stages of their loss to France at the beginning of the 2024 championship and when the Leinster back-row found herself in sight of the opposition whitewash off an attacking line-out, she made no mistake with a powerful finish from close-range.

In the wake of this score (which was followed by an unsuccessful bonus kick from Dannah O’Brien), Ireland were on the back foot once again for an extended spell. Their committed and diligent defensive work largely kept the French attack at bay during this juncture, only for a penalty from Bourgeois to move the visiting side into a 17-5 cushion in time for the interval.

This was a far from insurmountable position for Ireland to be in, however, and the hosts gained a numerical advantage within five minutes of the restart as Vernier was sent to the sin-bin for an off-field review after she was adjudged to have made head contact with Eve Higgins.

The Railway Union centre was temporarily replaced by Enya Breen for a head injury assessment and by the time she returned to the field of play, Vernier’s yellow card had been officially upgraded to a red. Before that decision was reached by TMO Rachel Horton, Ireland had cut substantially into the French lead.

Having picked out her intended target after O’Brien booted the penalty arising from Vernier’s tackle on Higgins to touch, vice-captain Jones applied the finishing touches off the back of a line-out maul for a 46th minute try.

O’Brien’s difficult conversion attempt from the right wing was marginally short of the target, but there was a sense at this point that Ireland might be starting to gather serious momentum.

Ireland celebrate Aoife Wafer's second try. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

France dug deep in defence until the 20-minute time period for their red card had elapsed – Blagnac’s Axelle Berthoumieu was drafted in to replace Vernier – but Ireland’s set-piece once again paid dividends on 67 minutes. After getting Ireland up and running in the opening period, Wafer doubled her tally for the day by finishing off their latest maul move on the right-flank.

Yet O’Brien missed an opportunity to restore parity from her third kick at goal and France finally reasserted themselves with a successful Bourgeois penalty on 72 minutes.

This took the sting out of the Irish challenge to a certain degree and with opening half replacement Emilie Boulard diving over for France’s third converted try moments later, France ultimately maintained their excellent recent run of form in this fixture.

Ireland scorers:

• Tries – Aoife Wafer 2, Neve Jones
• Conversions – Dannah O’Brien [0/3]

France scorers:

• Tries – Gabrielle Vernier, Marine Menager, Emilie Boulard
• Conversions – Morgane Bourgeois [3/3]
• Penalties – Morgane Bourgeois [2/2]

IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins (Enya Breen ’45-’52 & ‘68), Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane (Aoibheann Reilly ’56); Niamh O’Dowd (Siobhán McCarthy ’78), Neve Jones (Cliodhna Moloney ’56), Linda Djougang (Christy Haney ’78); Ruth Campbell (Grace Moore ’68), Dorothy Wall (Fiona Tuite ’56); Brittany Hogan (Edel McMahon ’56), Erin King, Aoife Wafer.

FRANCE: Morgane Bourgeois; Marine Menager, Nassira Konde (Emilie Boulard ’34), Gabrielle Vernier (Axelle Berthoumieu ’66), Melissande Llorens Vignères; Carla Arbez (Lina Queyroi ’70), Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Alexandra Chambon ’52-’62 & ’70-‘80); Yllana Brosseau (Ambre Mwayembe ’56), Agathe Sochat (Manon Bigot ’56), Rose Bernadou (Clara Joyeux ’56); Manae Feleu, Madoussou Fall-Raclot; Charlotte Escudero, Seraphine Okemba (Lea Champon ’66), Teani Feleu.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).