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.
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.
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.
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).
Watching Jose and pogba, will be more entertaining than the football .
@Liam Neeson: it’s all going to plan for Jose.
C’mon you irons#.
Ahahahahahahahahahaha pmsl
@Tuot tuot: why are you laughing at a british club? Another case of my british club is better than your british club
@Paul: nearly as bad as you commenting on a British club thread.
@John: or commenting on somebody commenting …eh John
@Paul: and there is you speaking the queens english and probably watch English TV and use things made in Britain too.
Give over you pleb
@Colin Ahern: I guess he also only supports irish home grown music and none of that foreign stuff too.
@Paul: Oh give over.it has always been this way and always will be.
Pogba is at a stage where he doesn’t really care. He is on crazy money and his reputation after winning the world cup is an all time high. Maybe not witj fans but for Barcelona, real Madrid and psg boards he’s still worth 100 million. He could feasibly play poorly for years and swap between top clubs and earn the same money.
@Murf T Will: I was with you right up until the playing poorly for years bit. No one’s reputation is bullet proof! Just look at the likes of Torres, Rooney etc.
@Murf T Will: Rooney played poorly for years with United. He definitely milked it. They only shipped him out because he couldn’t run anymore.
@Murf T Will: Yeah – with United. Then he moved to Everton didn’t he? It’s not like he’s been bouncing around the top clubs whilst playing poorly on the strength of his good reputation as you claim Pogba might.
@Murf T Will: It was his reputation and nationality that kept him at United.
@I’m not wavy gravy: Yea Torres bounced from Liverpool to Chelsea to Atletico. Not really a dip in standard.
@Hugh Jass: I see your point but Chelsea to Athletico was a huge drop in standard for Torres! Do you not remember how good he was at Liverpool? He’s lucky there was so much love for him at AM or he’d have been thrown into mid-table obscurity.
@Murf T Will: And as soon as it was time to move clubs where did he go? Everton then Galaxy. Your original claim was that Pogba can play poorly for years and still secure high profile moves to the likes of Barca and Real Madrid. That’s clearly not the case.
@Murf T Will: Yeah. Obviously with age you will move to lesser clubs with physical ability weakening. Up until 30 to 32 pogba will circulate the top clubs.
@Murf T Will: And if he transfers to a club like spurs within that time I’ll personally go into your bank and pay off your mortgage.
@Murf T Will: Haha alright, deal. I’ll meet you back here in ten years and we’ll see who’s right.
Hope Rice has good game!
@Magnum: Hes had a cracking game Magnum
But but but but
Not good enough. I thought Jose would have till January to turn it around but I’m not so sure now
I”m getting sick of this, nobody fears man Utd anymore and by the looks of it, with good reason. Bottom of table clubs will be looking to take a point as a minimum and hope to take 3. Tough season ahead, top 4 looking dodgy for sure.
Hammers well worth their 2-0 lead. So much negativity surrounding the club ,players and manager. Score line doesn’t surprise me.In saying that I think it’s Woodward that needs to take a step back and let someone else take the reigns. He is a very astute businessman but not a Chief Executive.
@Johnny Bravo: so it’s Woodwards fault United are 2 nil down to a team that have only own a single league game this season?
@Gareth Keenan: He has been more or less head of the decision making in the last few years , so if you like yea he should shoulder some of the blame for today’s game and more. Does that explain it for you
@Johnny Bravo: no it doesn’t actually. Manager and players are responsible for what happens on the pitch.
@Gareth Keenan’: who’s responsible for putting them there in the first place I ask you !
haha such a crap performance again today from.the once mighty now shitey man United.Total laughing stock of a club from the manager down to the very poor egotistical players they have.Mourinho to stay on hopefully .They deserve each other .
@Michael cunnane: Micheal comeback when you’ve actually won something. Good lad
@Michael cunnane: Nearly as bad as Spurs performance at home to Liverpool! Scoreline flattered Spurs, should have been 5!
@Michael cunnane: whereas Spuds have been shitey since the days of Ricky Villa and Ardiles
@Michael cunnane: sorry you probably don’t know who they are
@David Carino: Hahahahahahahaha 3-0 we outclassed ye at old crappord.Have that .Spurs light years ahead of United.Wakey wakey
@Michael cunnane: yes so far ahead I can’t see because of the shine coming out of your Trophy drawer .
So 2-0. Everything going to plan with Paul and Jose
Give Smalling and Shaw a pay rise! 4 million a year is nowhere near enough for this level of mediocre, overhyped talent. This is what I spend my hard earned barstooler euro on, so you better sort it Woodward!… Sure, it’s the best league in the world!