IRELAND GET BACK ON TRACK
ON a day when Ireland spent most of the afternoon on the back foot, this felt like a big step forward.
No one was surprised by this result. The national team are where they are, this is the latest in a long line of rebuilds. The problems which have befallen the women’s game in this country are well-worn at this stage.
Ireland are trying to make up a lot of lost ground. They encountered an opponent in a different class yesterday, we all knew that before kick-off. The hope was that this raw Irish squad could deliver a bit more cohesion, grit and tactical nous. They were competitive for the most part without threatening a shock but there were real signs of improvement, particularly on the defensive side.
As opening assignments go, this is about as tough as it gets.
For context, Ireland were on a run of six consecutive defeats against the French. You had to go all the way back to a 13-10 win in Donnybrook during the 2017 Six Nations for Ireland’s last victory in this fixture. The bookies had the spread at 45 points yesterday.
Last season’s 53-point drubbing in Musgrave Park was a real low point for this squad, especially given that the visitors were down to 14 players after just 22 minutes of that rout in Cork after an early red card. It didn’t stop France blitzing a poor Ireland side off the park. Ireland would duly finish with the wooden spoon, the first time since 2004. A new low.
But a lot has changed in the past 12 months. Nichola Fryday, who looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders during that grim Six Nations campaign, retired from international rugby. Greg McWilliams moved on as head coach. In came Scott Bemand, a highly rated operator from the all-conquering England set-up, and a host of new players.
This was very much a new-look squad pitching up at Stade MarieMarvingt. The gulf in class was evident on the team sheet. No one was expecting a big shock in Le Mans, but the hope was that Bemand’s project could begin on a positive note.
There was an alarming sense of deja vu though when Pauline
Bourdon Sansus, the livewire French scrum-half, scythed through a huge gap for an early French try.
There was an ominous feeling during the early exchanges. Backed by a febrile home crowed, the hosts attacked in waves. The French threats were everywhere, with a big tight five, a mobile backrow, sharp half-backs and a host of game-breakers outside.
The Menager sisters were central to all of it, with Romane causing havoc at No8 and Marine making some big charges on the left wing.
Nicole Fowley’s 12th-minute penalty settled things down a bit. This was the Ireland out-half’s first international start since 2019. Her directive was to kick for territory or to relieve pressure. You could see the logic in that. The problem was that the Ireland No10 seemed to have the blinkers on every time she got the ball.
Ireland kicked the least of any team in last year’s championship, so this was quite the change of tactics. Time and again, Fowley put boot to ball in a bid to pin this potent French team back.
Ireland clearly had a tactical plan with everyone one on the same page. That in itself was a big improvement on last season’s muddled thinking. It meant that the likes of Eve Higgins and Beibhinn Parson, two of the returning Sevens stars, were restricted to kick-chase duties, however. You’d hope Bemand has a plan for getting that pair into a game more.
Anyway, Ireland were living off scraps for the duration. They spent the majority of the game on the back foot.
New defence coach Declan Danaher, the former London Irish flanker, has clearly made a big impact already. There was a noticeable improvement in Ireland’s line speed and tackling, and there needed to be. Because this powerful French team monopolised possession and territory.
Time and again, Ireland had to front up and make tackle after tackle. The outstanding Brittany Hogan, Neve Jones and Aoife Dalton led the way. Hogan, in particular, was a force of nature. The Ireland No8 looked the most likely to break the line and was prominent in defence all day.
For all of Ireland’s application and workrate, the dam eventually sprung another leak after half an hour. Once again, it was Sansus who provided the spark with a lovely flick pass sending Marine Menager into acres of space and the flying France wing slalomed around Ireland full-back Lauren Delany for a fine score.
It said everything about Ireland’s grit in defence that France outhalf Lina Queyroi settled for three points when Ireland infringed a few minutes before the break. All things considered, the 17-3 halftime deficit wasn’t disastrous. The fear was whether the visitors could maintain the same defensive intensity, having made 119 tackles by the break.
Bemand decided to shake things up, replacing Fowley with the more attack-minded Dannah O’Brien early in the second half.
But normal service soon resumed with outstanding France lock Madoussa Fall rewarded for all her toil with a close-range try.
The one-way traffic continued when debutant French wing Kelly Arbey had seemingly scored only for the TMO to intervene, spotting a forward pass in the build-up.
No matter, the giant French pack duly mauled French hooker
Agathe Scohat over the line. Credit to Ireland then for a finalquarter fightback with Aoife Wafer and Dalton plundering late tries, sandwiching one from France replacement hooker Elisa Riffonneau.
A familiar result but an unfamiliar feeling in the Irish ranks. A feeling of optimism. This is still a project in its infancy but decent foundations nonetheless.
FRANCE: E Boulard; K Arbey, N Konde, G Vernier, M Menager (M Bourgeois 44); L Queyroi (L Tuy 72), P Sansus (A Chambon 61); A Deshaye (A Mwaywembe 56), A Sochat (E Riffonneau 65), A Khalfaoui (C Joyeux 65); M Felea (capt) (K Zago 69), M Fall (E Gros 51); C Escudero, G Hermat, R Menager. Scorers - Tries:
Sansus, M Menager, Fall, Sochat, Riffonneau; Cons: Queyroi (4),
Bourgeois; Pens: Queyroi.
IRELAND: L Delany; K Corrigan (M Deely 66), E Higgins, A Dalton, B Parsons; N Fowley ( D O’Brien 40), A Reilly (M Scuffil-McCabe 65); L Djougang, N Jones, C Haney (S McGrath 65); D Wall (F Tuite 56), H O’Connor; A Wafer, E McMahon (capt) (G Moore 51), B Hogan. Scorers - Tries: Wafer, Dalton; Cons:
O’Brien (2); Pens: Fowley.
REFEREE: K Roche (America)