Error-prone Ireland have work to do as French prove a class above
THERE was a moment just before half-time which summed up this contest. Ireland had a lineout deep in French territory, a rare occurrence. The hosts were 26-0 to the good, the bonus-point try already in the bag.
This was an opportunity for an Irish team – under the pump for 40 minutes – to get some much-needed points before the break. Something tangible to lift weary heads before they reached the changing room. They needed something, desperately.
Once again, Ireland hooker Neve Jones and her lineout jumpers got their wires crossed. Another botched set piece. It was the story of the half. The scrum and lineout were a shambles. The half-time stat of 15 handling errors was galling as well. This new project – spearheaded by head coach Greg McWilliams and this young squad – is going to take some time. Still, there was a worrying lack of basic skills across the board.
This France team are a class apart. They were replete with quality operators across the starting lineup yesterday from Coco Linaelauf, the all-cation loosehead prop, to Laure Sansus, the Dupont-esque scrum-half, who also plies her trade in Toulouse. The home backrow of Madoussou Fall, skipper Gaelle Hermet and Romane Menager was operating on a different level.
Their out-half Caroline Drouin was all class with no shortage of attacking weaponry out wide.
Do Ireland possess players of the same class? The one player at that level was on the bench. We had to wait for the second half to finally see Beibhinn Parsons, a generational talent. How many times was Brian O’Driscoll left on the bench during his glittering career? It’s been a puzzling selection call. The damage had already been done by the time Parsons was on the pitch.
From the moment Ireland No8 Brittany Hogan fumbled the opening kick-off, the visitors were under immense pressure. The gulf in class was apparent all afternoon.
Again, this was no major surprise. The French system is light years ahead at the moment, in terms of playing numbers, coaching, resources and structures. All of this needs to be taken into account here. Ireland, at the end of the day, for all the increased investment from the IRFU, remain an amateur outfit. Training may take place in the highspec surroundings of the high-performance centre in Abbotstown, but this week’s sessions were planned around work and college schedules. Still, you can’t excuse some of the errors and decision making.
Basic errors as well. Take France’s second try after 25 minutes. The hosts had a scrum five metres from the Irish line. They had built an 11-0 lead through an early try from wing Melissande Llorens and the boot of Drouin. A few seconds later, Sansus had raced down the blindside for a superb finish. Where was the Irish cover? Aoibheann Reilly and AmeeLeigh Murphy Crowe had both wandered infield, leaving the blindside exposed. Sansus didn’t need a second invitation to exploit the space she was gifted.
The one-way traffic continued as Audrey Forlani and Clara Joyeux both crossed for tries. France were racking up the points. Their opponents continued to rack up the mistakes. When Lucy Mulhall dropped another high ball early in the second half, it was Ireland’s 16th knockon of the game. Soon, Sansus was sniping her way through for France’s fifth try and things were looking ominous as the hosts surged into a 33-0 lead.
Irish heads could have dropped then. The fight shown from this group was admirable, given the grim circumstances. They were always going to struggle here but the amount of times they shot themselves in the foot will sting the most in the post-match review.
For all the challenges they are facing at the moment, they are better than this. You can see glimpses of their potential. Fleeting moments, but enough to suggest there are better days ahead.
There was one flicker of inspiration early in the game. Admittedly, it arose from an overthrown lineout but Sam Monaghan, who put in another big shift after impressing against Wales, threw a backdoor offload to Eve Higgins, impressing in the centre once again, who weaved her way through for a fine score. It was be chalked off by refreee Aimee Barrett-Theron after the TMO spotted Dorothy Wall impeding a French forward in the build-up. A real shame, that.
Higgins would not be denied approaching the hour mark, however. The fleet-footed centre breached the French line again after Ireland’s best attacking passage of the contest. Virtually every player contributed in a flowing, multi-phase attack which yielded Ireland’s only try of the game. If they can fix the set piece, get their handling up to scratch and hold onto the ball, they are clearly a potent force in attack. Without those foundations, they will continue to struggle though.
Fittingly, France finished with a flourish as flying full-back Emilie Boulard waltzed over for her side’s sixth try.
Italy are next up for Ireland in Musgrave Park next Sunday. It will be chance to bounce back before a daunting trip to face England – the best women’s team on the planet – in round four. Another repeat of this error-strewn fare over there and it could get very ugly.
‘It was killing us, those errors, coughing the ball back up,’ McWilliams lamented after this 35-point defeat.
‘The set-piece was under pressure but we’ll learn from that. The importance of getting the ball and holding on to it is massive and we’ll just get better.’
IRELAND: E Considine (B Parsons 40); AL Murphy Crowe, E Higgins, S Flood (E Breen 73), L Mulhall; N Cronin, A Reilly (K Dane 56); L Djougang, N Jones (E Hooban 56), K O’Dwyer (C Haney 40); N Fryday (capt) (A McGann 73), S Monaghan; S Wall, E McMahon, B Hogan ( H O’Connor 56).
ScoRERS: Try: Higgins.
FRANcE: C Boulard; C Banet, M Filopon, G Vernier (C Jacquet 69), M Llorens; C Drouin (J Tremouliere 56), L Sansus (A Chambon 60); C Lindelauf (A Deshayes 56), L Touye (C Domain 69), C Joyeux (A Khalfaoui 56); M Fall (C Ferer 56), A Forlani; A Berthoumieu, G Hermet (capt) (J Annery 63), R Menager.
ScoRERS: Tries: Llorens, Sansus (2), Folani, Joyeux, Boulard. cons: Drouin, Tremouliere. Pens: Drouin (2) YELLow cARD: Boulard
REFEREE: A Barrett-Theron (South Africa)