Three Changes For Ireland Women
Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle has made three personnel changes and one positional switch to the team that ran out convincing 39-0 winners over Italy at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday.
Jenny Murphy, Larissa Muldoon and Ailis Egan all return to the starting line-up in place of Grace Davitt, Amy Davis and Stacey-Lea Kennedy respectively.
Egan comes in at loosehead prop with Gillian Bourke swapping back into hooker.
France are unbeaten to date and boast a scoring difference of +137, meaning that Ireland require a 20-point victory at Stade du Hameau in Pau on Friday if they are to have any chance of retaining their Six Nations crown.
The girls in green are second in the table with a +99 scoring difference. They are level on six points with England (+90), who could also win the title if they score a big win over Italy and the result in Pau goes their way.
Ireland head coach Philip Doyle commented: “The team put in a fine performance against Italy in their first ever game at the Aviva Stadium but we are under no illusions as to the challenge ahead of us.
“France are the form team of the Championship and beat England reasonably comfortably in round 1. We will need to match their physicality and take our chances when they come.”
There will be live TV coverage on RTÉ Two and www.rte.ie/live as Ireland go in search of their first ever away victory over France, and you can also follow the game via live radio commentary on RTÉ 2fm’s ‘Game On’. Match tickets are on sale here.
IRELAND WOMEN’S Team & Replacements (v France Women, 2014 Women’s RBS 6 Nations Championship, Stade du Hameau, Pau, Friday, March 14, kick-off 6.45pm local time/5.45pm Irish time):
Player/Club/Province/Caps –
15. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster) 40
14. Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12
13. Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile) 82
12. Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 12
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise/UCC/Connacht) 18
10. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 22
9. Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile) 19
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt) 79
2. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster) 40
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 16
4. Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 14
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 29
6. Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster) 14
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) 30
8. Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster) 13
Replacements:
16. Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster) 12
17. Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster) 5
18. Kerrie-Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile) 3
19. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster) 5
20. Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster) 35
21. Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exile) 4
22. Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster) 50
23. Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile) 11
IRELAND WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS MATCHES:
IRELAND WOMEN 59 Scotland Women 0
Asbourne RFC
Friday, January 31
IRELAND WOMEN 14 Wales Women 6
Ashbourne RFC
Friday, February 7
England Women 17 IRELAND WOMEN 10
Twickenham
Saturday, February 22
IRELAND WOMEN 39 Italy Women 0
Aviva Stadium
Saturday, March 8
France Women v IRELAND WOMEN
Stade du Hameau, Pau, 6.45pm local time/5.45pm Irish time
Friday, March 14