Ireland U-18s Find French Attack Hard To Contain In Festival Opener

The Ireland Under-18 Women’s team (sponsored by PwC) took some key lessons out of an opening 59-0 defeat to France, the dominant force at U-18 Women’s Six Nations Festivals over the last four years. Watch the full match back on irishrugby+.

UNDER-18 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS FESTIVAL – ROUND 1:

Thursday, April 2 –

IRELAND UNDER-18s 0 FRANCE UNDER-18s 59, Wellington College
Scorers: Ireland U-18s: –
France U-18s: Tries: Chloé Legoueix, Djenan Elisabeth Marie, Alixe Valence, Candice Barret, Alizée Durand, Anne-Mary Sock, Alana Tregouet, Alexia le Floc’h, Madeleine Sutton; Cons: Alexia Cazalbou 2, Louane Pichon 2, Lily Faitot 3
HT: Ireland Under-18s 0 France Under-18s 19

In the first of their two full 70-minute games at the 2026 event in Wellington College, there was much to admire about Ireland’s start against a highly-rated France side. The 19-0 scoreline at half-time was a harsh reflection of a closely-fought first half.

Róisín Power displayed her strength as a ball carrier, punching some holes in the French defence, while her Ballinasloe club-mate, Róisín O’Sullivan, was excellent in defence, consistently shutting down France’s threats out wide.

Chloé Legoueix’s 15th-minute try was the only score until some missed tackles from Craig Hansberry’s youngsters allowed Djenan Elisabeth Marie and Alixe Valence to touch down either side of the half-hour mark.

Despite a battling performance from the pack, led by IQ Rugby’s Lucia Dickinson on her first outing as captain, Ireland were unable to contain the dangerous French attack, which has been a key element in them being unbeaten in this competition since 2022.

The girls in green conceded tries to Candice Barret and Alizée Durand, inside five minutes of the restart. They steadied themselves, introducing several players off the bench for their international debuts, but handling errors and lineout issues halted their progress up the pitch.

Anne-Mary Sock ended a scoreless spell with a 54th-minute effort, extending the lead to 38 points. France, who beat England 66-7 at last year’s festival, found another gear late on when captain Alana Tregouet and replacements Alexia le Floc’h and Madeleine Sutton all crossed in quick succession.

Ireland will be back in action on Easter Monday for two 35-minute fixtures. They will play tournament hosts England, who were 32-24 losers against Wales, at 1pm, before facing Scotland at 2pm. The Scots fought back for a 26-all draw with Italy thanks to a Connie Sanderson hat-trick.

A bulldozing carry from number 8 Power, one of 11 returning players from last year, took Ireland past halfway during the opening minutes. Tuam’s Aoife Heaney also got a chance to show her speed, breaking through into the French 22 from a first-phase move off a scrum.

Tidy defence from ever-alert full-back O’Sullivan saw her tackle Mado Bidard-Dachary into touch, with Power, another of the Connacht contingent, following up in the next few phases with two more strong bursts past the gainline.

A knock-on unfortunately ruined a promising position outside the French 22, set up by a lenghty Sophia White kick. Cooke scrum half Amy McConkey’s well-won turnover penalty stopped France in their tracks, but they were able to make the breakthrough on the quarter hour mark.

The French attack began to click, with Mathilde Closson’s big carry sucking in defenders before Louane Pichon sent flanker Legoueix over to the left of the posts. Alexia Cazalbou topped off the opening score with a well-struck conversion.

Ireland responded in eye-catching fashion, encouraging by a piledriving Power tackle and a counter ruck from Tullow’s Róisín Kinch, a few phases later, which helped to earn her side a penalty near halfway.

O’Sullivan continued to impress in defence, making a couple of important tackles, with Wicklow lock Usha Daly O’Toole also leading by example with her physicality up front. Still, there was no denying powerhouse prop Elisabeth Marie, who broke out of three attempted tackles to make it 12-0.

Despite losing Tregouet to the sin bin for a high tackle, les Bleuettes tagged on a late third try just before the interval. Strong-running centre Valence used her pace and power to score under the posts, giving Pichon a straightforward conversion.

Restored to their full complement for the start of the second half, France immediately lifted the tempo. O’Sullivan did brilliantly again, holding up Elisabeth Marie at close range, yet a quick-fire brace of tries soon left Ireland with a mountain to climb.

A tap penalty led to second row Barret barreling over, and then almost straight from the restart, backs and forwards combined crisply for full-back Durand to apply the finishing touches, her slick seven-pointer putting 31 points between the teams.

A couple of penalties, including one at scrum time, took Ireland back into the opposition 22, only for a crooked lineout to let them down. Both benches were in full flow at this stage, but France, driven on by the influential Tregouet, were now finding defensive gaps with more regularity.

Although out-half White found a couple of very good touches with her right boot, Hansberry’s charges could not get into scoring range. Instead, France broke downfield, retained possession, and exploited some space out wide where flanker Sock collected Pichon’s cross-field kick to score.

Ennis winger Abi Kelly, on as a replacement, breached the French 22 with an injection of pace close to the left touchline. It was a brief visit, though, and Caroline Suné’s outfit ended up passing the half-century mark by reeling off three late tries.

Tregouet split the defensive line with a rapid run-in from 45 metres out, and France struck again from the restart, their angles of running and timely offloads paving the way for le Floc’h to touch down despite Lani O’Donovan’s terrific try-saving tackle on Sarah Pegourie just seconds earlier.

France flooded forward one last time, and Pichon’s precise cross-field kick was expertly gathered by Sutton who darted in closer to the posts to register try number nine. Fellow replacement Lily Faitot knocked over her third successful conversion out of three.

TIME LINE: 15 minutes – France Under-18s try: Chloé Legoueix – 0-5; conversion: Alexia Cazalbou – 0-7; 26 mins – France Under-18s try: Djenan Elisabeth Marie – 0-12; conversion: missed by Alexia Cazalbou – 0-12; 29 mins – France Under-18s yellow card: Alana Tregouet; 34 mins – France Under-18s try: Alixe Valence – 0-17; conversion: Louane Pichon – 0-19; Half-time – Ireland Under-18s 0 France Under-18s 19; 38 mins – France Under-18s try: Candice Barret – 0-24; conversion: missed by Louane Pichon – 0-24; 40 mins – France Under-18s try: Alizée Durand – 0-29; conversion: Alexia Cazalbou – 0-31; 54 mins – France Under-18s try: Anne-Mary Sock – 0-36; conversion: Louane Pichon – 0-38; 65 mins – France Under-18s try: Alana Tregouet – 0-43; conversion: Lily Faitot – 0-45; 67 mins – France Under-18s try: Alexia le Floc’h – 0-50; conversion: Lily Faitot – 0-52; 69 mins – France Under-18s try: Madeleine Sutton – 0-57; conversion: Lily Faitot – 0-59; Full-time – Ireland Under-18s 0 France Under-18s 59

IRELAND U-18: Róisín O’Sullivan (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht Rugby); Aoife Heaney (Tuam RFC/Claremorris RFC/Connacht Rugby), Caitlin Crowe (Virginia RFC/Ulster Rugby), Jo McCaughey (Clonakilty RFC/Munster Rugby), Clodagh McCarthy (Clonakilty RFC/Munster Rugby); Sophia White (Arklow RFC/Leinster Rugby), Amy McConkey (Cooke RFC/Ulster Rugby); Coumba Sow (Clontarf FC/Leinster Rugby), Emma Jane Wilson (Cill Dara RFC/Leinster Rugby), Lily Murphy (Tullow RFC/Leinster Rugby), Usha Daly O’Toole (Wicklow RFC/Leinster Rugby), Mia Rowan (Longford RFC/Leinster Rugby), Lucia Dickinson (IQ Rugby) (capt), Róisín Kinch (Tullow RFC/Leinster Rugby), Róisín Power (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht Rugby).

Replacements: Uilinn Eilian (Tuam RFC/Connacht Rugby), Evie Kennedy (Ballina RFC/Connacht Rugby), Ella Buckley (Ballincollig RFC/Munster Rugby), Ruby Osumah (Tullamore RFC/Leinster Rugby), Anna McDermott (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht Rugby), Kitty Sweeney (Westport RFC/Connacht Rugby), Lani O’Donovan (Clonakilty RFC/Munster Rugby), Abi Kelly (Ennis RFC/Munster Rugby), Cairínn Kearns (Gort RFC/Connacht Rugby), Lily Byrne (Dolphin RFC/Munster Rugby), Niamh O’Mahony (Ballincollig/Munster Rugby), Julie Finn (Clonakilty RFC/Munster Rugby), Katie Griffin (Loughrea RFC/Connacht Rugby).

FRANCE U-18: Alizée Durand (RC Massy Essonne/Brétigny); Mado Bidard-Dachary (Stade Toulousain/Toulouse), Alixe Valence (Stade Rennais Rugby/Avenir Montbeton Lacourt Rugby), Lilou Lanfranchi (RC Toulon/Toulon), Tonie Fiorèse (Stade Rochelais/La Rochelle); Louane Pichon (CA Brive Corrèze/Brive), Alexia Cazalbou (Stade Toulousain/Toulouse); Mathilde Closson (Stade Bordelais/Talence), Lisa Badetz (Stade Bordelais/Talence), Djenan Elisabeth Marie (FC Grenoble Amazones/Grenoble), Baini Traore (AC Bobigny 93 Rugby/Aulnay), Candice Barret (Stade Toulousain/Toulouse), Chloé Legoueix (ASM Romagnat Rugby Féminin/Clermont-Ferrand), Anne-Mary Sock (ASM Romagnat Rugby Féminin/Clermont-Ferrand), Alana Tregouet (SU Agen/Agen) (capt).

Replacements: Maisha Nasso (RC Massy Essonne/Brétigny), Laura Guez (RC Toulon/Toulon), Malia Taofifenua (Stade Toulousain/Toulouse), Romane Kazmierczak (Lons Section Paloise/AS Pont Long), Sarah Pegourie (Blagnac SC Rugby/Toulouse), Lise Llach (Stade Toulousain), Evodie Constant (CA Brive Corrèze/Brive), Alexia le Floc’h (Nancy Seichamps Rugby), Jeanne Montgon Mestres (Lyon OU Rugby/Lyon), Lily Faitot (Lons Section Paloise Rugby Féminin/Pau), Shaëlyn Bolivard (AS Corbeil Essonne – RC Mennecy/Brétigny), Madeleine Sutton (Stade Villeneuvois Lille Métropole/Haubourdin).

Referee: Rosie Procter (RFU)