Guinness Women’s Six Nations: France v Ireland

Only five points separated Ireland and France in last September’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and another close encounter is in prospect as the teams face off in the final match of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations’ middle round.

2026 GUINNESS WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Saturday, April 25 –

FRANCE (2nd) v IRELAND (3rd), Stade Marcel Michelin, Clermont-Ferrard, kick-off 9.10pm local time/8.10pm Irish time (live Virgin Media Two/Virgin Media Play/BBC Two Northern Ireland/BBC iPlayer/France TV/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Sounds)

Team News: Following last weekend’s sparkling nine-try win over Italy in Galway, Ireland are in Clermont-Ferrand to take on second-placed France, determined to avenge that heartbreaking result which knocked them out of the England 2025 tournament.

Head coach Scott Bemand’s only change to the starting XV sees Dorothy Wall, who missed last year’s World Cup through injury, come in for Ruth Campbell at lock. It will be her second start of the Six Nations campaign, alongside Ulster’s Fiona Tuite.

A try-scoring debutant at Dexcom Stadium, Robyn O’Connor continues in a back-three which again features Stacey Flood and Béibhinn Parsons, the player-of-the-match against the Italians following her first-half hat-trick.

IQ Rugby reprensentative Nancy McGillivray is rewarded for her consistent form with a second start in the centre alongside Aoife Dalton. Dannah O’Brien and Emily Lane, who scored 17 points between them the last day, remain in place at half-back.

Ellena Perry, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, and Linda Djougang, who spent the 2021/22 season in Clermont with ASM Romagnat, will combine as Ireland’s starting front row for the third game running.

Wall will win her 40th cap, packing down with Tuite in the engine room, while the back row trio of Brittany Hogan, captain Erin King, and Aoife Wafer, the scorer of two tries against les Bleues in the 2025 Six Nations opener, are hoping to wield plenty of influence up front.

In the only alteration to the bench, UL Bohemian and Munster prop Eilís Cahill will provide the tighthead back-up, a fortnight on from her debut as a replacement against England.

Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Campbell, and former co-captain Sam Monaghan are the other forward replacements for the girls in green, with Katie Whelan, Eve Higgins, and Anna McGann the back-line options.

Looking forward to coming up against France for the third time in little over twelve months, Bemand said: “We’ve got the benefit now with our group having come through the World Cup piece where we had full stadiums, a lot of noise and a lot of expectation, internal expectation.

“Going away to France is a class experience. We were away in England two weeks ago so we’ve had a recent opportunity of stepping into that sort of arena.

“I saw a completely different group to two years ago walking into that space, so as we continue to evolve, continue to get more confident in ourselves and our performances, I think we’re ready for this one. We’ve trained well.”

On Wall’s inclusion as a starter, he added: “Doro coming back in, she came on (against Italy) and had a great impact,” he said. “Obviously not basing things just on games, she’s trained the house down in the last couple of weeks.

“We will always look at who we’re playing as well and what we need on the pitch at what point. Ruth has been going great for us. Her impact to come on and finish the game against England was decent.

“We think we’re going to be in a game at the end of this one, so we want to get off to a good start. We need some impact off the bench, so she fits that role.”

Meanwhile, two changes – one in the forwards and one in the backs – were forced upon France’s new head coach François Ratier due to player fitness following their 38-7 bonus point victory away to Wales.

Toulouse’s young loosehead Ambre Mwayembe slots into the front row for her 22nd cap, replacing Yllana Brousseau, who was sin-binned in Cardiff but has shaken off an ankle injury for a bench role this week.

Clermont’s own ASM Rugby are represented in the starting line-up by front rowers Mathilde Lazarko and Assia Khalfaoui, and winger Anaïs Grando, one of six debutants for France in the 2026 Championship’s opening round.

In a youthful centre pairing, Téani Feleu, known as a back rower at Test level, moves to midfield to team up with Stade Bordelais’ Aubane Rousset. The switch comes following Gabrielle Vernier’s Six Nations-ending shoulder injury.

Joanna Grisez, the scorer of a crucial second half try in that World Cup clash, is another notable absentee due to her recent ACL injury. Pauline Bourdon Sansus remains the dynamo for the French back-line, and was a try-scoring player-of-the-match against the Welsh.

Ratier has opted for a six-two bench split for the France Women’s first appearance at the home of ASM Clermont Auvergne since November 2019. Rose Bernadou and newly-capped second row Cloé Correa return to the matchday squad.

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Table

FRANCE: Pauline Barrat (Stade Toulousain); Anaïs Grando (ASM Rugby), Aubane Rousset (Stade Bordelais), Téani Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones), Léa Murie (Stade Toulousain); Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais), Pauline Bourdon Sansus (Stade Toulousain); Ambre Mwayembe (Stade Toulousain), Mathilde Lazarko (ASM Rugby), Assia Khalfaoui (ASM Rugby), Kiara Zago (Stade Toulousain), Madoussou Fall Raclot (Stade Bordelais), Axelle Berthoumieu (Stade Bordelais), Manaé Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones) (capt), Léa Champon (FC Grenoble Amazones).

Replacements: Élisa Riffonneau (FC Grenoble Amazones), Yllana Brosseau (ASM Rugby), Rose Bernadou (Montpellier HR), Cloé Correa (Stade Toulousain), Siobhan Soqeta (FC Grenoble Amazones), Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain), Alexandra Chambon (ASM Rugby), Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain).

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) (capt), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins).

Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht).

Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU), Rebecca Piddlesden (RFU)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Pre-Match Quotes: Erin King (Ireland) –

A lot of people have obviously talked this game up and talked about it being a revenge game, but I think for us, obviously you have that little bit of extra motivation.

“At the end of the day, we treat every game the same, and our prep going into each and every game is the same.

“We prep no different from one team to the next, no matter how we’ve played them, when we’ve played them, and what the history is between the two teams. We focus on ourselves, and that’s the priority, and then they come.

“I do think there probably is that little bit of extra motivation, just with the history that we have with France, and coming so close with them in the past two occasions, I think left a bit of a bittersweet taste in our mouth.”

Dannah O’Brien (Ireland) –

Over the last few years, we have come closer to getting the edge over France and hopefully we can do that this weekend.

“But we just want to focus on building on our performance from last week and trying to raise the standard again.

“I still feel like I’ve a lot of growing space. I’m still only 22 but I definitely do feel like I’ve grown into the position.

“And thankfully, I’ve had good consistency and opportunities to grow in this squad. I feel like it’s still only the start, but there’s definitely a lot more to go.

“I came from playing a handful of games at senior level for Tullow, a junior team. It was difficult at the time but I think where the team is now, it’s has grown so much.

“Not just me. I’ve grown with players like Aoife Dalton. We got our first caps together, so the team has built that experience as well.”

Pre-Match Links –

Opta Facts: Guinness Women’s Six Nations – France v Ireland

Bemand: We’ve Got The Game To Go There And Cause Problems

Aviva Stadium Sales Pass 20,000 Mark For Historic Guinness Women’s Six Nations Finale

‘Clermont Is Like A Second Home To Me’ – Djougang

Flood Ready To Fire As Ireland And France Renew Rivalry

Scaysbrook: We Took Good Confidence From Galway Performance

Recent Meetings –

2023: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 3 France 53, Musgrave Park

2024: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: France 38 Ireland 17, Stade Marie-Marvingt, Le Mans

2025: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 15 France 27, Kingspan Stadium; Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final: France 18 Ireland 13, Sandy Park, Exeter

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