The TikTok Women’s Six Nations exploded back into life last week and round two is set to be just as compelling as Ireland go in search of their first ever Championship victory on French soil.
2022 TIKTOK WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS: Saturday, April 2
FRANCE WOMEN (2nd) v IRELAND WOMEN (4th), Stade Ernest Wallon, 3.15pm local time/2.15pm Irish time (live RTÉ 2/BBC 2 Northern Ireland/France 2/RTÉ Radio 1)
Team News: Head coach Greg McWilliams has named an unchanged Ireland squad, sponsored by Aon, for their showdown with France in Toulouse.
Nichola Fryday will captain Ireland at Stade Ernest Wallon, with McWilliams opting for continuity in selection for the first away trip of the 2022 Championship.
Eimear Considine, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Lucy Mulhall combine again in the back-three, with Eve Higgins and Stacey Flood continuing their midfield partnership.
Munster ace Nicole Cronin starts at out-half and Ballinasloe native Aoibheann Reilly wins her second cap at scrum half having made her debut against Wales last week at the RDS.
The front row is retained with Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Katie O’Dwyer packing down together, while Sam Monaghan partners captain Fryday in the engine room.
Dorothy Wall, Edel McMahon and Brittany Hogan complete the starting XV for this eagerly-awaited clash with les Bleues, who won 24-0 in Toulouse when they last hosted Ireland in the Six Nations back in 2018.
Commenting ahead of the game, McWilliams said: “We are fully aware of the challenge facing us this weekend, but we’ve had a good week of preparation, taking the positives from our opening game and implementing the learnings on the training pitch.
“It is a huge opportunity for us as a group to go and play one of the best teams of the world and test ourselves at this stage of our journey together.”
Meanwhile, France head coach Annick Hayraud has opted to make seven changes to the team that opened up the tournament with a 39-6 bonus point win over Italy in Grenoble.
Toulouse’s own Laure Sansus, who impressed off the bench, comes in to start at scrum half, and Émilie Boulard, Cyrielle Banet and 19-year-old winger Mélissande Llorens form a new-look back-three for the French.
Young loosehead Coco Lindelauf (21) wins her fifth cap with Montpellier’s Laure Touyé also replacing Agathe Sochat at hooker.
Blagnac youngster Axelle Berthomieu, who is also 21, is added to the back row, meaning a move to number 8 for Romane Ménager, a try scorer against Ireland in the 2019 and 2021 Six Nations games.
TikTok Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
TikTok Women’s Six Nations Table
FRANCE WOMEN: Émilie Boulard (RC Chilly Mazarin); Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier RC), Maëlle Filopon (Stade Toulousain), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Mélissande Llorens (Blagnac Rugby Féminin); Caroline Drouin (Stade Rennais), Laure Sansus (Stade Toulousain); Coco Lindelauf (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Laure Touyé (Montpellier RC), Clara Joyeux (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Madoussou Fall (Stade Bordelais), Audrey Forlani (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Axelle Berthomieu (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain) (capt), Romane Ménager (Montpellier RC).
Replacements: Célia Domain (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Annaëlle Deshayes (Lyon Olympique Universitaire), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Céline Ferer (Stade Toulousain), Julie Annery (Stade Francais), Alexandra Chambon (FC Grenoble Amazones), Jessy Trémoulière (ASM Romagnat Rugby), Chloé Jacquet (Lyon Olympique Universitaire).
IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster); Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC/Leinster); Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Linda Djougang (ASM Romagnat Rugby/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster), Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).
Replacements: Emma Hooban (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Enya Breen (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht).
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Clara Munarini (Italy), Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Pre-Match Quotes – Nichola Fryday (Ireland Women):
You have to enjoy these moments in rugby. It’s going to be an incredible atmosphere in Toulouse, but at the same time we can’t let the occasion override everything else.
“We still want to go out on the pitch and we want to perform. We want to implement what we want to do. That’s going to be the thing for us, but I do think girls should enjoy these moments because in Test rugby these are ones you look back on.
“I remember the last time I played here in Toulouse (four years ago) and it’s one of those matches that sticks out for me with the atmosphere and the crowd. The girls, they’ll look back on this like a huge memory.
“That was a huge day (when we beat France in Donnybrook in 2017). Those ones stick out in your memory because it was a real battle on the pitch that day.
“I’d hope that we can front up and make it that battle again (on Saturday) and make it hard for them. I’m looking forward to it.”
Thomas Darracq (France Women):
We have a homogenous group of 36 players which allows us to make several alterations to the team to adapt to our opponents.
“We have also worked this week on some of the aspects that were missing last Sunday against Italy. On Saturday at Stade Ernest Wallon, we will have to cope with the weather against a physically powerful Ireland team.”