Women’s Rugby World Cup: France v Ireland

The second day of knockout matches at the Women’s Rugby World Cup features two all-Six Nations duels, and first up is Ireland’s showdown with France in Exeter – a shot at reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2014.

2025 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

Sunday, September 14 –

FRANCE WOMEN v IRELAND WOMEN, Sandy Park, Exeter, 1pm (live RTÉ One/RTÉ Player/BBC Two/RTÉ Radio 1 Extra/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2)

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Team News: Following a heavy defeat to New Zealand, Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has made two changes to the team, the most notable of which sees the return of Aoife Wafer from a knee injury for her Rugby World Cup debut.

Wafer, the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship, and Fiona Tuite come into the back row, in place of co-captain Edel McMahon, who is nursing a knee issue, and Grace Moore who drops to the bench.

Stacey Flood has recovered from a foot injury to continue in an unchanged back-three, alongside fellow dual internationals Béibhinn Parsons and Amee-Leigh Costigan, who scored three tries between them during the pool phase.

Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins combine again in the centre, and Dannah O’Brien, Ireland’s leading points scorer at the tournament with 23 points so far, will have Ballinasloe’s Aoibheann Reilly alongside her at half-back for the third time in four games.

Niamh O’Dowd will make her 20th international appearance at loosehead prop, packing down with Neve Jones and Linda Djougang. In behind them will be Sam Monaghan, who captains Bemand’s side from the engine room, and Ruth Campbell.

Brittany Hogan makes her third World Cup start at number 8, boosted by the returning Wafer and Tuite. Replacement hooker Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald knows Sandy Park very well as it is the home ground of her club Exeter Chiefs.

Completing the forward reinforcements are Ellena Perry, who was sidelined last week with a knee injury, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corri Fallon, and Moore. Enya Breen also returns to the matchday 23, with Emily Lane and Anna McGann the other reserve backs.

Commenting on Wafer’s return and the challenge of facing France in the last-eight, Bemand said: “We’ve all wanted to see Aoife back on the pitch, she’s been desperate to get out there and give herself to the cause.

“She’s worked incredibly hard behind the scenes, and there’s been huge support for her in getting back to this point. We’re fully confident that she’s fit and ready.

“She’s exactly where she wants to be, and we believe this gives her the best opportunity to get her best game out there at the quarter-final stage of the tournament.”

He added: “As we go through a competition, there’s going to be bits to your game that we’ve not wanted opposition to see, as well as our own ability to learn as we go.

“It’s going to be a competitive game right until the end. Things we do early in the game are going to make a difference later in the game, and knockout rugby carries a slightly different feel to it anyway.

“This is your ultimate winner-takes-all. We’ve got some ideas around how we can implement the strategy.”

Meanwhile, France joint head coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have also made two personnel changes to the team that scored nine tries against South Africa last Sunday. Captain Marine Menager moves to outside centre in the only positional switch.

The tweaks from that 57-10 victory, which saw the French finish top of Pool D, are in the back-three where Kelly Arbey slots back in the left wing, shifting Menager infield in the process, and Morgane Bourgeois has also been brought in at full-back.

Stade Bordelais’ Bourgeois was a key player for France when they defeated Ireland 27-15 in Belfast in the first round of the 2025 Six Nations. She kicked 12 points from the tee, and was involved in the build-up to Emilie Boulard’s clinching try.

Elsewhere, with France opting for a six-two bench split, Blagnac’s Manon Bigot replaces Elisa Riffonneau as back-up hooker, and the versatile Teani Feleu takes over from fellow utility player Taina Maka.

Speaking about the selection for the quarter-final in Devon, Mignot said: “The players have really clicked, especially at half-back with Pauline (Bourdon Sansus) and Lina (Queyroi), who already play together at club level (in Toulouse).

“There’s also a strategic element. The weather is going to be tricky – wind and rain. We know how important it is to strengthen the pack, so we’ve gone with a six-two split on the bench. Goal-kicking is also crucial in knockout rugby, so that (was) factored in as well.

“(The scrum) is going to be a key battle. Every opponent so far has brought a different type of scrum, and Ireland will be no different.

“They’re a very strategic side and gave us problems in that area during the Six Nations. With the weather as well, we know the set-piece will be a big deal. But I trust my players, they’ve shown they can step up and showcase the strength of our pack.

“We know it’s a crucial area and we’ve prepared well for it this week. Ireland are not the same type of team as South Africa, so we’ll have to stay sharp right through the game.”

FRANCE: Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais); Joanna Grisez (Stade Bordelais), Marine Menager (Montpellier HR) (capt), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac RF), Kelly Arbey (Stade Toulousain); Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain), Pauline Bourdon Sansus (Stade Toulousain); Yllana Brosseau (Stade Bordelais), Agathe Gerin (Stade Bordelais), Rose Bernadou (Montpellier HR), Manae Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones), Madoussou Fall Raclot (Stade Bordelais), Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac RF), Lea Champon (FC Grenoble Amazones), Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain).

Replacements: Manon Bigot (Blagnac RF), Annaelle Deshaye (Stade Bordelais), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Hina Ikahehgi (Stade Villeneuvois), Seraphine Okemba (LOU Rugby), Teani Feleu (Stade Villeneuvois), Alexandra Chambon (FC Grenoble Amazones), Emilie Boulard (Blagnac RF).

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) (capt), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).

Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht).

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
Assistant Referees: Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZR), Natarsha Ganley (NZR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Pre-Match Quotes: Sam Monaghan (Ireland) – “We’ve been physically prepared for this, it has been an incredibly tough pre-season which has put us in a great place. Coming of the back of the Six Nations, that’s five Tests and that’s what we are into now including the two warm-up games.

“It was a very physical game last weekend, we’ve recovered. It was a long journey down to Exeter but at the end of that we had a lovely evening, a few of us even got down to the beach.

“Nothing like cold water refreshes the body and the mind. We’ve trained really well this week. We were disappointed last Sunday. If you take the emotional side out of it, we created opportunities, so this week is about being extremely accurate.”

Fiona Tuite (Ireland) – “We played against one of the best teams in the world (New Zealand), we’re now going to play against one of the other best teams in the world (France), so it’s teed us up nicely from a physicality, speed, and tactical point of view.

“It is going to take relentlessness. We know for sure that playing against a team of France’s calibre, it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be an absolute physical battle, and we can’t switch off at any stage.

“We’re such a fit, strong team, that we know we’re going to just have to keep fighting and fighting. Tactically, we’ve things in place now to deal with that. It’s going to be war.”

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Opta Facts – France v Ireland:

– Ireland lost their only previous Rugby World Cup quarter-final (76-0 v USA in 1994). They have progressed to the semi-finals once previously, though, in France in 2014

– France have conceded the fewest defensive 22-metre entries of any team in this year’s Rugby World Cup (11), while only England (53) have recorded more attacking 22-metre entries than the French (49)

– France won at least six more turnovers than any other side during the pool stages (29). However, only two teams have conceded fewer turnovers this year than Ireland (36, behind Australia and Scotland)

– Ireland have the third highest lineout success rate of any team at this year’s World Cup (89%), while France have the second lowest (65%). Nonetheless, no team has stolen more opposition lineouts than the French (6, also Australia)

– France back rower Charlotte Escudero has won more turnovers than any other player at England 2025 (7), while her team-mate Gabrielle Vernier ranks first among backs (5). Escudero was also the only player to make more than 20 tackles during the final round of pool games (28)

– Ireland out-half Dannah O’Brien was the only player to make 30+ kicks in play (51) or gain 1000+ kicking metres (1559) during the pool stages. Ireland retained possession from four of her kicks, more than any other player in the tournament

– France have won each of their last eight matches against Ireland, all by margins of 12 points or more, with their last defeat to the girls in green coming in February 2017

– France have won each of their previous four Rugby World Cup clashes with Ireland by an average margin of 24 points. However, their only previous meeting in the knockout rounds was deciding by just seven points, during the 2014 Bronze final in Paris

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

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