The Ireland Women bring plenty of momentum into Saturday’s Pool B decider against France, with the winners at Energia Park destined for a Six Nations final date with England.
Ciara Griffin once again captains her country from the back row, where she is joined by Dorothy Wall, one of the star performers last Saturday, and Claire Molloy.
Ireland’s set piece provided a strong platform in the Welsh capital and the front row of Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney and Linda Djougang remains unchanged. Aoife McDermott and Nichola Fryday complete the pack.
Ulster scrum half Kathryn Dane continues her half-back partnership with Hannah Tyrrell, the try-scoring player-of-the-match against Welsh, while Sene Naoupu and Eve Higgins, on her home debut, are retained in midfield.
The back-three of Beibhinn Parsons, Lauren Delany and Eimear Considine provide Ireland with a dangerous attacking threat. For her second round exploits, the 19-year-old Parsons was voted the Player of the Round and won the Try of the Round honour.
Murphy Crowe, who has excelled for Ireland on the World Sevens Series circuit, scoring 98 tries in just 131 World Series matches, comes onto the bench to provide exciting back-line cover, with hooker Hooban also set for her first involvement of the 2021 campaign.
The duo will provide reinforcements for Griggs alongside Katie O’Dwyer, Laura Feely, Brittany Hogan, Hannah O’Connor, and newly-capped pair Emily Lane and Stacey Flood.
Commenting ahead of the game, Griggs said: “We were happy with the result against Wales. We set ourselves a goal of starting this competition off with a win so to achieve that in the manner we did was pleasing.
“Once we analysed the game and reviewed areas we know we can improve on, we turned our attention to this weekend’s game quickly.
We know France will be another step up in terms of intensity and physicality and have quality players across the park. We have spoken a lot in this group about testing ourselves against world class opposition.
“Ultimately, we have to stay focused on improving our own game with each performance, so to play the fourth ranked team in the world will give us a great indication of where we are currently at.”
Meanwhile, France head coach Annick Hayraud has made eight changes to the team that saw off Wales in comprehensive fashion, winning 53-0 in the opening round.
Hayraud has brought back in a number of Sevens players who were involved in a recent international tournament in Dubai, following their seven days’ isolation.
Carla Neisen and Jade Ulutule (formerly le Pesq) return as the starting centres, while the latter’s Rennes club-mate, Caroline Drouin, forms a new half-back partnership with Toulouse’s Laure Sansus.
Cyrielle Banet, one of six Montpellier players in the starting XV, is drafted in on the left wing, and 21-year-old tighthead Rose Bernadou is added to the front row.
Experienced duo Safi N’Diaye, a mainstay of the side since her 2012 debut, and Marjorie Mayans are promoted from the bench. Mayans replaces the injured Céline Férer at blindside flanker.
Women’s Six Nations Fixtures/Results
Women’s Six Nations Tables
IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock/Connacht); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Blackrock/Connacht), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock/Munster), Claire Molloy (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).
Replacements: Emma Hooban (Blackrock/Leinster), Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union/Leinster), Laura Feely (Blackrock/Connacht), Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster), Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock/Munster), Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster).
FRANCE WOMEN: Emilie Boulard (RC Chilly Mazarin); Caroline Boujard (Montpellier RC), Carla Neisen (Blagnac Rugby Feminin), Jade Ulutule (Stade Rennais), Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier RC); Caroline Drouin (Stade Rennais), Laure Sansus (Stade Toulousain); Annaëlle Deshaye (Lyon Olympique Universitaire), Agathe Sochat (Montpellier RC), Rose Bernadou (Montpellier RC), Madoussou Fall (AC Bobigny 93 Rugby), Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier RC), Marjorie Mayans (Blagnac Rugby Feminin), Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain) (capt), Emeline Gros (Montpellier RC).
Replacements: Laure Touyé (Montpellier RC), Maïlys Traoré (Stade Toulousain), Clara Joyeux (Blagnac Rugby Feminin), Coumba Diallo (Stade Francais), Romane Menager (Montpellier RC), Pauline Bourdon (AS Bayonnaise), Morgane Peyronnet (Montpellier RC), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac Rugby Feminin).
Referee: Sara Cox (England)
Assistant Referees: Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Katherine Ritchie (England)
TMO: Claire Hodnett (England)
Pre-Match Quotes – Ciara Griffin (Ireland Women):
Obviously the French are a good side and we’ve done our homework on that, but we’re focusing on us and everything we can put into this jersey.
“It’s been a good week. Preparation has gone well for us in terms of analysis, looking at our own game and finding areas to improve on for the weekend, which is great.
“That’s what you want. Good training session yesterday and Captain’s Run. And this is the time, not just to fine-tune but to run out, execute and go over the basics and then preparation for tomorrow for the big event.”
Émeline Gros (France Women):
For the Wales game, we only had four training sessions while to prepare for Ireland, we will have more than ten sessions together.
“We were able to go further in the details and in certain training sessions go further into the squad to see what we are able to do.”
Pre-Match Links –
Free Digital Match Programme: Ireland v France
Ireland Women’s Rugby Podcast – Episode 2 Out Now
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Energia Park
Delany Eager To ‘Build On Last Week’s Good Foundations’
Fryday: France Clash A Barometer Of Our Progress
Recent Meetings –
2017: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 13 France Women 10, Donnybrook; Women’s Rugby World Cup – Pool C: France Women 21 Ireland Women 5, UCD Bowl
2018: Women’s Six Nations: France Women 24 Ireland Women 0, Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse
2019: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 17 France Women 47, Energia Park
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