Heavy Defeat Leaves Ireland Playing For Third Place

The Ireland Women will compete for a third place finish in next week’s Six Nations play-offs after losing 56-15 to high-flying France at Energia Park.

The French were at their ruthless best in the first half, sauntering into a 38-8 half-time lead thanks to converted scores from Caroline Boujard, Emilie Boulard, Safi N’Diaye and Cyrielle Banet and a penalty try.

Ireland were being outplayed and overpowered, with a high error count and some costly penalties letting them down. Cliodhna Moloney’s 27th-minute maul try supplemented an early Hannah Tyrrell penalty.

France went on to claim their highest ever points total against Ireland, as Boujard and Banet completed their braces, replacement Romane Menager also dotted down, and Caroline Drouin finished with 14 points from the tee.

After losing Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe to the sin bin on her debut, Ireland rallied with replacement Emma Hooban gaining a consolation try from a well-worked 74th-minute lineout.

Buoyed by last week’s win in Wales, the Irish scrum started well with a penalty and then Emeline Gros was pressurised off the base of the French set-piece. A turnover led to a straightforward penalty from Tyrrell and a 3-0 lead.

It was a cagey opening but France showed their attacking class from their first serious opportunity. Off a set scrum, their backs outflanked Ireland on the left and Boulard released Boujard for a crisply-crafted score.

Following Drouin’s impressive conversion, Ireland were making some headway until Eimear Considine was turned over by Banet. Laure Sansus seized the opportunity to kick into open field and lightning-quick full-back Boulard hared through to touch down beside the posts.

Rocked by that concession, Ireland then leaked their third try in little over eight minutes. France’s maul powered towards the line and Aoife McDermott brought it down illegally, leading to a penalty try and a yellow card.

In response, Considine’s gliding run took the hosts to within five metres, before a clever short lineout off a penalty had Moloney driving over in the right corner with support from Linda Djougang.

Tyrrell was unable to convert at 21-8 and it was her misjudged kick which invited France to hit straight back. Boulard caused problems again from a quick tap, and Drouin mopped up with a simple three points.

Les Bleues pushed the margin out to 30 points before the interval, with Ireland continuing to cough up penalties and crucial ground. N’Diaye muscled over from close range and Banet pinched possession from Beibhinn Parsons to run in try number five.

Poor defence from Ireland on the resumption allowed France to flood forward again, and although their maul was stopped this time, tricky winger Boujard was able to step inside a tackle and complete her brace at 43-8.

It got worse for Ireland as France unloaded their power-packed bench. Nearing the hour mark, backs and forwards combined with some sparkling running and handling to release Menager for a classy finish past Considine.

Newly-capped half-backs Stacey Flood and Emily Lane sparked some better play from the girls in green, with the former releasing Eve Higgins from a tap penalty. However, Parsons was quickly closed down and the chance was lost.

Parsons saved a try at the other end a few minutes later, intercepting as France look to convert from a slick Drouin-inspired attack. There was no let-up from the world’s fourth-ranked team, though, as they continued to exploit gaps.

A long deliberation ended with referee Sara Cox binning Murphy Crowe for a high tackle on Boujard. Drouin duly split the posts to nudge her side through the 50-point mark.

Flood increased her influence with a well-won turnover penalty, yet Ireland were struggling to create chances with ever-willing full-back Considine guilty of putting too much on a kick through.

Showing how devastating they can be once more, French replacement Pauline Bourdon broke from a scrum, drew in a defender and released Banet to go over wide on the right.

Importantly, Ireland closed out a tough day at the office with their second try. The same effective lineout – a short ball to Nichola Fryday at the front – set up the drive for Hooban to pile over and Flood converted with aplomb.

There is still much to play for next Saturday as Adam Griggs’ charges travel to Parma for the 3rd-4th place play-off against Italy, who were 41-20 winners over Scotland this evening.

Ireland’s clash with the Azzurre kicks off at 12pm Irish time, while the ‘Super Saturday’ schedule also includes the England v France final (2pm) and the Scotland v Wales 5th-6th place play-off (5pm).

TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Ireland penalty: Hannah Tyrrell – 3-0; 14 mins – France try: Caroline Boujard – 3-5; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 3-7; 19 mins – France try: Emilie Boulard – 3-12; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 3-14; 22 mins – France try: Penalty try & conversion – 3-21; Ireland yellow card – Aoife McDermott; 27 mins – Ireland try: Cliodhna Moloney – 8-21; conversion: missed by Hannah Tyrrell – 8-21; 31 mins – France penalty: Caroline Drouin – 8-24; 34 mins – France try: Safi N’Diaye – 8-29; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 8-31; 39 mins – France try: Cyrielle Banet – 8-36; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 8-38; Half-time – Ireland 8 France 38; 47 mins – France try: Caroline Boujard – 8-43; conversion: missed by Caroline Drouin – 8-43; 56 mins – France try: Romane Menager – 8-48; conversion: missed by Caroline Drouin – 8-48; 66 mins – Ireland yellow card: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; France penalty – Caroline Drouin – 8-51; 72 mins – France try: Cyrielle Banet – 8-56; conversion: missed by Caroline Drouin – 8-56; 74 mins – Ireland try: Emma Hooban – 13-56; conversion: Stacey Flood – 15-56; Full-time – Ireland 15 France 56

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 used: Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster) for McDermott, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster) for Delany (both 49 mins), Emily Lane (Blackrock/Munster) for Dane, Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster) for Tyrrell, Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock/Leinster) for Molloy (all 54), Emma Hooban (Blackrock/Leinster) for Moloney, Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union/Leinster) for Peat, Laura Feely (Blackrock/Connacht) for Djougang (all 59).

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 used: Romane Menager (Montpellier RC) for Gros, Clara Joyeux (Blagnac Rugby Feminin) for Bernadou (both 49 mins), Pauline Bourdon (AS Bayonnaise) for Sansus, Coumba Diallo (Stade Francais) for Hermet (both 55), Maïlys Traoré (Stade Toulousain) for Deshaye, Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac Rugby Feminin) for Neisen (both 63), Laure Touyé (Montpellier RC) for Sochat, Morgane Peyronnet (Montpellier RC) for Boujard (both 66).

Referee: Sara Cox (England)