The Ireland Women’s first home game of the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations sees them return to Musgrave Park, the scene of last year’s memorable 29-8 victory over Italy. Tickets are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.ie here.
2023 TIKTOK WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:
Saturday, April 1 –
IRELAND WOMEN (5th) v FRANCE WOMEN (3rd), Musgrave Park, 3.15pm (live Virgin Media One/BBC 2 Northern Ireland/BBC iPlayer/RTÉ Radio 1)
Team News: Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams has made five changes to the team for the visit of France to Cork, while there are two uncapped players included on the replacements bench.
Vicky Irwin and Dannah O’Brien are selected to start in the Ireland back-line, with Christy Haney, Grace Moore and Deirbhile Nic a Bháird all brought into the pack.
Clara Nielson and Kathryn Buggy come into the matchday squad and are in line to make their Ireland debuts off the bench.
The Ireland back-three remains unchanged with Méabh Deely continuing at full-back and Aoife Doyle and Natasja Behan named on the wings. With Enya Breen ruled out of the remainder of the Championship through injury, Armagh native Irwin comes into the midfield to partner Aoife Dalton.
Talented Tullow teenager O’Brien (19) is promoted off the bench to make her first Six Nations start at out-half. Her Leinster team-mate Molly Scuffil-McCabe is retained at scrum half.
Up front, Linda Djougang switches to loosehead prop to pack down alongside Neve Jones and Haney. Captain Nichola Fryday and Sam Monaghan make up the second row pairing, with Dorothy Wall joined in the back row by Moore at openside flanker and Nic a Bháird at number 8.
The reserve forwards are uncapped duo Nielson and Buggy, Sadhbh McGrath, Hannah O’Connor and Brittany Hogan, while Nicole Cronin, Anna McGann, who is set for her first 15s appearance since last year’s Six Nations, and Lauren Delany provide the back-line reinforcements.
Commenting ahead of the game, McWilliams said: “Last week was a disappointing start to the campaign for us but we turned the page quickly and were honest with ourselves.
“We know this journey is going to take time and require patience, and we are working hard as a group to learn those lessons and make positive progress every time we step on the field.
“Saturday is another opportunity for us to do that and returning to Musgrave Park is an exciting prospect for us all.
“The support of our home crowd, family and friends is so important to us, and with the backing of the Irish people, we can make strides in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, France’s joint-head coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have made two changes to the side that secured a 22-12 win over Italy in Parma last Sunday.
Stade Bordelais youngster Morgane Bourgeois (20) steps up for her France senior debut at full-back, with the rest of the back-line – led by the half-back pairing of Carla Arbez and Paulie Bourdon – unchanged.
Assia Khalfaoui makes way for Blagnac Rugby Féminin’s Clara Joyeux in the front row. Experienced second row Audrey Forlani captains the team, while Stade Rennais hooker Elisa Riffoneau could earn her first cap as a replacement.
TikTok Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
TikTok Women’s Six Nations Table
IRELAND WOMEN: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster), Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster).
Replacements: Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).
FRANCE WOMEN: Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais); Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Marine Menager (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Caroline Boujard (Montpellier Hérault Rugby); Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais), Pauline Bourdon (Stade Toulousain Rugby); Annaelle Deshaye (Stade Bordelais), Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais), Clara Joyeux (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Manae Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones), Audrey Forlani (Blagnac Rugby Féminin) (capt), Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Emeline Gros (FC Grenoble Amazones), Charlotte Escudero (Blagnac Rugby Féminin).
Replacements: Elisa Riffoneau (Stade Rennais Rugby), Coco Lindelauf (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Maëlle Picut (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain Rugby), Alexandra Chambon (FC Grenoble Amazones), Jessy Trémoulière (ASM Romagnat Rugby Féminin), Marie Dupouy (Blagnac Rugby Féminin).
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Sara Cox (England), Maria Heitor (Portugal)
Television Match Official: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Watch
The game is live on Virgin Media One in the Republic of Ireland, while viewers in Northern Ireland/the UK can watch it live on BBC 2 Northern Ireland and the BBC iPlayer.
Pre-Match Quotes – Nichola Fryday (Ireland Women): “Last year the Cork crowd were huge in helping us get that win (over Italy). It was electric here and it’s been like that for the Men’s Under-20s as well.
“We’ve no doubt they’ll come out in their thousands and really get behind us. We want to give them a good game to support so that’s what we’re focusing on.
“We were a bit bruised from the Wales match. We didn’t show up front how strong and dynamic our forwards are and we want to show that this week. It’s definitely an area we’re focusing on.
“We weren’t aggressive enough. We didn’t show our power and our dominance in defence or attack. We want to come out here firing and have intent in our carries and intent in our tackles.
“If we’re soaking tackles like we were last week against Wales, it’s going to be a long day against the French. It’s about meeting them up front and making sure we bring a big battle to them.”
Gaëlle Mignot (France Women): “It’s a second away match for this new squad in a stadium with a great atmosphere. We expect a real battle. It’s another step for our team which is still building.
“We are bringing two new players who have been in the squad for two years, it’s also the culmination of the work done in the academies over the last few years.
“Against a powerful Ireland pack, we will keep playing to our strengths – that is the defence and the set piece. It’s important to keep validating our development in those areas.”
Opta Facts – Ireland Women v France Women:
– France have won seven of their last eight TikTok Women’s Six Nations matches against Ireland (L1), including each of their last four by margins of 24 or more points
– France have scored 47 or more points in each of their last two away games against Ireland after failing to score more than 10 in their previous three
– Ireland lost their opening game of the 2023 Women’s Six Nations (31-5 v Wales) after winning their final match of the 2022 campaign (15-14 v Scotland). However, they have won five of their last six second round fixtures (L1)
– Ireland have won six of their last eight home games in the Women’s Six Nations (L2), including each of their last two. However, their most recent home victory in the Championship came by just a single point (15-14 v Scotland)
– France have won five of their six Women’s Six Nations games since the start of the 2022 Championship (L1), with their only loss during that period having come against Grand Slam champions England in the final round last year (24-12)
– France have lost just one of their last seven away games in the Women’s Six Nations (W5 D1) and have won each of their last three by margins of 10 or more points. However, they have not won more consecutive away matches in the Championship since 2003-2006 (W8)
– Ireland committed two or more opposition tacklers from 60% of their carries in the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations, the highest such rate of any team last time out. Against that, they also had the lowest tackle evasion rate of any nation (14%)
– Only Wales (60 metres) gained more metres from mauls in the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations than France (53 metres). France gained an average of 8.8 metres per maul, the highest average of any team last time out
– France were the only side with a 100% 22 exit success rate in the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations, choosing to exit via kicks from 100% of their exit attempts (3/3)
– Ireland’s Neve Jones made the joint-most dominant tackles of any player in the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations (3, also Louise McMillan), while only Abbie Fleming (9) claimed more lineout takes than Jones’ team-mate, Nichola Fryday, last time out (7)
– France’s Charlotte Escudero hit the most attacking rucks of any player in the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations (26). Escudero was also a nuisance at two opposition rucks, the joint-most of any player last time out
Recent Meetings –
2019: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 17 France Women 47, Energia Park
2021: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 15 France Women 56, Energia Park
2022: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: France Women 40 Ireland Women 5, Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse
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Source: Irish Rugby