Linda Djougang scored Ireland’s first try and delivered a superb performance in Sunday’s big game
RICHARD BULLICK AT SANDY PARK
A match-changing breakaway try by France from near their own line with 12 minutes remaining proved decisive as Ireland suffered a heartbreaking 18-13 defeat in atrocious conditions in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final in Exeter.
The favourites added a penalty to leave Scott Bemand’s side needing a try to become the first Ireland senior team, male or female, to win a World Cup knockout game, and they were within a few feet of the opposition line with the clock in the red.
But the try which would have handed Dannah O’Brien a conversion attempt to claim a deserved victory for Ireland simply wouldn’t come and France go through to play hosts England in one semi with the other tie being between holders New Zealand and Canada.
Ireland went to touch with a last-gasp penalty in the hope their superb pack could maul their way over the tryline but France put up a jumper who got fingertips to Cliodhna Moloney-McDonald’s throw, with that knock-on ending the game as time was up.
Buoyed by an almost superhuman performance from taliswoman Aoife Wafer, who played the full 80 minutes on her World Cup debut after more than four months sidelined by injury, pumped-up Ireland took the fight to the French all afternoon.
The Irish camp were adamant all week that last Sunday’s 40-0 defeat to world champions New Zealand in their final group game hadn’t knocked confidence or damaged morale, and their stirring Sandy Park performance certainly backed up that assertion.
Ireland had 65 percent possession and an even slightly greater territorial advantage in a match where France conceded 17 penalties and had three players sinbinned, though they could have collected even more cards including a red for a bite on Wafer by France’s Berthoumieu.
Ireland’s sense of injustice was compounded on Monday night when Berthoumieu was handed a 12-week suspension and captain Mane Feleu. who was sinbinned, banned for three weeks, which confirms both should have been red-carded during the game.
The Ireland back row of Aoife Wafer flanked by Ulster duo Brittany Hogan (left) and Fiona Tuite
That unsavoury incident at the start of the second half looked incredibly damning on television but, in a tournament marred by some frustratingly substandard officiating, the referee failed to take any action despite protestations by Ireland skipper Sam Monaghan.
On an afternoon France stood accused of actual cannibalism, Ireland metaphorically ate the opposition scrum alive, winning a series of penalties, though not even the accumulation of similar infringements persuaded Aimee Barrett-Theron to go to her pocket.
Ireland’s sense of injustice was compounded on Monday night when Berthoumieu was handed a 12-week suspension and Mane Feleu banned for three weeks, which confirms both should have been red-carded during the game.
It was a game of two halves at soggy Sandy Park as Ireland built an interval lead of 13-0 with the elements behind them in the opening period, though they should have had an even bigger buffer for playing into the driving rain after the break.
Ireland laid siege to the French tryline as they kept pressing for a remarkable 36 phases without reward at the end of the first half in seeking to add to earlier touchdowns from Linda Djougang and Stacey Flood, augmented by an O’Brien penalty.
The officials failed to spot a blatant hair-pull on ball-carrier Aoife Dalton towards the end of that passage when even a penalty would have let Ireland breathe and reset rather than the desperation mounting as they kept hammering away through that plethora of phases.
Given the elements, there were nagging doubts that a 13-point cushion may not be enough but, despite France finally getting on the scoreboard with a penalty, Ireland remained in control until well into the final quarter, when the opposition struck from long range.
Ulster forward Fiona Tuite brought to ground after one of her many forceful carries against France
Off turnover ball in the French 22, winger Joanna Grisez raced clear down the right to score their second try, to the dismay of the large Irish support in a five-figure crowd, though Morgane Bourgeois couldn’t convert, meaning there was just two points between the teams.
Replacement flanker Grace Moore’s return from the sinbin was a boost for Ireland, but they fell further behind when prolific fullback Bourgeois took her tally for the afternoon to eight points with another penalty.
There were still plenty of twists and turns, though the score didn’t change again before the final whistle came with the clock well in the red, confirming Ireland’s exit courtesy of a defeat which will torment them for a lot longer than that much heavier beating by New Zealand.
Already without World Breakthrough Player of the Year Erin King and influential forward Dorothy Wall of Exeter Chiefs, Ireland had to take the field here without co-captain Edel McMahon, another player who plies her trade at Sandy Park in the English Premiership.
Wafer’s long-awaited return was an obvious boost and thankfully Flood had made an almost miraculous recovery from the nasty laceration to her lower leg sustained in the Brighton game against New Zealand in time to play.
Having missed that Black Ferns fixture due to a knock against Spain, Ulster forward Fiona Tuite returned in place of Moore at blindside flanker with Wafer taking over from openside McMahon in an otherwise unchanged starting team.
In such a tight game, and given the conditions, Bemand understandably stuck with the same backline throughout, while the incredibly durable Djougang also went the full 80 minutes at tighthead prop.
After falling 14-0 behind in both World Cup warm-up matches, Ireland have targeted fast stats at this tournament and they hit the ground running on the way to bonus-point victories over Japan and Spain in their first two group games.
Ireland also began brightly against New Zealand, albeit without scoreboard reward, so converting any chances which came their way in this French clash was imperative, especially to build the substantial lead which would be needed for facing into the wind.
Despite receiving the kick-off this time, Ireland thought they had scored after just three minutes when Monaghan got over and O’Brien converted, but it was belatedly chalked off just before France restarted due to the television match official citing a Wafer knock-on.
But, back in their traditional green jerseys after having to wear the white alternative version against New Zealand, Bemand’s side still went in front a few minutes later when Djougang forced her way over after Niamh O’Dowd tapped a close-in penalty.
The weather was awful but fiercely-committed Ireland maintained their ascendancy and France had Rose Bernadou sinbinned at the end of the first quarter for a high tackle on Eve Higgins, with the prop failing her consequent head injury assessment for good measure.
On a day when they generally lacked luck, Ireland did benefit from some good fortune a few minutes later when Neve Jones seemed to overthrow at the lineout after an O’Brien penalty to the corner but the French knocked on trying to gather deep in their own 22.
Ireland moved the ball left from the resulting scrum for fullback Flood to score on the left after inroads by Higgins and Wafer, with O’Brien’s reasonably struck conversion from wide out just squeezing past the near upright, but at least the lead was now in double digits.
There was still a sense of urgency given the need for Ireland to bank as big an advantage as possible and O’Brien confidently slotted a penalty from 35 metres after another French scrum crumbled under pressure on their own put-in.
It had looked like Wafer’s match might be over a few minutes earlier as she remained down on the opposition 22 as play continued but the Wexford warrior resumed after lengthy treatment to an appreciative roar from the stands.
Unfortunately, those relentless green waves at the end of the opening period didn’t deliver any further reward as both teams showed fantastic concentration and technique in ensuring play continued deep into over-time through a breathless stalemate.
Ireland’s fit-again taliswoman Aoife Wafer was sensational on her return after a long injury lay-off
French captain Mane Feleu was sinbinned during the siege though, meaning Ireland would have a numerical advantage initially as they turned into the wind – which did seem to have subsided a bit by then – though the alleged bite went unchecked never mind punished.
Ireland’s dominance in the scrum yielded a series of penalties – they kept opting to pack down again with the wind making kicking for touch from midfield more difficult – but an off-ball tackle from scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly was punished by a three-pointer from Bourgeois.
It was a frustrating concession and, although the French clearance from the restart went out on the full, Ireland were penalised at the attacking lineout which followed as both sets of fans tried to drown each other out with their respective chants.
Ulster loose forward Hogan was in the wars but kept going until near the end of the third quarter when giving way to Moore, with former England international Ellena Perry replacing the typically industrious Niamh O’Dowd in the front row at the same time.
But disaster struck when Moore was sinbinned for making head contact within a minute of taking the field and France capitalised with 12 points in her absence, a very significant tally in such a low-scoring game.
No 8 Charlotte Escudero got over for their first try almost on the hour mark after France opted to tap the penalty awarded for Moore’s offence and Bourgeois, so prolific in this spring’s Six Nations, added the extras to reduce the arrears to three points.
It was really game on now but Ireland were indebted to one brilliant tackle by Dalton and soon afterwards the compact centre got her team on the front foot by forcing a knock-on in opposition territory thanks to being up in the French faces with typical persistence.
But just when Ireland fans were sensing their team might score again after a period of pressure, the ball was lost and France showed how lethal they can be by opening out from well inside their own 22 to put Grisez away for what felt like a vital try and so it proved.
Exeter Chiefs hooker Cliodhna Moloney-McDonald had come on for Jones with 15 minutes to go, with Monaghan giving way to Eimear Corri Fallon at the same juncture and winger Amee-Leigh Costigan taking over the captaincy.
Bourgeois gave France some more breathing space with her second penalty on 75 minutes after a trip by Moore, but there was still more drama after Alexandra Chambon became her team’s third player to be sent to the sinbin, in her case for a deliberate knock-on.
The gallant greens threw everything at it in the closing stages in a desperate bid to keep their World Cup dreams alive but that French hand knocking on at an Ireland lineout five metres out triggered the final whistle at the end of an epic contest.
FRANCE: Morgane Bourgeois; Joanna Grisez, Marine Menager, Gabrielle Vernier (Seraphine Okemba, temp 62), Kelly Arbey; Lina Queyroi (Emilie Boulard, 78), Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Alexandra Chambon, 75); Yllana Brosseau (Annaelle Deshaye, 46; Deshaye HIA 79), Agathe Gerin (Manon Bigot, 56), Rose Bernadou (Assia Khalfaoui, 30), Mane Feleu (capt), Madoussou Fall-Raclot, Axelle Berthoumieu (Teani Feleu, 52), Lea Champon, Charlotte Escudero (Okemba, 75).
IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Niamh O’Dowd (Ellena Perry, 58), Neve Jones (Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 66), Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (capt; Eimear Corri-Fallon, 66); Fiona Tuite, Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan (Grace Moore, 58).
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa).
Ulsterwoman Neve Jones takes on two French defenders during the big game at Sandy Park
Replacement lock Eimear Corri-Fallon tries to burst between two French defenders for Ireland
Ireland backs Aoibheann Reilly and Aoife Dalton console each other at the final whistle in Exeter
