FRANCE survived a long spell with 14 players to overcome an entertaining Ireland in the opening match of the 2025 Championship.
France fired their first shot with a Gabrielle Vernier try in the first ten minutes, However, it was Ireland who went close to an early contender for Try of the Round minutes later with a fine break from fullback Stacey Flood – only to see a cross-field kick sail straight into the stands.
Les Bleuets were in full clinical mode going into the second quarter, putting the ball through the hands until it came to wing Marine Ménager, the co-captain who scored in this fixture last year, to cross. Fullback Morgane Bourgeois’ second conversion double the visitors’ lead.
Ireland came roaring back with a powerful surge from Aoife Wafer, the number eight dragging defenders over the line as she went. It was the seventh try in 12 internationals for the back rower from Leinster. 5-14.
Shortly before the end of the first half, Ireland conceded a scrum penalty, which Bourgeois punished with her third successful kick at goal: 5-17. Despite the scoreline, Ireland would have taken heart from their effectiveness in open play, their willingness to run the ball when the opportunities arose evidently pleasing the Belfast crowd.
Try-scorer Vernier, the inside centre, was shown a yellow card – which went to the bunker for review – for a dangerous tackle on opposite number Eve Higgins minutes into the second half. Buoyed by the numerical advantage, the hosts immediately got to driving their maul over the French line, from which hooker Neve Jones emerged as the scorer. Immediate impact.
Fly-half Dannah O’Brien was unable to convert for the second time, leaving a converted try as a buffer for France: 10-17.
Then came confirmation from the bunker that Vernier would not return to the field, which made France’s narrow lead all the more shaky.
With under 15 minutes left to play, the Irish opted once again for their tried-and-tested maul to provide them with their next try, and it was Wafer on the scoresheet again. O’Brien missed with the conversion, but Ireland were starting to get on top in the momentum stakes, if not yet the score: 15-17.
A monster penalty from Bourgeois gave France some blessed relief, but they would need more to quell an Irish team who’d had a sniff of a first victory against Les Bleuets since 2017. 15-20.
It came a minute later as Emilie Boulard finished off a mazey phase of French attack that felt like the truest action of French rugby we’d seen this afternoon. An on-song Bourgeois added the extras: 15-27.
It was France’s 20th victory of the 23 meetings between the sides in the Championship but it was one of the best scorelines in recent seasons for Ireland with plenty of positives to build on.
