France came to Toulouse, the beating heart of French rugby, to be greeted by another 5-figure crowd. Ireland had never yet beaten France away from home, and after a quarter of an hour they had enjoyed just 18% possession.
As promised by the management, the French team showed seven changes from their victory over Italy. A second-choice front row helped disrupt the visitors’ ambitions, and French strategy was hard-edged. At the first opportunity to score, Caroline Drouin potted a straightforward penalty.
Her high up-and-under didn’t work. Ireland dealt with it and won a penalty that gained more ground. But the ensuing line-out failed to work – an on-going weakness. Ireland scrambled, and suddenly Eve Higgins found herself cantering under the posts!. It needed a TMO intervention to point out that Dorothy Wall had held Axelle Berthoumieu back as she went for the loose ball – no try!
France responded with a fine move started by Laure Sansus that gave Melissande Llorens an inch of space on the left.
They continued to dominate. Drouin inserted a clever low kick to bounce over Eimear Considine’s head. She had to get back and clear under pressure. The hard-headed approach was repeated as Gaelle Hermet summoned Drouin to add another three points from in front.
Aoibheann Reilly made up for a careless penalty when she fell on the prone body of Emilie Boulard, by offering several feisty snipes, but Drouin and especially her partner Sansus kept the French attack motoring forward.
A powerful French scrum crabbed right, but Sansus had the second try by shooting the other way to go over in the left corner.
The hosts didn’t have to rely on forward power and sure handling: their game now resembles the English more and more. Both the halves have precise control over their kicks, Sansus getting huge length off her clearances.
On the receiving end, the Irish rarely found themselves well situated. Time and again the ball was allowed to bounce, giving the defensive line time to close them down.
The quick footed Irish backs created several likely openings, but all finished too soon as passes failed to find completion. They suffered a familiar let-down as a promising break was spoiled by another lost line-out.
Before the break France added two more tries, to Audrey Forlani and Clara Joyeux, and the Irish uphill struggle looked vertical.
Half-time: 26-0
It wasn’t one-traffic from here on, only nearly so. Sansus had her second, sniping through after feigning a pass out.
On 51 minutes Ireland at last showed what they are made of. Passes stuck, ground was gained, and finally Higgins danced her way past Sansus and behind the posts. It had taken a long while for this continuity to shine through. Nicole Cronin muffed the kick from in front.
Boulard was the beneficiary with the last try. Ireland compounded their errors by failing to clear defensive ball, then a short pass cannoned off the receiver. Quick French hands exploited the chance.
There was little the Irish could do about French power up front, but the line-out failures had fewer excuses. Cliodhna Moloney has found Sam Monaghan a few thousand times at Wasps’ line-outs this season, but she was not on the paddock today. And once the ball did come out into midfield, unforced handling errors stopped them in their tracks.
Ireland did well to keep France scoreless for the last sixteen minutes; indeed the game ran on another three minutes, till Boulard’s fortunes swung violently. She was shown yellow for a head-on-head collision and left the field in distress. Barrett-Theron didn’t need to show red.
Result: France 40 Ireland 5
Player of the Match: Laure Sansus
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Teams
France:
15 Boulard, 14 Banet,13 Filopon, 12 Vernier, 11 Llorens, 10 Drouin, 9 Sansus; 1 Lindelouf, 2 Touyé, 3 Joyeux, 4 Fall, 5 Forlani, 6 Berthoumieu, 7 Hermet (captain) 8 R. Ménager
Bench: 16 Domain, 17 Deshayes, 18 Khalfaoui, 19 Ferer, 20 Annery, 21 Chambon, 22 Trémouliere, 23 Jacquet
Ireland:
15 Considine, 14 Murphy Crowe, 13 Higgins, 12 Flood, 11 Mulhall, 10 Cronin, 9 Reilly, 1 Djougang, 2 N. Jones, 3 O’Dwyer, 4 Friday captain), 5 Monaghan, 6 Wall, 7 McMahon, 8 Hogan
Bench: 16 Hooban, 17 Pearse 18 Haney (uncapped), 19 McGann 20 O’Connor, 21 Dane, 22 Breen, 23 Parsons
Afterthoughts
Beibhinn Parsons has become the Jaz Joyce of Irish rugby, the centre of attention.
First reactions to Greg McWilliams’ selection centred on the winger’s place on the bench for the second time running. He explained his thinking: she certainly deserved to be in the team; she is one of the best. But asking one other player to make way for her would look like a deserved demotion which would be quite unfair.
Once more the clash between 15s and 7s raises its head. Several Irish backs will be on the plane to the Canada Sevens, meaning Parsons would barely get a look-in in the current 6N series. Critics ask for the best side to be picked on every occasion. Nothing new there.
Caroline Drouin must have her own inbuilt GPS system for place-kicks: after a first glance at the posts she doesn’t check their position once again. Her eyes remain glued to the ball. Most unusual.
