I see this as the key match of the opening round of the Six Nations.
It’s high time a third nation threatened the supremacy of the duo England-France. Ireland are the likeliest candidates, and they are at home in Belfast, where les Bleues have not yet played a 6N match.
The Teams:
Ireland:
1 O’Dowd, 2 N. Jones, 3 Djougang, 4 Campbell, 5 Wall, 6 Hogan, 7 King, 8 Wafer, 9 Lane, 10 O’brien, 11 Costigan (captain), 12 Higgins, 13 Dalton, 14 McGann, 15 Flood
16 Moloney, 17 McCarthy, 18 Haney, 19 Moore, 20 Tuite, 21 McMahon, 22 Reilly, 23 Breen
France (beware 20 & 21!)
1 Brosseau, 2 Soachat, 3 Bernadou, 4 M. Feleu (co-captain), 5 Fall Raclot 6 Escudero 7 Okemba 8 T. Feleu, 9 Bourdon Sansus, 10 Arbez, 11 M. Ménager (co-captain), 12 Vernier, 13 Konde, 14 Llorens Vigneres, 15 Bourgeois
16 Bigot, 17 Mwayembe, 18 Joyeux, 19 Berthoumieu 20 Champon 21 Chambon, 22 Queyroi 23 Boulard
In their search for a magic formula the French co-coaches have left few players in their key positions; perhaps only Sochat, Fall, PBS and Vernier. They have opted for youth, with half an eye on that distant goal in England in the late summer.
They retain the Feleu-Ménager co-captaincy, but leading from the wing isn’t easy. Marine Ménager makes up for it by scoring packets of tries. But the absence of her sister is an ongoing handicap. We’ll see how far the younger Feleu can compensate.
Morgane Bourgeois is restored at 15 after her inexplicable absence from the second WXV. She replaces Emilie Boulard who may still be paying the price for that lapse in the England game, when she graciously passed the ball straight to Meg Jones.
It may turn out that we are being over-optimistic about Irish chances, but there’s a lot running in their favour. It’s a home game, and they have known remarkable recent success. They have confidence in their methods, and they won’t feel fate hanging heavy over them, as the French may well do.
Scott Bemand couldn’t find room for Edel McMahon at the start, so Amee-Leigh Costigan is honoured with a first captaincy – another winger in charge!
The Irish are cautious about their double success in the Celtic Challenge (first and second). They know that the 6N presents a steep step-up, but it gave them nine weekly contests to get them match-fit.
They have two powerful boots in Stacey Flood and Dannah O’Brien to push them into enemy territory. O’Brien’s game has matured fast; it does help adding the vital points at the end of a game to defeat the Black Ferns.
For much of Aoife Wafer’s vaulting career she has worn 6, though usually packing down at 8. Now she becomes a fully paid-up member of the No 8 union. Again, it must help having scored two tries against the Ferns from the back of a set scrum.
Bemand is another coach to opt for a 6:2 split between forwards and backs; it’s very contagious.
A home win is just possible. If it does happen, it will mean another apple-cart being ruthlessly overturned.
