The world knows – the Irish have come on in leaps and bounds in the past two years. The central question is whether they can overcome a series of injury doubts and setbacks to do themselves justice. (full list below) Their recent record at the RWC is none too promising. Their performance in their own
Here are the 32 Azzurre to represent Italy at the World Cup this month: Forwards: ILLARIA ARRIGHETTI GIORDANA BUSO VALERIA FEDRIGHI ALESSANDRA FRANGIPANI ELISA GIORDANO (captain) LAURA GURIOLI GAIA MARIS ISABELLA LOCATELLI GAIA MARIS ALESSIA PILANI ALISSA RANUCCINI SARA SEYE FRANCESCA SGORBINI DESIREE SPINELLI EMANUELA STECCA SARA TOUNESI SILVIA TURANI VITTORIA VECCHINI BEATRICE VERONESE (18)
You can well imagine the way loyal French fans reacted to the game in Mont-de-Marsan (6-40). Their comments range far and wide. Few are positive. Starting at the top: “Is the staff capable of running a successful Division 2 side?” No! This was evidenced by instructions an assistant offered during a water-break; “Get hold of
The Red Roses achieved their sixteenth consecutive win over France in a strangely shaped match in Mont-de-Marsan. For once les Bleues failed to score a single try. They depended on Morgane Bourgeois’ boot for their points. More striking was England’s reversion to type: the style that caused so much dissension up to the last RWC
The result looks like a runaway win for the visitors, but the coaches won’t see it that way. Both will have concerns. Kevin Rouet will be asking what happened to his side for long stretches of the second half. Ireland registered three tries to add to an early success. For Scott Bemand the concerns run
Harlequins Women are delighted to announce that Katie Shillaker, Grace Crompton, Lauren Torley and Heather Cowell have all committed to the Club ahead of the 2025/26 season. All four have shone for GB 7s in recent years and will now return full-time to the Harlequins Women’s programme ahead of the new campaign. Heather Cowell is
There is lovely and ugly news in the selection of the 32 to represent Scotland at the RWC. First the squad: Forwards LEAH BARTLETT, BECKY BOYD, SARAH BONAR, ELLIANN CLARKE, LISA COCKBURN, EVA DONALDSON, ADELLE FERRIE, EVIE GALLAGHER, JADE KONKEL, RACHEL MALCOLM (captain), ELIS MARTIN, RACHEL McLACHLAN, MOLLY POOLMAN, LANA SKELDON, ALEX STEWART, EMMA WASSELL,
The management have selected the following players to represent France in their solitary warm-up match before the World Cup: 1 DESHAYE 2 BIGOT 3 BERNADOU 4 M. FELEU 5 MADOUSSOU FALL 6 ESCUDERO 7 CHAMPON 8 T. FELEU 9 CHAMBON 10 ARBEZ 11 ARBEY 12 NEISEN 13 M. MENAGER 14 GRISEZ 15 BOURGEOIS 16 RIFFONNEAU
The newly sponsored Affidea Stadium in Belfast (formerly the Kingspan) will host a big game between nations aiming to go a very long way in the World Cup. Scott Bemand has made ten changes to the last side he put out: 15 FLOOD 14 PARSONS 13 DALTON 12 BREEN 11 McGANN 10 O’BRIEN 9 REILLY
John Mitchell wasn’t likely to send out his No 1 choice side against France, even though this is the final call. He has made eleven changes to last week’s side. It looks like this: 15 KILDUNNE 14 DOW 13 JONES 12 HEARD 11 BREACH 10 HARRISON 9 HUNT 1 BOTTERMAN 2 COKAYNE 3 MUIR 4
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