Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories The superb Aoife Wafer scored two tries for Ireland in a 27-15 defeat.Ben Brady/INPHO FreeDisappointment Ireland go close but lose out to France in Women's Six Nations opener Scott Bemand’s side suffered a 27-15 defeat after a late French surge in Belfast. 3.32pm, 22 Mar 2025 Share options Daire Walsh reports from Kingspan Stadium DESPITE FINDING THEMSELVES within touching distance during a tense second half of action, Ireland eventually fell to a 12-point loss at the hands of France in the opening round of the 2025 Women’s Six Nations at Kingspan Stadium this afternoon. You have to go back to the 2017 edition of the championship for the last time Ireland defeated France in an international encounter – a converted try from Leah Lyons helping them to secure a 13-10 victory in Donnybrook on that occasion. France appeared set for another convincing day at the office when Gabrielle Vernier and Marine Menager tries propelled them into a 14-point cushion by the 19th minute. Yet with Aoife Wafer and Neve Jones registering five-pointers either side of a 20-minute red card for Vernier, Scott Bemand’s charges were very much in the mix at the Belfast venue. Another Wafer try left just two points between the teams inside the final quarter before France rallied in the closing moments to deny the hosts a major scalp. Player of the match Manae Feleu is tackled by Ireland replacement Enya Breen.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Ireland came into 2025 on the back of an impressive second-place finish in the WXV 1 tournament in Canada last October, but it was the visitors who laid down an early marker in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations. After out-half Carla Arbez kicked a penalty to touch in the sixth minute, the resulting set-piece move was worked towards the left-hand side for inside centre Vernier to dot down in clinical style. Fullback Morgane Bourgeois expertly split the uprights from the subsequent conversion and while Ireland got themselves inside the opposition 22’ with a series of strong carries, France bagged their second converted try just shy of the first-quarter mark. Advertisement Despite the best defensive efforts of Jones (one of two Ulster natives in the Irish starting line-up), an extended attacking move from the French was finished off on the right flank by team captain Menager. France's Marine Menager scores France's second try.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO While these were early ominous signs for Ireland, the home team came roaring into the contest on 22 minutes. Wafer claimed a try in the latter stages of their loss to France at the beginning of the 2024 championship and when the Leinster back-row found herself in sight of the opposition whitewash off an attacking line-out, she made no mistake with a powerful finish from close-range. In the wake of this score (which was followed by an unsuccessful bonus kick from Dannah O’Brien), Ireland were on the back foot once again for an extended spell. Their committed and diligent defensive work largely kept the French attack at bay during this juncture, only for a penalty from Bourgeois to move the visiting side into a 17-5 cushion in time for the interval. This was a far from insurmountable position for Ireland to be in, however, and the hosts gained a numerical advantage within five minutes of the restart as Vernier was sent to the sin-bin for an off-field review after she was adjudged to have made head contact with Eve Higgins. The Railway Union centre was temporarily replaced by Enya Breen for a head injury assessment and by the time she returned to the field of play, Vernier’s yellow card had been officially upgraded to a red. Before that decision was reached by TMO Rachel Horton, Ireland had cut substantially into the French lead. Having picked out her intended target after O’Brien booted the penalty arising from Vernier’s tackle on Higgins to touch, vice-captain Jones applied the finishing touches off the back of a line-out maul for a 46th minute try. O’Brien’s difficult conversion attempt from the right wing was marginally short of the target, but there was a sense at this point that Ireland might be starting to gather serious momentum. Ireland celebrate Aoife Wafer's second try.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO France dug deep in defence until the 20-minute time period for their red card had elapsed – Blagnac’s Axelle Berthoumieu was drafted in to replace Vernier – but Ireland’s set-piece once again paid dividends on 67 minutes. After getting Ireland up and running in the opening period, Wafer doubled her tally for the day by finishing off their latest maul move on the right-flank. Yet O’Brien missed an opportunity to restore parity from her third kick at goal and France finally reasserted themselves with a successful Bourgeois penalty on 72 minutes. This took the sting out of the Irish challenge to a certain degree and with opening half replacement Emilie Boulard diving over for France’s third converted try moments later, France ultimately maintained their excellent recent run of form in this fixture. Ireland scorers: Tries – Aoife Wafer 2, Neve Jones Conversions – Dannah O’Brien [0/3] France scorers: Tries – Gabrielle Vernier, Marine Menager, Emilie Boulard Conversions – Morgane Bourgeois [3/3] Penalties – Morgane Bourgeois [2/2] IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins (Enya Breen ’45-’52 & ‘68), Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane (Aoibheann Reilly ’56); Niamh O’Dowd (Siobhán McCarthy ’78), Neve Jones (Cliodhna Moloney ’56), Linda Djougang (Christy Haney ’78); Ruth Campbell (Grace Moore ’68), Dorothy Wall (Fiona Tuite ’56); Brittany Hogan (Edel McMahon ’56), Erin King, Aoife Wafer. FRANCE: Morgane Bourgeois; Marine Menager, Nassira Konde (Emilie Boulard ’34), Gabrielle Vernier (Axelle Berthoumieu ’66), Melissande Llorens Vignères; Carla Arbez (Lina Queyroi ’70), Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Alexandra Chambon ’52-’62 & ’70-‘80); Yllana Brosseau (Ambre Mwayembe ’56), Agathe Sochat (Manon Bigot ’56), Rose Bernadou (Clara Joyeux ’56); Manae Feleu, Madoussou Fall-Raclot; Charlotte Escudero, Seraphine Okemba (Lea Champon ’66), Teani Feleu. Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland). Daire Walsh View 5 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Ireland go close but lose out to France in Women's Six Nations opener”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Ireland go close but lose out to France in Women's Six Nations opener”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Disappointment women's six nations 2025 News in 60 seconds FreeUpset Win Waterford stun Division 1 champions Armagh with 10-point victory 27 mins ago Sarah Healy and Andrew Coscoran finish sixth at World Indoor Championships Ireland v France, Women's Six Nations Freeas it stands Hamilton off the mark for Ferrari, Piastri takes China GP pole FreeOn Second Thoughts Hallgrimsson rows back on 'passive' criticism of Ireland players ahead of second leg 'The manager told him: Grow a set of balls. You're a grown-up now’ Freesmall yet mighty Pride for Kerry rugby club as local talents win Senior Schools medals with CBC and Blackrock Ireland v France, Women's Six Nations Munster can't hold on as Glasgow snatch dramatic late win Freesmall yet mighty Pride for Kerry rugby club as local talents win Senior Schools medals with CBC and Blackrock Messy Situation 'It didn't come as a massive shock to me' - Ex-Leitrim boss on Fermanagh walkover more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account