AON Ireland Women aim to stop French Slam in Pau
Ireland Women Head Coach Philip Doyle has made three personnel and one positional change to the side that ran out convincing winners against Italy at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday.
Jenny Murphy, Larissa Muldoon and Ailis Egan all return to the starting line up in place of Grace Davitt, Amy Davis and Stacey-Lea Kennedy respectively. Egan switches to loose-head with Gillian Bourke swapping back into hooker.
France are unbeaten to date and have an unassailable points difference of +137 but Ireland can deny them the grand slam with a victory in the Stade de Hameau in Pau on Friday night.
Philip Doyle, Ireland Women’s Head Coach, commented, “The team put in a fine performance against Italy in their first ever game at the Aviva Stadium but we are under no illusions as to the challenge ahead of us. France are the form team of the Championship and beat England reasonably comfortably in Round 1. We will need to match their physicality and take our chances when they come.”
IRELAND WOMEN v France Women – RBS 6 Nations Championship
Player / Club / Province / Caps
15. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster) 40
14. Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12
13. Lynne Cantwell (Richmond /Exiles) 82
12. Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 12
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise RFC/UCC/Connacht) 18
10. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 22
9. Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exiles) 19
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) 79 capt
2. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster) 40
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 16
4. Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 14
5. Marie –Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 29
6. Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster) 14
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) 30
8. Heather O’ Brien (Highfield/Munster) 13
Replacements
16. Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster) 12
17. Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster) 5
18. Kerrie –Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exiles) 3
19. Paula Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s/Leinster) 5
20. Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster) 35
21. Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exiles) 4
22. Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster) 50
23. Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile) 11
RBS 6 Nations Ireland Women’s Fixtures
France Women v IRELAND WOMEN
Stade du Hameau; 18:45
Friday 14th March, 2014
