Ireland Women's Rugby Team Faces France FC in Six Nations

Ireland Women's rugby team, led by coach Scott Bemand, is gearing up to take on France in the Six Nations tournament, aiming to break the dominance of England and France and secure a top two finish. The team has been working on their game and is confident to be more competitive against France, having learned from their 38-17 loss last year.

The team's performance in the WXV1 tournament last year marked a turning point, with a 29-27 win over New Zealand in Vancouver being a highlight. This success has instilled a belief in the team that they can achieve their goals when they follow their process and have a great coaching team behind them. Centre Eve Higgins is confident about the team's prospects, believing that they have clarity and focus, with a clear plan in place to build on last year's performances.

The team's experience of training against France in Vancouver has given them valuable insight into the French team's tactics and players, including star players like Bourdon Sansus and Gabrielle Vernier. This experience will give the team confidence in playing in specific areas of the pitch and playing the game they want to play. Aoibheann O'Reilly, a Roscommon native, has been named as a replacement for Ireland's Six Nations opener against France on Saturday, having recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The match against France will be a test of Ireland's ability to close the gap between themselves and the top two teams in the Six Nations. With their strength in depth and a clear plan in place, the team is confident of a strong performance and a top two finish, which would be a significant achievement ahead of the World Cup in August.