Ireland beaten but show better days are ahead

Source: The Sunday Times

France 38 Ireland 17: Women's Six Nations opener ends in defeat for Scott Bemand's side, who proved to be stubborn opponents

Despite seeing his side ultimately falling to a 21-point defeat, Ireland's head coach Scott Bemand was able to take plenty of encouragement from an opening round duel with France in the Women's Six Nations at Stade Marie-Marvingt on Saturday afternoon.

Having lost out 53-3 at home to the French in the second round of last year's Championship -- when Bemand's predecessor Greg McWilliams was at the helm -- this was an incredibly daunting encounter on paper for the Irish. They had also played the majority of their 2023 clash in Cork's Musgrave Park with a numerical advantage, but thanks to some stout defensive work, the visitors frustrated Les Bleues for large stretches of the opening period in the Le Mans venue.