Ireland bow out of World Cup after second-half comeback from France

Scott Bemand's side were 13-0 up at the break but were reeled in at Sandy Park. 

HARD YARDS: France's Charlotte Escudero tackles Ireland's Elena Perry. Scott Bemand's side saw their tournament ed at the quarter-final stage. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

FRANCE 18 IRELAND 13 

Ireland’s Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign came to a shattering end as they were edged out of a nail-biting quarter-final by Six Nations rivals France at Sandy Park on Sunday.

Ireland had started the knockout game as Pool C runners-up against the Pool D winners, a place above them at fourth in the World Rankings, but had taken a 13-0 half-time lead through tries from Linda Djougang and Stacey Flood, and a penalty from Dannah O’Brien as they made the most of appalling weather conditions.

It was not enough though, as France stormed back after the interval, a penalty from Morgane Bourgeois followed by tries from Charlotte Escudero on 59 minutes and Joanna Grisez eight minutes later., Bourgeois’ conversion of the first score and a further penalty on 76 minutes enough to see off a desperate Irish challenge.

The French now advance to a semi-final in Bristol next Saturday against either Scotland or hosts and tournament favourites England, who were set to meet at Ashton Gate later on Sunday.

Ireland, with the wind behind them and the rain driving into French faces, made the most of the conditions in the first half by exploiting some definite edginess in the favourites’ play. Dannah O’Brien’s tactical kicking kept Ireland in France’s half from very early on and when a French hand touched an early kick, the Irish were rewarded with a five-metre scrum when the ball was touched down behind the tryline.

The initial attack was thwarted and France won a defensive scrum but were turned over when the ball went loose, and Ireland thought they had taken the lead when captain Sam Monaghan crashed over in the third minute. O’Brien had converted and Ireland were ready to receive the restart when referee Aimee Barrett Theron was called to the big screen as TMO Ian Tempest spotted a knock on in the build-up from Aoife Wafer, the scoreboard reset to 0-0.

Yet Ireland did their reward a minute later, again from a five-metre scrum, tighthead Linda Djougang opening the scoring, and though O’Brien’s conversion from wide out was missed Ireland had a 5-0 lead.

There was a further boost when French tighthead Rose Bernadou was yellow carded on 18 minutes for a high tackle and Ireland made full use of the their numerical advantage, full-back Stacey Flood scoring in the 24th minute as the France defence was stretched.

Again the conversion was missed but O’Brien made amends on 37 minutes with a penalty to open the lead to 13-0.

A second yellow card for France, this time for captain Manae Feleu, for collapsing a maul in the final minute of the half, offered another opportunity for Ireland to build their lead but this time the fourth-ranked team in the world proved their class in defence, holding the Irish out through 35 phases to see them to half-time, and with a reachable target when they returned for the second half with the conditions in their favour.

Ireland restarted after the break with a player advantage and scored an early blow when they won a scrum penalty in their own half. A second Irish scrum penalty came shortly afterwards, with captain Feleu having returned to the second row for France, but was overturned for a tackle without the ball by scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly on the hooker. Agathe Gerin, and full-back Morgane Bourgeois kicked her team’s first points of the game on 48 minutes, 13-3.

The rain stopped shortly afterwards and the wind calmed to give Ireland a lift, but France were beginning to settle in possession and their big carriers were starting to punch holes in the Irish defence. That exerted pressure which forced a lineout inside Ireland’s 22 and a subsequent ruck penalty for France was upgraded to a yewllow card for replacement back-rower Grace Moore on centre Gaby Vernier. The French tapped the penalty and No.8 Charlotte Escudero finished the job with her side’s opening try in the 59th minute, Bourgeois’s conversion made it a three-point game at 13-10 to Ireland.

Ireland’s grip on this contest was tested without their full complement and as they pressed to get back on terms, they were stung by a clinical French counterpunch, wing Joanna Grisez striking from inside her own half down the left flank to put France in front for the first time in the match on 67 minutes at 15-13.

With the game in the balance, the 11,618 Sandy Park crowd growing edgier with each passing minute, the play grew more desperate and as Ireland sought to play their way out of their own 22, France earned a ruck penalty, which allowed Bourgeois to extend France’s lead to 18-13 four minutes from time.

Ireland needed a converted try to win and got a much-needed lifeline with three minutes to go when replacement scrum-half Alexandra Chambon was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, and they got another break when Reilly was high tackled with the clock on 79:50. O’Brien sent the kick into the 22 to give Ireland an attacking lineout from which they mauled and earned a penalty for a French side entry.

So with 81 minutes on the clock, O’Brien kicked once more to the corner for a five-metre lineout, only for French captain Manae Teleu making the match-winning intervention in the air to end the game and break Irish hearts.

FRANCE: M Bourgeouis; J Grisez, M Menager, G Vernier (S Okemba, 65-75 HIA), K Arbey; L Queyroi (E Boulard, 77), P Bourdon Sansus (A Chambon, 75); Y Brosseau (A Deshaye, 46-77), I Gerin (M Bigot, 65), R Bernadou (A Khalfaoui, 29); M Feleu – captain, M Fall Raclot; A Berthoumieu (A Khalfaoui, 21-29 FR rep, T Feleu, 52), L Champon (S Okemba, 76), C Escudero.

Yellow cards: R Bernadou 18-28, M Teleu 40-46 incl. first-half added time, A Chambon 77.

Replacements not used: A H Ikahehegi.

IRELAND: S Flood; B Parsons, A Dalton, E Higgins, A L Costigan; D O’Brien, A Reilly; N O’Dowd (E Perry, 57), N Jones (C Moloney MacDonald, 65), L Djougang; R Campbell, S Monaghan – captain (E Corri-Fallon, 65); F Tuite, A Wafer, B Hogan (G Moore, 57).

Yellow card: G Moore 59-69 Replacements not used: S McGrath, E Lane, E Breen, A McGann.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)