Ireland chase historic away victory over France in Women’s Six Nations
Ireland will attempt to record their first ever away victory over France in the Women’s Six Nations when the sides meet at the Stade Marcel-Michelin in Clermont on Saturday.
The ambitious visitors have set their sights on shattering the traditional dominance of England and France at the pinnacle of European rugby.
A victory this weekend would mark a significant milestone towards their stated objective of breaking into the world’s top four rankings ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
However, Scott Bemand’s side must overcome a heavy burden of history to emerge triumphant against formidable opposition.
Overcoming past heartbreak
The national team has never defeated Les Bleus on French soil.
Since securing a narrow 13-10 success in Dublin in 2017, the women in green have suffered seven consecutive Six Nations defeats to their continental rivals.
During that barren spell, the average winning margin for the French has been a daunting 30 points.
Recent encounters have been much closer, including an agonising World Cup quarter-final in Exeter where the French recovered from a 13-0 deficit to win 18-13.
Surging momentum and confidence
Despite those painful memories, the current crop of players travel to the continent fueled by genuine belief.
That self-assurance was heavily bolstered by a ruthless nine-try demolition of Italy in Galway last week.
The spectacular 57-20 triumph featured a blistering first-half performance and an impressive hat-trick from explosive winger Beibhinn Parsons.
This attacking display followed a resilient second-half showing against world champions England at Twickenham earlier in the campaign.
A shift in mentality
Refusing to embrace the traditional underdog label, the squad remains publicly defiant ahead of this daunting fixture.
“I’d be worried, if I was them.”
Stacey Flood
The full-back offered that bold assessment when asked how their upcoming opponents would view the recent high-scoring victory over the Italians.
Forward Aoife Wafer echoed that defiant sentiment, emphasizing a deep-seated desire for redemption.
“I think this group has always had belief and it’ll be no different in France. I think we owe them one.”
Aoife Wafer
Head coach Bemand expressed his satisfaction with the confident mindset radiating from the Irish camp.
“We’ve got to take the best bits of both games and continue to go after our own 85-minute performance,” the manager concluded.
To secure a famous upset, the visitors will need to combine that unshakeable belief with relentless consistency until the final whistle blows.
