Match Tracker: Ireland 0 France 43

…Full-back Joanne O’Sullivan who hoovered up a lot of ball in Edmonton…

Ireland got their 2006 Women’s World Cup campaign off to a disappointing start over night in Edmonton as they were beaten by France.

2006 IRB WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP: Thursday August 31

IRELAND 0 FRANCE 43, St. Albert RFC, Edmonton

Scorers: Ireland: –
France: Tries: Catherine Devillers 3, Estelle Sartini, Corinne Devroute, Christelle Le Duff, Delphine Plantet; Cons: Sartini 2, Le Duff 2

Full-time: Ireland lose but there are plenty of positives to take from this game for Philip Doyle and his management. They will look to right the wrongs for Monday’s second pool clash against the USA (Ellerslie Park, Edmonton, kick-off 7pm Irish time). IrishRugby.ie will be bringing you a live match tracker from that game. The Americans lost their opening fixture to England (18-0)

80 mins: FRANCE TRY! A well-timed run from rangy winger Devillers sees her get in for her third try of the evening, rounding off a very pleasing performance for French coaches Philippe Laurent and Benoit Oszustowicz to mull over. Sartini, who was excellent throughout, adds the conversion. IRELAND 0 FRANCE 43

77 mins: FRANCE TRY! It’s turning into a heavy defeat for Ireland and undeservedly so. France pass the 32-point mark – they beat Ireland 32-0 in Montauban in the Six Nations last February – with the Irish running out of defenders as number 8 Plantet crosses the whitewash. The conversion is a wayward one. IRELAND 0 FRANCE 36

70 mins: The Irish management are emptying the bench as centre Shannon Houston, winger Amanda Greensmith and scrum half Louise Beamish gain some game-time. Ireland are forced to play out most of the remaining minutes with 14 players – lock Mahon is sin-binned for a ruck offence

68 mins: FRANCE TRY! France attack from distance and take their chance once again as full-back Christine Le Duff is on the end of a fine move for try number five. She adds the conversion to leave Ireland 31 points in arrears. IRELAND 0 FRANCE 31

67 mins: A knock on at a French lineout sees possession back with Ireland. A chip into the left corner for Ni Chadhain to chase comes to no avail

61 mins: The Irish try to hit back immediately, winning a penalty as the French are ruled to have gone in at the side of a ruck. Belton kicks to touch. The subsequent lineout maul is a good one. Rosser swings the ball out to the right but two dropped balls see a promising attack peter out. It’s just not Ireland’s day

58 mins: FRANCE TRY! A great break right through the centre of Ireland’s defence sees number 8 Delphine Plantet gobble up the ground – she is brought to ground five metres from the Irish line and replacement flanker Corrine Devroute is on hand to plop over to the left of the posts. Sartini converts. IRELAND 0 FRANCE 24

56 mins: France score a psychological hit by wheeling the Irish scrum

54 mins: Hooker Yvonne Nolan and lock Rosie Foley, whose brother is Munster and Ireland’s Anthony Foley, are subbed on by Ireland

46 mins: Territorially, Ireland are bossing the second half so far but they cannot break down a stubborn French defence

Second Half: Kick-Off: Irish skipper Sarahjane Belton restarts the game – Ireland are playing from right to left from the main stand’s perspective. The wind is still a factor with both sides opted to keep the ball in hand in the difficult elements

…Prop Fiona Coghlan whose late run was one of the highlights of the first half…

Half-time – So Ireland trail by 17-0 at the interval. During the five minutes of injury-time, there were plenty of hard yards made by the likes of Healy and Brennan, but no breakthrough. However, Coghlan’s interception in midfield, which resulted in a mini breakaway, certainly got the crowd off their feet and gave Ireland heart for the second half

40 mins: FRANCE TRY! The French pack see revenge and they push the Irish off their own scrum ball. The ball is worked out to the right side, with Boukerma putting Devillers over for her second try and France’s third in the corner. The conversion is missed. Ireland 0 France 17

39 mins: Ireland defend a third successive scrum near their line with accidental offside seeing the French cough up possession

37 mins: Orla Brennan has been thrown into the fray. Another French attack is held up over the try line with prop Fiona Coghlan the last body up

35 mins: Off a lineout, the French pack turns the screw and gets some excellent momentum from a maul but Neville, Marie Barrett and Rachel Boyd do well to hold them up over the line. Great effort from the Irish side

33 mins: France have a spell of dominance with number 8 Joy Neville found guilty of a deliberate knock on. The French continue to work Ireland’s right flank

27 mins: Sartini is warned about hands in the ruck from the French – touch judge Malcolm Changleng to referee Jenny Bental confirms there have been three instances of the offence from France so far

25 mins: French hooker Salles is penalised for playing the ball on the ground – Belton kicks Ireland to just five metres out from the French line. Caroline Mahon knocks on at the set piece and the attack is lost

23 mins: Good spell of pressure from Ireland – plenty of ball in hand with Lynne Cantwell and Germaine Healy much involved – play is brought into the French 22 but the third seeds defend well. Rosser is having a great battle with her scrum half counterpart Julie Pujol so far

18 mins: Grace Davitt spears through the French midfield but unfortunately Belton’s pass to her is adjudged to have been forward

16 mins: Calls of ‘C’mon Ireland’ raise the tempo as Ireland go on the attack – French hooker Laetitia Salles is offside at a ruck. Penalty to Ireland 30 metres from the French line – it’s kicked to touch but Lonergan’s throw is not straight

12 mins: FRANCE TRY! Sartini shows a great bit of pace and strength as from a close-in scrum, French number 8 powers forward before her skipper takes on the ball and she beats Ni Chadhain for a try in the right corner. Devillers’ decoy run was key. The conversion is missed by Christine Le Duff. Ireland 0 France 12

11 mins: A dangerous chip over the top from Sartini could spell trouble for Ireland as the ball skips in under the posts but winger Jeanette Feighery gets back well to touch down for a 22-metre drop out

9 mins: Excellent defence produces a turnover for Ireland as from a close-in lineout, French flanker Aline Sagols is found guilty of holding onto the ball on the ground

6 mins: Good lineout take from Eimear O’Sullivan puts Ireland on the attack and sees the recently formed centre partnership of Lynne Cantwell and Grace Davitt – with Patrique Kelly out injured – get ball in hand

5 mins: Hooker Jean Lonergan does her best Keith Wood impression, being released by Tania Rosser down the left flank and kicking ahead for a foot race

3 mins: FRANCE TRY! Ireland are guilty of a collapsed maul as the French pack trundles forward with the ball and quite a deal of menace. Sartini works a move with Boukerma – it comes to nothing – but the French skipper’s subsequent chip over the top is gathered by the tall figure of Catherine Devillers and Ni Chadhain can do little to stop her from three metres out. Sartini lands the conversion from the right – Ireland 0 France 7

2 minutes: Good hit by Nuala Ni Chadhain on Dalila Boukerma, preventing the first wave of French attackers from breaking through

Kick-Off: French captain Estelle Sartini gets the game underway. A knock on from Ireland allows the French scrum position in the middle of the field

Pre-Match: There were sunny conditions for the earlier games, but the wind has built up for this tie. There is also the chance of the odd rain shower or two.

‘Ireland’s Call’ sees Sarahjane Belton and company in fine singing voice and the pockets of Irish support in the crowd are both visible and vocal. Shouts of ‘C’mon Ireland’ pepper the air.

Ireland: Joanne O’Sullivan; Jeanette Feighery, Lynne Cantwell, Grace Davitt, Nuala Ni Chadhain; Sarahjane Belton (capt), Tania Rosser; Fiona Coghlan, Jean Lonergan, Marie Barrett, Germaine Healy, Caroline Mahon, Eimear O’Sullivan, Rachel Boyd, Joy Neville.

Replacements: Yvonne Nolan, Gillian McAllister, Rosie Foley, Orla Brennan, Louise Beamish, Amanda Greensmith, Shannon Houston.

France: Christelle Le Duff; Catherine Devillers, Lucie Elodie, Dalila Boukerma, Marion Talayrach; Estelle Sartini (capt), Julie Pujol; Daniele Irazu, Laetitia Salles, Fanny Gelis, Maylis Bonnin, Clotilde Flaugere, Aline Sagols, Sandrine Jaureguiberry, Delphine Plantet.

Replacements: Clemence Ollivier, Rosa Marce, Corinne Devroute, Claire Canal, Stephanie Provost, Fanny Horta, Celine Allainmat.

Referee: Jenny Bental (South Africa)
Touch Judges: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland), Kim Smit (South Africa)