THE PROGRESS OVER the last two years has been clear for all to see. Now the task for Ireland is to kick things on again and become a team who consistently challenge at the top table.
They lost yesterday’s World Cup quarter-final to France in agonising circumstances and may well have won it had Axelle Berthoumieu’s alleged bite on Aoife Wafer early in the second half been formally reviewed by the match officials.
Ireland had other things in their control which they couldn’t nail, including when they pounded the French line for 35 phases just before half time. A score there could have been decisive.
While there are a few sickening regrets and frustrations from this quarter-final, Ireland felt proud of their World Cup showing in the UK in recent weeks.
They beat Spain and Japan well, showing they have moved above that level, competed ferociously against the French, but had 40 points put on them by New Zealand. That scoreline didn’t quite reflect the nature of the game but still, the gulf in class was clear. So now Ireland will set about trying to close the gap to the very best.
That was certainly among their thoughts following yesterday’s 18-13 defeat at Sandy Park in Exeter.
Lots of Ireland’s World Cup squad are in their early or mid-20s, so they will be aiming to feature again at the next tournament in Australia in 2029. And head coach Scott Bemand believes there is plenty more talent to come from the IRFU’s women’s national talent squad [WNTS].
“With a young group, we’ve always been talking about the next four-year cycle as well,” said Bemand, whose contract runs for another year.
“We know that this group is going to stick together, and this group’s going to get better and better.”
Captain Sam Monaghan is one of only three Irish players in their 30s and she was keen to echo Bemand’s message in the wake of the World Cup exit.
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Ireland skipper Sam Monaghan. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s a young group,” said Monaghan. “You know, only 31 players out of our 32 have experienced a World Cup before.
“If you look back two years ago, we were competing in WX3, and we were very, very close to winning a World Cup quarter-final there.
“We’re gutted, we’re heartbroken. We know we could have had that game, but we’ll hold our heads high, rebuild and go again.”
Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald is the only Irish player who had previously featured in the 2017 World Cup on home soil. No one had a chance to play at the 2021 World Cup because Ireland didn’t qualify.
Bemand’s side is built around some young players. Out-half Dannah O’Brien is only 21. Key centre Aoife Dalton is just 22. And quite incredibly, the remarkable Aoife Wafer is still 22. Her performance upon returning from injury yesterday was stunning.
There are lots of others in this Ireland squad who will definitely still be around for the 2029 World Cup, injury permitting, but there is lots of important stuff between now and then.
The next chapter starts with the 2026 Six Nations, which will involve Ireland hosting Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in their first standalone championship game at the home of Irish rugby.
“That’s such an incredible milestone for women’s rugby in Ireland,” said fullback Stacey Flood.
“The more seats we can fill in the Aviva, the better. The more people we get on board watching us, we want to fill as many seats as possible. A good home crowd makes such a difference. You can feel the energy on the field. To have that at home in the Aviva Stadium is going to be amazing.”
There will be the WXV competition to come in the autumn of 2026 too, so next year is another big one for Ireland. The fact that the Ireland women’s 7s squad has been clearly labelled as part of the development pathway means there is no prospect of some of Bemand’s key players switching back across, as was the case in the past with Ireland.
Stacey Flood with her family in Exeter. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
While youth and potential are great things, Ireland also need to work hard to become a better rugby team. They’ve made great leaps and some of those shone through yesterday, particularly the excellent set-piece effort.
Yet a feeling persists that Ireland aren’t quite getting enough out of their scintillating outside backs. There’s no reason Bemand’s side shouldn’t be able to score a try like the game-defining length-of-the-field effort France struck with yesterday, wing Joanna Grisez finishing a flowing turnover attack.
Ireland have become a tactically astute team and yesterday’s conditions certainly weren’t ideal for throwing the ball around but balance is important.
They need to continue unearthing powerful forwards like Wafer, even if she seems almost like one of a kind. Those kind of players up front can define games.
But the resounding feeling for Ireland yesterday was that they have inspired the next generation to aim for green jerseys and World Cups.
“We speak about what our common purpose was, and it’s inspiring the next generation,” said Monaghan.
“I’ve had so many messages and even at the side of the pitch there, how we’re doing that through our performance, that’s what we strive to do.
“Look, there’s no denying how heartbroken we are from that loss. We are devastated but we’re proud of how we’ve inspired the next generation coming through and we’ve definitely put the jersey in a better place in this tournament.
“There’s so much in this group yet still to come. We’ll keep driving, we’ll keep getting better, along with the support from the IRFU – you can see the investment over the last couple of years and where this team can grow with that backing.
“We’ve huge moments coming up, an amazing opportunity in the Aviva next year, which is something great to look forward to, but we’re going to be hurting for the next while so it’s how we grow from this and bring these experiences onto the next ones.”
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'It's a young group. We're going to get better and better'
THE PROGRESS OVER the last two years has been clear for all to see. Now the task for Ireland is to kick things on again and become a team who consistently challenge at the top table.
They lost yesterday’s World Cup quarter-final to France in agonising circumstances and may well have won it had Axelle Berthoumieu’s alleged bite on Aoife Wafer early in the second half been formally reviewed by the match officials.
Ireland had other things in their control which they couldn’t nail, including when they pounded the French line for 35 phases just before half time. A score there could have been decisive.
While there are a few sickening regrets and frustrations from this quarter-final, Ireland felt proud of their World Cup showing in the UK in recent weeks.
They beat Spain and Japan well, showing they have moved above that level, competed ferociously against the French, but had 40 points put on them by New Zealand. That scoreline didn’t quite reflect the nature of the game but still, the gulf in class was clear. So now Ireland will set about trying to close the gap to the very best.
That was certainly among their thoughts following yesterday’s 18-13 defeat at Sandy Park in Exeter.
Lots of Ireland’s World Cup squad are in their early or mid-20s, so they will be aiming to feature again at the next tournament in Australia in 2029. And head coach Scott Bemand believes there is plenty more talent to come from the IRFU’s women’s national talent squad [WNTS].
“With a young group, we’ve always been talking about the next four-year cycle as well,” said Bemand, whose contract runs for another year.
“We know that this group is going to stick together, and this group’s going to get better and better.”
Captain Sam Monaghan is one of only three Irish players in their 30s and she was keen to echo Bemand’s message in the wake of the World Cup exit.
“It’s a young group,” said Monaghan. “You know, only 31 players out of our 32 have experienced a World Cup before.
“If you look back two years ago, we were competing in WX3, and we were very, very close to winning a World Cup quarter-final there.
“We’re gutted, we’re heartbroken. We know we could have had that game, but we’ll hold our heads high, rebuild and go again.”
Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald is the only Irish player who had previously featured in the 2017 World Cup on home soil. No one had a chance to play at the 2021 World Cup because Ireland didn’t qualify.
Bemand’s side is built around some young players. Out-half Dannah O’Brien is only 21. Key centre Aoife Dalton is just 22. And quite incredibly, the remarkable Aoife Wafer is still 22. Her performance upon returning from injury yesterday was stunning.
There are lots of others in this Ireland squad who will definitely still be around for the 2029 World Cup, injury permitting, but there is lots of important stuff between now and then.
The next chapter starts with the 2026 Six Nations, which will involve Ireland hosting Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in their first standalone championship game at the home of Irish rugby.
“That’s such an incredible milestone for women’s rugby in Ireland,” said fullback Stacey Flood.
“The more seats we can fill in the Aviva, the better. The more people we get on board watching us, we want to fill as many seats as possible. A good home crowd makes such a difference. You can feel the energy on the field. To have that at home in the Aviva Stadium is going to be amazing.”
There will be the WXV competition to come in the autumn of 2026 too, so next year is another big one for Ireland. The fact that the Ireland women’s 7s squad has been clearly labelled as part of the development pathway means there is no prospect of some of Bemand’s key players switching back across, as was the case in the past with Ireland.
While youth and potential are great things, Ireland also need to work hard to become a better rugby team. They’ve made great leaps and some of those shone through yesterday, particularly the excellent set-piece effort.
Yet a feeling persists that Ireland aren’t quite getting enough out of their scintillating outside backs. There’s no reason Bemand’s side shouldn’t be able to score a try like the game-defining length-of-the-field effort France struck with yesterday, wing Joanna Grisez finishing a flowing turnover attack.
Ireland have become a tactically astute team and yesterday’s conditions certainly weren’t ideal for throwing the ball around but balance is important.
They need to continue unearthing powerful forwards like Wafer, even if she seems almost like one of a kind. Those kind of players up front can define games.
But the resounding feeling for Ireland yesterday was that they have inspired the next generation to aim for green jerseys and World Cups.
“We speak about what our common purpose was, and it’s inspiring the next generation,” said Monaghan.
“I’ve had so many messages and even at the side of the pitch there, how we’re doing that through our performance, that’s what we strive to do.
“Look, there’s no denying how heartbroken we are from that loss. We are devastated but we’re proud of how we’ve inspired the next generation coming through and we’ve definitely put the jersey in a better place in this tournament.
“There’s so much in this group yet still to come. We’ll keep driving, we’ll keep getting better, along with the support from the IRFU – you can see the investment over the last couple of years and where this team can grow with that backing.
“We’ve huge moments coming up, an amazing opportunity in the Aviva next year, which is something great to look forward to, but we’re going to be hurting for the next while so it’s how we grow from this and bring these experiences onto the next ones.”
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France Ireland next chapter Sam Monaghan WRC25 WRWC25