FRANCE 19, IRELAND, 15: DONEGAL duo Nora Stapleton and Larissa Muldoon put in a stunning second half performance to almost deny France the grand slam tonight.
Tries from Marion Lievre, Elodie Portaries and Shanon Izar had France seemingly home and dry before a superb second-half rally from defending champions Ireland.
Gillian Bourke went over for two tries off rolling mauls, the first of which was the first try France have conceded all tourmament, and the boot of Niamh Briggs brought the women in green right back into it.
But it was not to be in the end and to the delight of the crowd in the south of France Les Bleus held on to complete the cleansweep.
The hosts got off to an ideal start when Lievre went over in only the fourth minute, good hands down the right putting the winger over in the corner, although fly-half Sandrine Agricole missed the conversion.
reland managed to hold out in the face of incessant French attacks in the first period, No.8 Safi N’Diaye leading the charge but unable to make a breakthrough and it was 5-0 at the break.
But their hard work was undone straight after the interval when prop Portaries crashed over from close range and with Agricole’s conversion France led 12-0.
A Briggs penalty reduced the gap to nine points but no sooner had Ireland established a foothold than they were punished, Izar picking a great line to go in under the posts after a fine pass from Agricole, who also added the extras.
Ireland refused to buckle though and when Bourke burrowed over at the back of a rolling maul on the hour mark the tide appeared to be turning – despite Briggs missing with the extras.
And the driving maul proved too much for France with Bourke again emerging with the ball to grab her second but it proved to be just too little too late.
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