Scott Bemand says Ireland women's rugby team ready for France test in Clermont
Ireland women's rugby team head coach Scott Bemand says his side have learned from big-game experiences at World Cup and are ready for Saturday's Six Nations clash in France
Quick Look
- Ireland women's rugby team head coach Scott Bemand says his side are ready for the pressure of facing France in Clermont on Saturday.
- Ireland began their Six Nations with a 33-12 loss to England at Twickenham but bounced back with a win over Italy.
- Bemand believes the team's experience at last year's World Cup, facing New Zealand and France in front of near-capacity crowds, will help them secure a first win on French soil.
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Why It Matters
Ireland women's rugby team are competing in the 2026 Six Nations Championship. They suffered a heavy opening defeat to England at Twickenham in front of a record crowd of 77,120, but responded with a convincing win over Italy. The team has experience of playing high-profile matches at last year's World Cup against New Zealand and France.
Head coach Scott Bemand says Ireland are "ready" for the pressure of facing France in Clermont on Saturday after learning from a string of big-game experiences.
Ireland began their Women's Six Nations campaign with a 33-12 loss to England in front of a record 77,120 at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. Bemand's side also faced New Zealand and France in front of near-capacity crowds at the World Cup last year - and the coach feels those days will stand to his squad as they bid for a first win on French soil.
"We've got the benefit now with our group having come through the World Cup piece where we had full stadiums, a lot of noise and a lot of expectation, internal expectation," said Bemand. "Going away to France is a class experience. We were away in England two weeks ago so we've had a recent opportunity of stepping into that sort of arena.
"I saw a completely different group to two years ago walking into that space, so as we continue to evolve, continue to get more confident in ourselves and our performances, I think we're ready for this one."
Bemand, who has made one change from last week's nine-try win over Italy, added the team feel "excitement and anticipation rather than nerves".
"We're ready for this, we've trained well this week," he added. "We're now recovering, we'll travel, we're going to enjoy it. The weather looks good over there and we'll be absolutely gunning to start and get out of the blocks when the whistle goes on Saturday night."
Open Questions
- Will Ireland secure their first-ever win on French soil?
- How will the team cope with the pressure of playing away in France?
