A lot more pain before this squad sees gains

Reality checks will keep coming but Ireland can’t lose heart during this testing transitional phase

Linda Djougang is tackled by Clara Joyeux during the TikTok Women's Six Nations at Musgrave Park. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Sinéad Kissane

An Ireland manager in another sport said last week that he wasn’t going to accept the notion of a “slow death” going into a game against a visiting French team ranked third in the world. There were predictions that the opposition would run up a score on the home side. It didn’t turn out that way for Stephen Kenny and his team against France on Monday night.