Ireland make six changes for France game

Ireland head coach Tom Tierney has made six changes for Thursday's Rugby Women's World Cup 2017 Pool C decider against France.

Ireland need to win Thursday's third and final Pool C game against Les Bleus at the Belfield Bowl to qualify for the semi-finals, after their narrow victories over Australia and Japan.

France top Pool C on 10 points after bonus-point victories over Japan and Australia, with Ireland on eight points after they failed to pick up bonus points against the Wallaroos and the Cherry Blossoms.

Ireland beat Australia 19-17 and Japan 24-14, but the French whitewashed Australia 48-0 and thrashed Japan 72-14 in their opening two matches.

Leah Lyons and Ailis Egan take over from Cliodhna Moloney and Ciara O'Connor in the Ireland front row with Marie Louise O'Reilly replacing Ciara Cooney at lock and Paula Fitzpatrick coming in for Ulster's Ashleigh Baxter at number eight.

In the backs, Eimear Considine and Jenny Murphy replace Mairead Coyne and Katie Fitzhenry., with Considine starting on the right wing and Hannah Tyrrell moving to full-back.

Nicole Cronin replaced Larissa Muldoon at scrum-half for Ireland's game against Japan, and retains her place for Thursday's game against the French at UCD.

Ireland beat France 13-10 the last time the two sides met in the Six Nations at Donnybrook in February.

The three Pool winners will qualify for the last semi-finals, and they will be joined by the best runner-up, which is likely to be the loser of Thursday's England v United States Pool B encounter.

Ireland: H Tyrrell; E Considine, J Murphy, S Naoupu, A Miller; N Stapleton, N Cronin; L Peat, L Lyons, A Egan; S Spence, ML O'Reilly; C Griffin, C Molloy [capt], P Fitzpatrick. 

Replacements: C Moloney, R O'Reilly, C O'Connor, A Baxter, H O'Brien, L Muldoon, K Fitzhenry, L Galvin.

eir Sport's coverage of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 is sponsored by Aon.

Ireland face France in their third and final Pool C match at UCD's Belfield Bowl on Thursday, 17 August. [kick off 7.45pm]

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