Snow and sunburn - Sam Monaghan braced for France welcome

Sam Monaghan knows exactly what to expect when Ireland run out at the Stade Marie-Marvingt to begin their Guinness Women's Six Nations campaign against France and is ready to embrace the challenge.

The former Meath footballer won her seventh cap when Ireland, then under head coach Greg McWilliams, lost 40-5 in Toulouse’s home patch, Stade Ernest Wallon, in their second match of the 2022 campaign.

"It was nothing I had ever experienced before," says lock Monaghan, co-captain alongside Edel McMahon, ahead of Saturday's game in Le Mans (2.15pm Irish time, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).

"The brass band was playing, it snowed in the warm-up and then I got sunburnt by half-time.

"I was going up in the line-out and the whistles were blowing, I thought it was the referee.

"Something we’ve worked on this week is that sound drowning out our training, so you really have to think.

"Our communication skills have to be accurate, not overemphasising what we’re saying, but being clear and direct because on that pitch with all that noise going we’re going to have to be clear and direct in our communication.

"Just embrace the atmosphere because what better way to showcase what you’ve been doing the last three weeks than in front of all those fans that are there to support French rugby."

The squad’s stated goal is to qualify for the World Cup in 2025 and the first chance comes in this campaign where a third-place finish or better would ensure a trip to England.

New boss Scott Bemand took over after last season’s wooden spoon campaign and led the team to success at the WXV3 in October.

The former Leicester and Bath scrum-half spent eight years as part of the England set-up, during which time they won six Six Nations titles and reached two World Cup