The Ireland women's rugby team failed in their bid to win on French soil for the first time ever as they went down19-9 at the Stade des Allees in Blois.
France outscored the Irish women three tries to nil and led 12-6 at half time.
Two first half tries from wing Fanny Horta put France in the ascendancy in the first 40 minutes as the home team found room out side to put their speedster into space. Ireland had issues up front with France putting them under pressure at the scrum and at the breakdown where they were fiercely competitive.
France established an early territorial dominance, keeping it tight through their forwards, but Ireland were able to thwart their attacks and they countered well, particularly when full-back Niamh Briggs caught a high ball and powered through the middle, taking play up to the halfway line.
It was nip-and-tuck for the opening quarter-hour, with some strong tackling from scrum half Tania Rosser and centre Shannon Houston halting the French in full flow and Ireland regrouping well through a solid lineout and Brigg's big right boot.
Understandably, both sides were finding it hard to keep ball in hand at times, with the wintry conditions playing a part in some knock-ons and scrappy periods of play.
France edged ahead in the 15th minute when Horta, popping up in midfield, blasted out of one tackle and rounded Briggs as the last defender to score to the left of the posts. Out-half Aurélie Bailon tapped over the conversion.
But the French backs were proving dangerous when they got within range. A crash ball run was closed off in the Irish 22, before centre Sandrine Agricole chipped over the top and the ball stood up well for Horta to flash past the defending Alison Miller and dot down in the right corner.
Bailon was narrowly wide with her conversion attempt and Ireland responded with some patient build-up through the forwards that netted their opening points.
Rosser was having a ding dong battle with her opposite number Stéphanie Provost, and Ireland soon engineered their best attacking chance of the half.
They flung a penalty to touch and Bourke found lock Mahon with a pinpoint throw. The French infringed when defending the subsequent maul, but a knock-on spoiled the second lineout move, just five metres out from the French try-line.
Back on the attack four minutes before half-time, some committed and accurate mauling set up a right-sided penalty on the 22 for Briggs and she disected the posts with aplomb.
Ireland's dander was up and an excellent midfield run by centre Grace Davitt, who hared onto a flat pass from Rosser, saw her thunder through the first line of defence before being hauled down just inside the French 22 by Elodie Poublan and Caroline Ladagnous.
Ireland remained on the attack for the final minutes before half-time and with Agricole sin-binned for not rolling away after a tackle on Miller, Briggs brilliantly landed the resulting penalty from wide out on the left to make it 12-6.
France made a strong start to the second period, Horta rampaging down the left touchline and tying in three tacklers.
The home forwards then enjoyed a purple patch in possession. Ireland were pinged for not rolling away and Bailon was narrowly wide with a left-sided penalty attempt.
Ireland could not make use of the extra player while Agricole was off, and they were cut to 14 players when out-half Joanne O'Sullivan paid the price for infringing at a maul as the French mauled to within metres of the Irish whitewash.
Brennan heroically prevented a certain French try as she got her body under the ball and referee Clare Daniels signalled that the hosts had been held up.
However, the third try came just a minute later when scrum half Provost laid the ball back on a plate for powerful prop Stéphanie Loyer to take it up and rumble over from a couple of metres out.
Bailon added the conversion for good measure and Ireland, 7-5 winners in the sides' corresponding clash last year, were beginning to falter.
Ireland coach Kevin West made a raft of changes up front and Ireland’s scrum improved with Lauren Day making a big impact in the front row.
Ireland will be disappointed with the result having won so well against Italy in week one but losing in France is no disgrace as the French are always extremely tough on home turf.
Scorers: France: Tries: Fanny Horta 2, Stéphanie Loyer; Cons: Aurélie Bailon 2
Ireland: Pens: Niamh Briggs 3
FRANCE WOMEN: Elodie Poublan (Montpellier); Caroline Ladagnous (Lons), Sandrine Agricole (Rennes), Lucille Godiveau (Rennes), Fanny Horta (Perpignan); Aurélie Bailon (Perpignan), Stéphanie Provost (Caen); Stéphanie Loyer (Bobigny 93), Cyndia Mansard (Saint-Orens), Céline Barthelemy (Bordeaux/Bruges Blanquefort), Hasna Rhamouni (Gennevilliers), Cyrielle Bouisset (Perpignan), Amandine Vaupre (Caen), Marie-Charlotte Hebel (Gerone), Sandra Rabier (Caen) (capt).
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (Clonmel/Munster); Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster), Grace Davitt (Blackrock/Leinster), Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Joanne O'Sullivan (Richmond/Exile), Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Emer McManamly (Blackrock/Leinster), Caroline Mahon (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Navan/Leinster), Orla Brennan (Blackrock/Leinster), Sinead Ryan (Navan/Leinster), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster).
Replacements: Kate O’Loughlin (for Caroline Mahon, 67), Lauren Day (for Emer McManamly 67), Claire Molloy (for Sinead Ryan 67), Chris Fanning (for Gillian Bourke 70), Helen Brosnan (for Grace Davitt 71)
Referee: Clare Daniels (England)
