Deflated Dannah O'Brien insists 'times are changing' for Irish women's rugby

A heartbroken Dannah O’Brien admitted she felt like she had “let the crowd down” against France but is hopeful Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 can prove to be a turning point for the game in Ireland.

O’Brien kicked a first-half penalty to help Ireland build a 13-0 lead in their quarter-final against France at Sandy Park.

However, that half-time advantage was ultimately not enough as France scored 18 unanswered points in the second period to book their place in a ninth World Cup semi-final.

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Ireland will play a Women’s Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium for the first time next year, and asked if that highlighted the scale of the journey the team has been on in the last two years, O’Brien said: “Definitely.

“I think times are changing for women’s rugby. To be honest… losing today, I’ve never felt like I’ve let the crowd down as much as I did today. Letting our green wave down.

“I think it just goes to show what momentum we can build as a team and not just as a country and bringing everyone along with us and inspiring the nation as well.

“Hopefully we keep that going and I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who supported us along the way. Sorry we couldn’t get over the line today but we’re really proud of everyone involved.”

Ireland and O’Brien played to the conditions brilliantly in the first half, using the wind at their backs to pin France inside their own 22 for almost the entire half.

However, they were unable to convert that pressure into more than two tries with Les Bleues putting on an impressive five-minute defensive stand with the clock in the red at the end of the first half, and down to 14 players.

“It’s a game of moments and I think you have to take each moment how it comes,” O’Brien added.

“We [needed to] start capitalising on ours, but I think we did such a hearty effort out there, and we came out and we really put our stamp on it.

“We have something really to be proud of there, and the whole country behind us, we can feel it.

“So, it’s hard not to get the win for the nation but hopefully we can come out in the Six Nations fighting again and maybe in another four years it’s a very young team and we get past that quarter-final stage and into the semi-finals where we hope to be.”