Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward and assistant coach Gary Cronin at Ireland's training session at Tallaght Stadium ahead of the game against France. A tricky beginning it will be too, France, ranked 20 places higher at seven in the Fifa list, their opponents. Among the staff helping coach Carla Ward prepare for the challenge is Canadian performance analyst Jasmine Mander. TV Watch: Carla Ward’s Republic of Ireland open their World Cup qualifying campaign against France in Tallaght this evening (RTÉ 2, 7.30pm). At the same time, TNT Sports has three live Premier League games – Leeds v Sunderland, Everton v Burnley and Bournemouth v Brentford – and at 8.15pm, it’s Wolves v Liverpool.

Source: The Irish Times March 03, 2026 19:13 UTC