The Breton public, in a well-filled Rabine stadium in Vannes (Morbihan), was delighted to find this French women’s team, which offered them a large victory over South Africa (46-3), this Saturday afternoon. For the rest, not sure that the staff of the Blue learned much from this match, as there was a class of difference between the two teams. The shock against New Zealand, Saturday, November 13 in Pau, will undoubtedly be on another level.
What to remember: France went for a walk
“South Africa is not yet a very structured team,” warned Caroline Drouin, usher and goalscorer for the Blue. And, from the start of the match, we saw the difference in level between the XV of France and this South African team, that Gaëlle Hermet’s teammates will find in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand. After a quarter of an hour of play, the third center line Émeline Gros had already crossed the goal line twice. At the end of the first period, the South Africans, cornered in their camp, saw only blue.
All was not perfect, however, in the passing game of the French, like Émilie Boulard. The young back of Chilly-Mazarin, 22, revelation of the last Women’s Six Nations Tournament, was guilty of some unusual blunders, in the last pass or when flattening. “There are opportunities to better finish the blows”, summarized Thomas Dorac, manager of the Bleues, at half-time at the microphone of France 2. The XV of France, who lined up five novices in his group, will be reassured on the game of its forwards, much more powerful, like Madoussou Fall, the former second line of Bobigny transferred to Bordeaux this summer, omnipresent.
With a very inspired Laure Sansus behind his pack, the XV of France camps near the South African lines and multiplies the charges and the tests (doubled from N’Diaye after that of Gros), despite many inaccuracies behind. But the difference was anyway too clear between these two teams. And, at the end of the match, the Blue wingers Caroline Boujard, then the young Mélisande Llorens, 19, finally found the fault in beautiful collective movements, completing the great success of the French.
The player: Safi N’Diaye
Safi N’Diaye was the only player of the XV of France to have already faced South Africa, in 2014. The second line of the Blue was again feasted in this match where it was necessary to make speak its power to keep their opponents underwater. In the relay of her three-quarters, present in the fight, well placed to flatten two tries, one in each half, Safi N’Diaye showed that she would be present again this year, at 33 years old and 82 caps. “We were keen to launch this tour well, we still have plenty of things to improve but it’s a great collective victory,” she responded to the microphone of France 2.
The number: 7
The number of tests registered by the French, against any South African side. The Springboks just saved the honor with a last minute penalty.
The match sheet
France – South Africa 46-3 (27-0).
France. Seven tries (Gros 12th, 16th, Sansus 26th, N’Diaye 39th, 43rd, Boujard 62nd, Llorens 73rd). Four transformations (Drouin 13th, 17th, 43rd, Peyronnet 74th). A penalty (Drouin 4th).
South Africa. A penalty (80th).
The composition of France: Boulard – Boujard (Llorens 68e), Dupouy, Jacquet, Castel – (o) Drouin (Peyronnet 54e), (m) Sansus (Chambon 52e) – Hermet (cap.) (Annery 45e), Gros, Berthoumieu – N’Diaye, Fall (Diallo 46th) – Joyeux (Brosseau 52nd), Touyé (Thomas 58th), Lindelauf (Deshayes 68th).
