after the disappointment, place at the World Cup

An emerging workforce

The management of Les Bleues had already sketched out a team framework during the victorious autumn tour, with in particular the arrival of talented young people, such as rear Chloé Jacquet or second-line Coco Lindelauf. Choices validated by two successes against the “Black FernsNew Zealanders, reigning world champions, and one against South Africa.

The 2022 Tournament has made it possible to accentuate a few features and confirm a framework, or rather “from» frames. Scrum half Laure Sansus, the Tournament’s top scorer (six tries), although below her usual level against England, confirmed that in the absence of Pauline Bourdon, she had to be counted on. “She is a player who is able to animate the game well, to make breaches, to put us in the momentum, with a very interesting kicking game. When she is close to the line, she tracks and as soon as there is an opportunity (to score), she is able to seize itsums up coach Annick Hayraud.

Other satisfactions, the second lines Madoussou Fall, impeccable throughout the competition (best tackler of the Blues with 64 tackles) and Audrey Forlani, the third line Romane Ménager, the back Emilie Boulard and the pillar Annaëlle Deshayes.

England, a pet peeve to tame

Beyond the fact that it deprives France of its first Grand Slam since 2018, the defeat in Bayonne in this 50th “Crunch“, the tenth in a row, sounds like a cruel warning for the Blue. Admittedly, they dominated the other nations participating in the Tournament without forcing themselves too much, but faced with the “Red Roses“, the shoe pinches. And when we know that the two teams were poured into the same pool at the World Cup, there is reason to doubt and feed some complexes. “Not at all, replies full-back Jessy Trémoulière. If we take away the balls carried which are their strong points (at the origin of the three English tries, editor’s note), it is a completely different team in front of us. What separates us from them are details, their pragmatism».

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«There is certainly no fatalism because the World Cup will be another competition“, adds Thomas Darracq, the sports manager of the Blue. However, with an English team capable of scoring an average of ten tries per game atsmall” nations, and another three against the French, N.3 in the World Rugby rankings, one wonders how the world title could escape this year from such impressive “red roses».

Game sectors to review

The five months between now and the World Cup will not be too much to erase the errors and inaccuracies which the Blues have sometimes shown, not to mention the relaxation in the second period during their first four meetings of the Tournament. In Bayonne,we ran out of balls, which limited our ability to score, we had trouble alternating our initiatives, we have trouble getting out of the decided plan: there is a maturity to find to get this last step», Analyze Thomas Darracq.

Annick Hayraud regrets for her part “too many mistakes“(eleven penalties conceded on Saturday) and “all these balloons that we lose(including four in touch). “It’s up to us to be more perceptive in touch, simpler too, and to counter them in the air to avoid the balls carried“, adds the second line Céline Ferer. Physically, it is clear thatpower to weight ratiois favorable to them, notes captain Gaëlle Hermet, but “we have other qualities“, especially defensive (134 tackles against 114) and techniques.