The women’s XV of France got off to a good start in their World Cup, dominating South Africa (40-5) on Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland during the opening match, without forcing too much but reassuring themselves, at a week of a crucial match against England.
Les Bleues, poured into Pool C, scored six tries, including a double from their scrum half Laure Sansus, named “player of the match”, giving herself a bonus point which will be invaluable in the race for the classification with a view to quarter-finals.
A significant bonus point
Gaëlle Mignot, the assistant coach of the French in charge of the scrum and attitudes in contact, had warned Friday: “We want to enter the competition in the best possible way”.
Basically, mission accomplished for Céline Ferer’s teammates, but in terms of form they will have to raise their level of play against the English “Red Roses”, big favorites in the competition: they more than impressed by passing no less of 14 tries to the Fijians (84-19).
Les Bleues were able to rely on their tireless tacklers Madoussou Fall and Marjorie Mayans. They would benefit from adjusting and settling some details, especially in conquest, in the rucks, and from letting go more in order to take advantage of the smallest space.
“It’s a good performance because we won, but I think the content is not yet satisfactory”, reacted Laure Sansus after the match.
In a sold-out Eden Park and under a beautiful sun, the French quickly scored three tries before marking time.
The first, a trickster try from the second minute of the match, is signed Laure Sansus. The second is the work of the center Gabrielle Vernier (11th), omnipresent, following a small kick from the opener Caroline Drouin, impeccable. Finally, the third came on an interception by Emilie Boulard (17th).
Sansus flew over the debates
For the first captaincy of her career, Céline Ferer has chosen “the big start” of the French but lamented “small errors of hand”, the fact sometimes of being “a little inside”. “The pressure” no doubt, she said.
Thus, while the Habs enjoyed a numerical superiority after a yellow card addressed to the third line of the “Women Boks”, Sizophila Solontsi, in the 29th, they failed to materialize, chaining errors and approximations.
This weak time on the French side continued after the break, the Blues conceding a try signed by South African winger Nomawethu Mabenge (50th).
Despite a long time spent in the camp of the Boks, the Bleues, by Laure Sansus again, had to wait until the 67th minute to score their fourth try, synonymous with an offensive bonus, before Caroline Drouin, then the sevenist Joanna Grisez, for her first selection, only worsen the score.