Annick Hayraud has named a squad of 33 players to represent France in the last two rounds of the 2022 Six Nations
ANNERY Julie (Stade Français), BANET Cyrielle (Montpellier), BERNADOU Rose (Montpellier), BERTHOUMIEU Axelle (Blagnac), BOUJARD Caroline (Montpellier), BOULARD Émilie (Chilly Mazarin), BROSSEAU Yllana (Stade Bordelais), CASTEL Marie Aurélie (Stade Rennais), CHAMBON Alexandra (Grenoble), DESHAYES Annaëlle (Lyon Olympique Universitaire), DOMAIN Célia (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), DROUIN Caroline (Stade Rennais), FALL Madoussou (Stade Bordelais), FELEU Manaé (Grenoble), FERER Céline (Stade Toulousain), FILOPON Maëlle (Stade Toulousain), FORLANI Audrey (Blagnac), GROS Emeline (Montpellier), HERMET Gaëlle (Stade Toulousain), JACQUET Chloé (Lyon Olympique Universitaire), JOYEUX Clara (Blagnac), KHALFAOUI Assia (Stade Bordelais), LINDELAUF Coco (Blagnac), LLORENS Melissande (Blagnac), MENAGER Marine (Montpellier), MÉNAGER Romane (Montpellier), N’DIAYE Safi (Montpellier), PEYRONNET Morgane (Montpellier), SANSUS Laure (Stade Toulousain), SOCHAT Agathe (Stade Bordelais), TOUYE Laure (Montpellier), TREMOULIERE Jessy (ASM Romagnat)),
VERNIER Gabrielle (Blagnac)
The list contains two pleasant surprises, the return of Rose Bernadou, the young tight-head prop, and Caroline Boujard, the dangerous winger., and Agathe Sochat appears for the first time since Round One. But Pauline Bourdon is still missing with her injured finger. That makes Alexandra Chambon’s advance all the more important; she is the Lucy Packer on the French set-up.
Still, the list gives nothing away about final choices.
It will be fascinating to see whether basically the same squad turns out in Round 5 as in Round 4. Will the selectors want to give their (hoped for) optimum 23 a run-out together against Wales before the critical test against England?
They are still hunting for their optimum line-up in the backs. Like the English, they have more talent there than the laws allow for at one time. Only the centre choices remain open to question. If either Gabrielle Vernier or Maëlle Filopon goes missing, who replaces them? The experiment of pairing Chloé Jacquet and Marine Ménager against Scotland can’t be called a total success.
