England v France
World Cup, Round Two
At last a meeting between two top-rated teams in a setting even more prestigious than the 6 Nations.
England
England Captain, Sarah Hunter (Photo: World Rugby via Getty Images)
So the English player-choice for the Fiji game was merely a run-out for the big test against the French. To considerable surprise, Simon Middleton has made only one change to his team, the undroppable (but injured) Marlie Packer replacing last week’s Player of the Match, Sadia Kabeya.
With Sarah Hunter still preferred to Poppy Cleall, she equals Rocky Clark’s mountainous total of 137 caps. A pause needed to take that in…
The 23:
15. Ellie Kildunne, 14. Lydia Thompson, 13. Emily Scarratt, 12. Helena Rowland, 11. Claudia MacDonald, 10. Zoe Harrison, 9. Leanne Infante, 1. Vickii Cornborough, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Sarah Bern, 4. Zoe Aldcroft, 5. Abbie Ward, 6. Alex Matthews, 7. Marlie Packer, 8. Sarah Hunter
Bench:
16. Connie Powell, 17. Hannah Botterman, 18. Maud Muir, 19. Cath O’Donnell, 20. Poppy Cleall, 21. Lucy Packer, 22. Holly Aitchison, 23. Abby Dow
This will be a first chance since the 6N for the Red Rose pack to prove its worth against what has been daunting opposition over the past three years.
It may be a struggle to remember how fallible the forwards used to be against the French, but it wasn’t so long ago that part of the game was a major source of anxiety.
As we step closer to the knock-out stages, here’s a reminder of one or two players who have yet to wear the red shirt in NZ: Jess Breach, Lark Davies, Laura Keates, Morwenna Talling, Rosie Galligan, Sarah McKenna, Shaunagh Brown and Tatyana Heard.
Middleton is keen to remind us that all 32 players are equally important, but that doesn’t seem to mean they will necessarily gain a place on the field.
France
Like England, France show one change, another strengthening of the starting 15: Agathe Sochat returns in the No 2 shirt.
But more changes in the bench eight improve it considerably. Gaelle Hermet is fit to return to action, and Safi N’Diaye and Marine Ménager are included. But the captaincy remains with Céline Ferer.
Marjorie Mayans becomes the fifth team member to own 50 caps; congratulations to her.
The 23:
15 Jacquet, 14 *Grisez, 13 Filopon, 12 Vernier 11 Boulard, 10 Drouin, 9 Sansus 1 Deshayes, 2 Sochat, 3 Joyeux, 4 Ferer (captain), 5 Fall, 6 Escudero, 7 Mayans, 8 R. Ménager
Bench:
16 Touyé, 17 Lindelauf, 18 Khalfaoui, 19 N’Diaye, 20 Hermet, 21 Bourdon, 22 Queyroi, 23 M. Ménager
Source: Hagen Hopkins - World Rugby via Getty Images
Laure Sansus (Photo: Hagen-Hopkins-World-Rugby-via-Getty-Images)
Against a valiant Springboks outfit les Bleues topped 40 points only after the final hooter had sounded. On 71 minutes Caroline Drouin finished off another demanding break by Romane Ménager, then on 80 she aimed a clever grubber to the right corner to give Joanna Grisez her first international try in 15s. An important nine points in nine minutes.
Before that, handling let the French down; the French staff must be concerned that faults visible through the 2020 Six Nations have not been entirely resolved.
Against most teams this French squad could be sure of victory, but relative weaknesses here and there make it hard to predict a win at last against le Quinze de la Rose.
One such may appear in midfield, where they lack anyone of Emily Scarratt’s direct power, and Filopon will need to be restored to her previous high standards to support the talented but slight Gabrielle Vernier.
It’s unwise to take our humorous friend from Boucherie Ovalie too seriously, but he does get his priorities right: ‘Antoine Dupont, la Laure Sansus du XV de France masculin’. Then he offers: ‘We have no chance against the English next week. So, according to French logic, we’ll beat them.’
