The FFR has announced the 26 names of an Under 20 squad to represent France in home and away games with England in April:
Lyna Abdallah (Lyon OU)
Amalia Bazola (Stade Toulousain)
Adèle Besson (Stade Bordelais)
Mélanie Blanchard (Stade Rennais)
Mailys Borak (Stade Bordelais)
Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais)
Léa Champon (Grenoble)
Lili Dezou (Stade Toulousain)
Lilou Graciet (Lyon OU)
Cléo Hagel (Lyon OU)
Zoé Jean (Stade Rennais)
Eneka Labeyrie (Lyon OU)
Flavie Laine (Blagnac)
Emma Lechardoy (Bayonne)
Maé Lévy (Montpellier)
Anna Macipe (Montpellier)
Taina Maka (Grenoble)
Ambre Mwayembe (Grenoble)
Maelig Ngassa Manac (Stade Rennais)
Clémentine Pages (Blagnac)
Emma Poulat (Grenoble)
Élisa Riffoneau (Stade Rennais)
Lou Roboam (Stade Toulousain)
Aubane Rousset (Stade Bordelais)
Hawa Tounkara (Bobigny / SCUF)
Kiara Zago (Agen)
Caroline Suné (Manager)
The England squad has not yet been announced, but these players faced Scotland Futures on Saturday 25 March:
15. Leah Brough (University Worcester Warriors), 14. Katie Buchanan (Exeter Chiefs), 13. Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs), 12. Phillipa Hendy (Gloucester-Hartpury), 11. Francesca Goldthorp (Loughborough Lightning), 10. Lizzie Duffy (Sale Sharks), 9. Tori Sellors (Worcester Warriors), 1. Catherine Wells (University Worcester Warriors), 2. Amy Dale (Gloucester-Hartpury), 3. Grace Clifford (Loughborough Lightning), 4. Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning), 5. Lola Whitley (Gloucester-Hartpury), 6. Niamh Orchard (Exeter Chiefs), 7. Maisy Allen (Exeter Chiefs), 8. Gabriella Nigrelli (Bristol Bears)
Bench:
16. Niamh Swailes (Sale Sharks), 17. Katherine Baverstock (Loughborough Lightning), 18. Niahm Williams (Wasps), 19. Kendall Waudby (Loughborough Lightning), 20. Nicole Wythe (Harlequins), 21. Steph Else (Gloucester-Hartpury), 22. Lucy Heryet (Harlequins), 23. Lucy Weaver (Loughborough Lightning), 24. Reneeqa Bonner (Bristol Bears), 25. Sophie Langford (Exeter Chiefs), 26. April Ishida (Darlington Mowden Park)
The two fixtures:
8 April at Wellington College, 2pm (live streamed on England Rugby’s Youtube channel)
15 April at Tours
Caroline Suné made the usual diplomatic noises about the challenge facing the French girls coming to England, but the stats tell a quite different story. Last year they won both games, 35-14 at Evreux, then 32-27 at Henley.
Wins for England remain a holy grail.
An indication of the quality of the French squad: Morgane Bourgeois (fly-half) captained the team last year, and was included in the training squad of 32 to prepare for the World Cup, though she didn’t make the final selection. Lilou Graciet already has a World Cup Sevens bronze medal to her credit.
The English hope must be that the improved structures put in place will turn the tide. Many names In the squad are familiar from Prem 15s appearances; two were even included in the latest full England 6 Nations squad, Nancy McGillivray and Lizzie Duffy.
