The Ferns’ Bubble Burst

• Like
• +1

France v New Zealand

A quite outstanding, gripping match.

France survived endless onslaughts by the white-shirted Ferns to repeat a final score that will stir memories of that French win over England at Grenoble six years ago.

With all due deference to the other sixteen nations competing in the global fiesta that is WXV, another match-up between the Black Ferns and les Bleues takes some beating.

Recent history tells a contorted story: four wins on the trot for the French, a feat still unequalled in women’s rugby, were followed by a one-point defeat in the last World Cup semi-final.

Les Bleues made early errors that betrayed nerves. The Ferns built with power-drives by the pack and the free off-loading game that Allan Bunting prefers.

The one problem with that is the likelihood of a tiny error. That’s precisely what happened in the fifth minute. A loose pass was exploited by Emilie Boulard, and she ran the length of the field to quieten the crowd and settle those nerves. (0-7)

This was a game where the slightest error could have dire consequences. Alex Chambon put a clearance kick straight out. From there the Ferns built a threatening move, completed by Liana Mikaele Tu’u. (7-7). Was this going to be a high-scoring thriller, or would the defences batten down?

Well, scores did come, but they had to be squeezed out of tight fists.

The next one was of a different order. From a scrum on their right Chambon moved the ball to the blind-side, a favourite area for French exploitation. From there three perfect passes in the tightest space set Cyrielle Banet free, and the Kiwis know the damage she can do them. (7-12)

This was a magnificent set-piece move from primary possession.

For much of this half the French found themselves making tackle upon tackle. It was almost finger-in-dyke time. But occasional Kiwi frailties in handling, or simple over-optimism, kept them at bay.

This was the sort of game where any chance of a penalty close in meant an inevitable shot at goal. No nonsense like kicking for the corner. Morgane Bourgeois, who had an outstanding game at the back, popped a vital three points over, and that was half-time. It felt more like ten minutes, so great had been the tension and excitement.

Half-time: New Zealand 7 France 15

The Black Ferns had enjoyed over 60% possession, but only points on the board count in this game.

Cheers went up as Ruby Tui appeared in close-up on the screen and waved to her global fan- club. But the first strike went to the French. Very surprisingly the Ferns’ front row went down at a scrum and Bourgeois added another three, cool as a cucumber. (7-18). That gap was beginning to look worrying.
As new front-rowers came on, the Ferns took the initiative at the scrum, driving the French into retreat and testing lungs. Sure enough, this power brought a penalty which Renee Holmes converted. (10-18)

More than one player was ordered off for an HIA. That is an encouraging sign that the new protocol and new machinery are doing their job, but for France it was a worry seeing Madoussou Fall and Gabrielle Vernier leave the field in turn.

When the TMO took a second look at Vernier’s injury, the game took an unwelcome but all too familiar twist. Chryss Viliko (on debut) was found guilty not merely of sliding carelessly round a maul off-side, but clashing head-on-head with Vernier, a key French player.

A third red card of the weekend.

The Black Ferns responded to this setback magnificently. For once, a threatening attack found a positive conclusion, Tui sliding a wicked grubber through for Katelyn Vahaakolo to pounce. Ruahei Demant tightened the screw a notch tighter by converting a magnificent kick from near the edge. (17-18)

It was fortunate that the game was in the safe hands of Hollie Davidson, who proved her right to being appointed to the top games on offer. Tensions mounted. When two players in blue went down with injuries, portions of the crowd at once cried ‘Foul!’ – that is, blatant time-wasting. But the officials remained cool.

One area of the game that hadn’t worked well for the French was the kick ahead, in all its variations.

Now we had box-kicks charged down and deeper kicks landing straight into counter- attacking bread-baskets.

But – yet another selection choice that must have baffled more than just your reporter – only now did Pauline Bourdon-Sansus come on the scene. Her experience proved vital. She sent an accurate kick deep and wide into touch to put the opposition on the back foot. And there they stayed.

The Black Ferns attacked like fury, but as the clock wound round to 80, they couldn’t regain their foothold.

Now it was a chance for les Bleues to hoof a final kick into the stands to ensure a famous victory.

Result: New Zealand 17 France 18 Player of the Match: Emilie Boulard

Teams

France:
15 Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais), 14 Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier HR), 13 Marine Ménager (Montpellier HR), 12 Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac), 11 Émilie Boulard (Blagnac), 10 Lina Queyroi (Blagnac), 9 Alexandra Chambon (Grenoble Amazones), 1 Ambre Mwayembe (Grenoble Amazones), 2 Elisa Riffonneau (Trailfinders Women), 3 Clara Joyeux (Blagnac), 4 Manae Feleu (captain, Grenoble Amazones), 5 Madoussou Fall (Stade Bordelais), 6 Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac), 7 Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain), 8 Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain)
Bench: 16 Laure Touyé (Montpellier HR), 17 Coco Lindelauf (Blagnac), 18 Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), 19 Audrey Forlani (Blagnac), 20 Léa Champon (Grenoble Amazones), 21 Emeline Gros (Grenoble Amazones), 22 Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Stade Toulousain), 23 Nassira Konde (Stade Bordelais)

New Zealand:
15 Renee Holmes (Matatu, Waikato) 14 Ruby Tui (Counties Manukau), 13 Amy du Plessis (Matatu, Canterbury), 12 Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai’i (Sylvia) Brunt (Blues, Auckland), 11 Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues, Auckland), 10 Ruahei Demant (co-captain, Blues, Auckland) 9 Arihiana Marino- Tauhinu (Chiefs Manawa, 1 Krystal Murray (Hurricanes Poua, Northland), 2 Georgia Ponsonby (Matatu, Canterbury), 3 Amy Rule (Matatu, Canterbury), 4 Maiakawanakaulani Roos (Blues, Auckland), 5 Charmaine Smith (Chiefs Manawa, Northland), 6 Alana Bremner (Matatu, Canterbury), 7 Kennedy Simon (co-captain, Chiefs Manawa, Waikato) 8 Liana Mikaele Tu’u (Blues, Auckland)
Bench: 16 Luka Connor (Chiefs Manawa, Bay of Plenty), 17 *Chryss Viliko (Blues, Auckland)18 Tanya Kalounivale (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato), 19 Chelsea Bremner (Chiefs Manawa), 20 Lucy Jenkins (Matatu, Canterbury, 21 Ariana Bayler (Blues, Waikato), 22 Patricia Maliepo (Blues, Auckland), 23 *Martha Mataele (Matatu, Canterbury)
*uncapped

Officials
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) and Amber McLachlan (RA) TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Afterthoughts

This was the first time the Ferns had played in Wellington since 2017, the year of the International Women’s Competition, when Australia, Canada and England came to visit. That emphasises the imbalance of women’s rugby across the nation. It’s tilted firmly towards the north, as the venues of the World Cup demonstrated.

The crowd was much bigger than for the previous match, but the Cake Tin looked as though somebody had been stealing a lot of cake.

Allan Bunting made only two changes to the side that saw off Australia with some ease last month: Renee Holmes had recovered from a shoulder injury and Ruby Tui was allowed back into the fold, although she had taken herself off to the States to add some stature to the newly established Premier Rugby Sevens.

But overall these were two new-look sides. Only thirteen Ferns featured here who were in that dramatic semi. The team chosen by Mignot and Ortiz showed far more unfamiliar faces than expected. Their judgement proved sound.

France’s response to the haka was once more a raucous rendition of La Marseillaise.

Both France’s early tries betrayed Renee Holmes’ lack of pace. WXV1 is shaking the foundations of the rankings world.