34 players have been invited to join training sessions at Cap Breton for five days, 27-31 August.
With their current and original clubs indicated, they are:
Forwards
Rose Bernadou (Montpellier/Les Rives d’Orb), Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac/Espalion Nord Aveyron), Manon Bigot (Blagnac), MaiIys Borak (Stade Bordelais/Toulon), Yllana Brosseau (Stade Bordelais/Créteil Choisy), Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain/RC Valettois Revestois), Madoussou Fall (Stade sais/Drop de Béton), Manae Feleu (Grenoble/Afili Futuna), Téani Feleu (Grenoble/Afili Futuna Rugby), Émeline Gros (Grenoble/CA Mauriennais), Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain/US Carmausine), Hina Ikahehegi (Stade Villeneuvois/ Stade Villeneuvois), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais/COP XV Pont-du-Casse), Romane Ménager (Montpellier/Stade Villeneuvois), Ambre Mwayembe (Grenoble/US Vizille), Séraphine Okemba (Lyon OU/RC Drouais),
Élisa Riffonneau (Grenoble/US Joué), Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais/USA Limoges), Chloé Vauclin (Stade Rennais/RC Plabennec), Kiara Zago (Stade Toulousain/US Casteljaloux)
(20)
Backs
Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier/Salanque Côte Radieuse), Océane Bordes (Stade Toulousain/Stade Bagnérais), Émilie Boulard (Blagnac/Chilly-Mazarin), Pauline Bourdon Sansus (Stade Toulousain/Capo Limoges), Alexandra Chambon (Grenoble/US Montmélian), Caroline Drouin (Lyon OU/Pays D’Auray), Joanna Grisez (Stade Bordelais/Bobigny 93), Chloé Jacquet (Lyon OU/Viriat), Nassira Konde (Stade Bordelais/Terres de France), Mélissande Llorens (Blagnac/Capbreton Hossegor),
Marine Ménager (Montpellier/Stade Villeneuvois), Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain/Union Rugby Club Auvézère), Lina Tuy (ASM Romagnat/Aixe Rugby Athlétique), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac/Rueil)
(14)
Points of Interest
A group of 34 means that four unfortunates will be left at home.
Four members of the French Olympic 7s squad are included, Grisez, Jacquet, Okemba and Drouin. Of them Séraphine Okemba is included among the forwards, so she is the versatile equivalent of Alex Matthews in the England squad.
These additions point to the continuing French policy of combining the two codes wherever advisable. Players have trained together and switched across from one to the other, underlining the close collaboration of the two managements.
The reintroduction of Caroline Drouin is important. Lina Queyroi proved a fine replacement for her during this year’s 6 Nations, but now the coaches have the advantage of possessing two talented No 10s. In all likelihood Drouin will regain her place.
Changes of location: on returning to France from her year at Trailfinders, Elisa Riffonneau has not rejoined her former club Stade Rennais, but moved across country to link with the host of test players Grenoble Amazones now boast. Drouin, reinstalled in 15s, has also left Rennes for far distant Lyon.
Top clubs: Stade Bordelais and Grenoble Amazones can boast seven squad members, Stade Toulousain six and Blagnac five. They match England’s top four clubs very neatly. But once more the FFR lists their first clubs too, a feature they introduced by weaving the name into the players’ shirt numbers – a nice touch.
Summary
Not for the first time this looks like a very strong squad, but the old doubts remain: can they perform at their best when the chips are down? In particular, can the forwards maintain dominance against the best packs? That has been an ongoing weakness across recent seasons.
They prefer playing an open style, full of pace and adventure. At WXV and RWC level this approach will need a sharp reduction in unforced errors.
World Cups have come and gone; still they haven’t yet reached a final. Currently they sit fourth in rankings behind Canada, the WXV hosts. With the added ingredients of those four 7s players, and the return of vital players like Madoussou Fall, they seem to have most corners covered, but we’ve thought that before and been proved wrong.
I’m not convinced that it benefits them having one co-coach in charge, Gaëlle Mignot, who experienced all those heartbreaks herself; does that help cast off a sense of preordained fate? She stopped playing only three years ago. It’s as if Sarah Hunter had taken over the Red Roses shortly after retiring.
At WXV1 they meet the hosts first, on 29 September. That will be a real tester for them. Then come USA, and in the last round another big clash with the Black Ferns. Les Bleues have made a habit of beating them in recent years. That should be a thriller.
We’ll get a much closer view of likely developments when a squad of 23 (we may assume) comes to London to avoid yet another defeat at the hands of the Red Roses. They’ve come mighty close to victory there in recent years. In 2020 a Scarratt kick in the 83rd minute to win 25-23, for example.
On the plus-side, the squad is enjoying temperatures around 27 degrees as they train in the deep south-west of France.
Alas for the reintroduction of Drouin!
I’m curious Okemba is listed among the Forwards. I’m not sure if she has played for Stade Francais, but back in the day she was in the Backs for Saracens. Moving from 7s to the pack vs the likes of England, Canada and NZ feels a tough assignment.
In looking up Okemba I discover she’s also a knight (of the Order of Merit, along with others of the Tokyo 7s team) and that she recently released a music album (can be found on youtube).