First the full French squad:
Cyrielle Banet, Rose Bernadou, Axelle Berthoumieu, Manon Bigot, MaiIys Borak, Océane Bordes. Émilie Boulard, Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Yllana Brosseau, Alexandra Chambon. Madoussou Fall, Manae Feleu, Téani Feleu, Émeline Gros, Hina Ikahehegi, Chloé Jacquet, Assia Khalfaoui, Nassira Konde, Mélissande Llorens. Marine Ménager, Romane Ménager, Ambre Mwayembe, Séraphine Okemba, Lina Queyroi, Élisa Riffonneau, Agathe Sochat, Lina Tuy, Chloé Vauclin, Gabrielle Vernier, Kiara Zago
One of the fascinations of WXV is to see how managements get around the problem of restricting their choices to 30. It means taking calculated risks. Injuries are always unwelcome, but have a nasty habit of occurring.
The name of the game is versatility. In a competition as brief as the three-match WXV you want to have players you can trust to switch positions with minimal disruption.
Since there is a week’s gap between rounds, it’s technically possible to fly in replacements, but not ideal.
The gap also means there is time to recover from lesser injuries, and for coaches to work on new combinations.
A dissection of the 30 French picks
First, there were crucial factors in how the joint-coaches, Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz, went about selecting. Which of the Sevens squad would they consider, if any? Who were available, and where should they best be placed in a 15s frame-work?
In the event they have picked Chloé Jacquet and Séraphine Okemba, a straight repeat of the choices for the recent England game. Whether they will be reappear in the same positions is up in the air.
Like the English (see below), there is enormous variation possible among the backs. Far less, though some, in the forwards. The one certainty ought to be Gabrielle Vernier at 12, but now that Marine Ménager is the co-captain with Manae Feleu, can she expect to be given an established position too? If so, where: 13, 11 or 14?
Bearing in mind these uncertainties, I calculate that the forwards-backs split amounts to 18-12; that is, on the outer edges of risk-taking. I can spot five props and three hookers; three No 9s and two No 10s (as with England).
Another parallel with the Red Roses: no list of stand-bys is offered, though no doubt several players at home will be impatient for a call.
The two coaches offer no explanation for their individual choices, merely repeating their aims for the coming tournaments.
And England?
First, a reminder of the 30 Red Roses:
Sarah Bern, Hannah Botterman, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Lark Atkin-Davies, Connie Powell, Maud Muir, Zoe Aldcroft, Rosie Galligan, Lilli Ives Campion, Abbie Ward, Georgia Brock, Maddie Feaunati, Alex Matthews, Marlie Packer, Morwenna Talling, Natasha Hunt, Lucy Packer, Ella Wyrwas, Holly Aitchison, Zoe Harrison, Tatyana Heard, Phoebe Murray, Emily Scarratt, Jess Breach, Abby Dow, Bo Westcombe-Evans, Helena Rowland and Ellie Kildunne.
This is how they break down by position. I’ve split them up to try to account for the likeliest changes in shirt-number:
Props: Sarah Bern, Hannah Botterman, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maud Muir (5)
Hookers: Amy Cokayne, Lark Atkin-Davies, Connie Powell (3)
Locks: Zoe Aldcroft, Rosie Galligan, Lilli Ives Campion, Abbie Ward (4)
Back row: Georgia Brock, Maddie Feaunati, Alex Matthews, Marlie Packer (4)
Back five: Morwenna Talling (1)
No 9s: Natasha Hunt, Lucy Packer, Ella Wyrwas (3)
No 10s: Holly Aitchison, Zoe Harrison (2)
No 12s: Tatyana Heard (1)
Centres: Phoebe Murray, Emily Scarratt (2)
Wingers: Jess Breach, Abby Dow, Bo Westcombe-Evans (3)
Full-back: Ellie Kildunne (1)
Anywhere from 10 to 15: Helena Rowland (1)
Notes:
Only five props; that is the biggest risk. The tradition is to replace all three starters well before the end of each game, so six is normally seen as a sensible minimum. Players who can switch between 1 and 3 are gold-dust. In effect, the limit of five means one prop sitting out each game.
Only one first-choice No 8, Alex Matthews, but Zoe Aldcroft, Abbie Ward, Marlie Packer and Morwenna Talling all have experience there.
The backs present far fewer concerns: the trouble has been knowing which position suits the individual best, and in what combinations. I’ve listed only one No 15 (it’s a long while since Ellie Kildunne played anywhere else for England), but there’s no shortage of possible replacements.
Emily Scarratt is still working her way back to her best form after a series of sapping injuries. It would be comforting for England fans to see her operating at full-throttle at 13. Tatyana Heard sees herself exclusively as a 12. Much of her passing has been of Rachael Burford quality.
Nations used to high-class weekly competition at home ought to have an inbuilt advantage. They amount to precisely two, England and France. But that’s not how things worked out in New Zealand last year (Les Bleues in 5th place!). Mignot makes passing reference to the shortfall, but gives nothing away about plans to redeem it.
