What a sight!
Twickenham Stadium was already over 50,000 full for the bronze medal match; the top (third) tier well stocked for the first time ever in a women’s game.
It was hard for both squads collecting themselves after the disappointments of the previous weekend. But there were medals to be won. The world was looking on.
Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Photo)Alex Davidson – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
Once more, the side scoring first was destined to finish thwarted. The French backs couldn’t complete a move on a crowded blind-side, but later their favourite ploy, a double loop across the field, worked like a charm. It still needed a deft offload by Marine Menager, but Pauline Bourdon-Sansus was there to finish the job. A delightful score.
That stung the Ferns into action. Ruahei Demant, a commanding presence throughout, started and finished a great move. (7-7)
France were looking for space behind the first line of defence. A chip over the top by Carla Arbez nearly worked, but Menager couldn’t cling on to a final pass.
The Kiwis exploited the let-off; in the space of nine minutes they added three tries to swing the balance firmly their way.
First Portia Woodman-Wickliffe profited from determined thumps at the line by her forwards; then Renee Holmes was on the end of four perfectly timed passes.
Now Laura Bayfield rewarded the staff for their trust in her by adding a try that gave her side a dominant lead.
Half-time: France 7 New Zealand 26
As the teams reappeared, we learned that Taina Maka had not passed her HIA; she was replaced by 19-year-old Marie Morland in the pack.
Her team went on leaking points. The Kiwi backs found enough space for Braxton Sorensen-McGee to add her tenth try of the tournament.
By now Demant was happy to let Holmes add three points for another penalty. Her kicking was almost faultless today.
The French came back strongly. They thought they had a try, but the TMO intervened to say that Annaelle Deshaye had had two goes at grounding the ball when on her knees.
French ongoing weaknesses were displayed as Lina Tuy, now on at 10, failed to clear promptly in deep defence. It led, almost inevitably, to a second (or eleventh!) try for the teenager BSM. (7-39)
From this sorry position Les Bleues fought back well. The Ferns may have taken their foot off the pedal, but in the last quarter they leaked three tries.
First Lea Champon went over, after a long, mostly lateral run by Tuy; next it was Gabrielle Vernier’s turn to remind the crowd of her qualities; when Emilie Boulard went over for her fifth try of the tournament (she had a fine game to justify her choice as full-back), the margin was reduced to only 13 points.
But time was growing scarce.
As New Zealand attacked again, Holmes was called up to add a second penalty and eat up the passing seconds. And that proved decisive.
Neither side could feel totally satisfied with the day’s work; that is inevitable in contests of this sort. At least the Black Ferns could retire with medals around their necks.
Result: France 26 New Zealand 42
Player of the Match: Renee Holmes
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (RA)
Attendance: 50,000+ (an exact figure impossible)
Teams
France:
1 BROSSEAU 2 GERIN 3 BERNADOU 4 MAKA 5 FALL RACLOT 6 ESCUDERO 7 CHAMPON 8 T. FELEU 9 BOURDON-SANSUS 10 ARBEZ 11 M. MENAGER (captain) 12 VERNIER 13 KONDE 14 GRISEZ 15 BOULARD
16 BIGOT 17 DESHAYE 18 KHALFAOUI 19 IKAHEHEGI 20 MORLAND 21 CHAMBON 22 TUY 23 ARBEY
New Zealand:
1 VILIKO 2 PONSONBY 3 KALOUNIVALE 4 ROOS 5 BAYFIELD 6 MIKAELE TU’U 7 MILLER 8 OLSEN-BAKER 9 POURI-LANE 10 DEMANT (captain) 11 WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE 12 BRUNT 13 WAAKA 14 SORENSEN-MCGEE 15 HOLMES
16 GREEN 17 TANGEN-WAINOHU 18 RULE 19 A. BREMNER 20 SA’E 21 JOSEPH 22 SETEFANO 23 VAHA’AKOLO
Afterthoughts
Such a disappointment for the French. The pack performed admirably, but old familiar faults remained: over optimistic passes and offloads, poor clearances and unwise options that led to sharp reverses.
I mentioned in my preview that head coaches might not survive this final examination. Allan Bunting’s position now looks much safer than his two counterparts’.
We await the post-tournament reviews with the greatest interest.
