A new Captain
The big decision the new staff had to make was whether to retain the old structures, the familiar faces, or use a large broom to sweep the cupboard clean. Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have answered the question with a major decision: Audrey Forlani replaces Gaëlle Hermet as captain.
Hermet, appointed at the tender age of 21, has been captain for five years. The choice has fallen, not on another relative youngster, but a senior squad member who has represented France since 2011 (54 caps). But Forlani’s career has been blighted by injuries and non-selections. She missed out on both the 2014 and 2021 World Cups.
Les Bleues have come so close to the Big Time so often in recent years, but still they haven’t achieved their two most cherished targets: a 6N win (none since 2018) and a complete performance at a World Cup (almost permanent holders of the bronze medal).
Of the two new co-coaches, Gaelle Mignot is the old hand; she knows the ropes. It is still rare for a distinguished ex-international to be invited back to take charge of the national team. Mignot follows Annick Hayraud as the exception that proves the rule. We no longer need wonder whether she will prove a revolutionary.
This appointment is more than just tinkering at the edges; it represents an important shift in responsibilities. One likely consequence is that Hermet will figure even more prominently on the field than before.
Forlani is highly regarded among her team-mates, so French fans will have few concerns about her fitness for the job.
Whether this unexpected change can effect a first 6N championship trophy in five years remains guesswork, but away wins in the Crunch used to be an endangered species till the Red Roses started their unbeaten run.
