“We’re expecting a difficult match, it’s up to us to have the right mindset and commitment,” David Ortiz, one of the two coaches of the French women’s rugby team, told France Télévisions. We will have to be very vigilant in covering spaces well, being very generous in defense and, above all, winning the fight on the ground, the first regulator of the game.”
Saturday March 30, the Blues returned to Scotland for their second match of the Six Nations Tournament. A doubly motivated opponent, playing in front of his home crowd, at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, and aware that a good ranking in the competition could allow him to win his ticket for the 2025 World Cup – the Tricolores have already composted their ticket. At the final whistle, the French came out on top (5-15), but the first part of this duel saw the technician’s fears come to fruition.
The match started very well with a breakthrough from Romane Ménager, taken within five Scottish meters. Due to a lack of offensive support, the Blues give the ball back to the Scots, a shortcoming which will cost them dearly on the scoreboard. The French team settles into the opposing camp, wins its duels – Agathe Sochat and Assia Khalfaoui strike generously, Romane Ménager is untenable –, deploys its rapid passing game… then lacks precision in the last five meters.
All this work is still rewarded by a penalty from Lina Queyroi (12th, 0-3). But the locals showed themselves to be intractable in defense and already posted 56 tackles – against 33 – in the 25th minute, pushing the Blues to a handball error. It is in a well-structured pack that they turn the tide of the game, scoring a try by their valiant hooker Elis Martin (34th, 5-3). Fortunately for the Tricolores, Helen Nelson is not in luck and misses the transformation, even though she had already left three points on the way (10th). And despite a large territorial domination, the French returned to the locker room led by the score.
Suspense until the last seconds of the match
With the wind on their side, they will succeed in making things happen in the second act. The start was promising with balls quickly coming out of the rucks which brought Emilie Boulard wide to the Scottish five meter line (41st). Pauline Bourdon-Sansus attempts a reversal of play with her foot, but her attempt ends in a dead ball. Hindered by the gusts, the locals still managed to get out of their camp, carried by the 7,000 spectators at the Hive Stadium and the score still in their favor. On a touch from Agathe Sochat, the captain of the Bleues, Manae Feleu, is beaten by Louise McMillan in the conquest. The first failure in a series that will be far too long…
Doubt could have set in as disagreements and hand faults harm French efficiency, when hooker Molly Wright, who has just come into play in place of scorer Elis Martin, tackles the second- Madoussou Fall line (51st). The oldest member of the Scottish team, 33, remained on the ground before being evacuated on a stretcher. The stoppage of play caused by her injury – not serious – benefits the French, who recover: Assia Khalfaoui and Madoussou Fall collide in the middle then Pauline Bourdon-Sansus moves aside on the right towards Gabrielle Vernier, who finds Nassira Konde, who transmits to Emilie Boulard who can accelerate in her lane. She finally transmits to Kelly Arbey, who scores her first try for the France A team (54th, 5-8). It is not transformed by Lina Queyroi, but the French come back in front.
This very small gap of three points preserved the suspense until the last seconds of the match. It was in a scrum at the Scottish introduction in the 79th minute that the French team sealed its victory. The Blues recover and hold the ball. Romane Ménager, who will be named woman of the match, manages to hit under the Scottish posts. Alexandra Chambon extracts towards Gabrielle Vernier, who finds Emeline Gros: the Grenoble third row flattens in the in-goal, while the clock indicates 80 min 15 s.
France has not lost against Scotland since 2010, but this victory marks one of the smallest gaps. During the 2023 Tournament, the Blues crushed the XV du Chardon 55 to 0. But captain Manae Feleu remembered the state of mind of her teammates: “We never panicked, we remained patient, mentally united, and that’s what made us win the match,” she said after the match. “We lacked efficiency on our highlights in the first period, there were ups and downs in this meeting,” underlined David Ortiz. On our weak times, we managed not to break down. » Les Bleues have fifteen days to adjust their approach before hosting Italy on Sunday April 14 at the Jean-Bouin stadium in Paris.
