1
Contre les Galloises, les Bleues ont affiné leur stratégie avant le Crunch
Ce samedi, les joueuses de Gaëlle Mignot et David Ortiz se déplaçaient au Pays de Galles pour le compte de la quatrième et avant-dernière journée du Tournoi des Six Nations féminin.
L’occasion pour les Françaises de peaufiner leurs stratégies avant la grande finale annoncée contre l’Angleterre, le samedi suivant à Bordeaux.
Si les Bleues ont réalisé un match très propre contre l’Irlande la semaine dernière, le staff tricolore a choisi d’amener du sang neuf pour cette confrontation et de donner du temps de jeu à des joueuses souvent peu disponibles car venues du Sevens dont notamment Anne-Cécile Ciofani, Chloé Jacquet et Joanna Grisez.
Des bleues pragmatiques en première mi-temps
Dès le début du match, les Galloises s’emploient à tenir le ballon et à enchainer les temps de jeu, jusqu’à avoir plus de 70% de possession du ballon.
Malgré cette statistique impressionnante, les Galloises ne trouvent pas de solution et la défense française, bien en place, est un mur infranchissable. Emmenées par les plaquages offensifs de Romane Ménager et Gabrielle Vernier, les Françaises parviennent à stopper toutes les attaques adverses.
Fortes de cette défense, les Bleues profitent de ballon de contre-attaque pour ouvrir la marque. Pauline Bourdon-Sansus dynamise par deux fois le jeu, et envoie Annaëlle Deshayes dans l’en-but dès la 11e minute. Joanna Grisez profite, quant à elle, de l’énorme pression défensive française pour intercepter un ballon depuis ses 22 mètres et filer aplatir le deuxième essai ! Romane Ménager enfoncera le clou à la 31e minute, permettant à son équipe de mener 19-0 à la mi-temps.
Si l’avance est confortable au retour des vestiaires, les Bleues n’ont pas su mettre leur jeu en place sur ce premier acte et se sont plutôt nourries des fautes adverses. La mêlée est dominatrice mais le secteur de la touche reste imprécis.
Les Bleues assurent en deuxième mi-temps
Le bonus offensif est acquis dès la première offensive des Bleues en deuxième mi-temps, sur une magnifique passe de Pauline Boudon-Sansus pour Gabrielle Vernier (44e). La demie de mêlée toulousaine réalise d’ailleurs un tournoi de qualité et a souvent été à l’origine des actions d’essais de son équipe sur les quatre matchs du Tournoi. Deux essais supplémentaires par Feleu et Grisez viendront alourdir le score jusqu’à 40-0 pour les Françaises.
A nouveau, l’essentiel est assuré, mais il semble que cette équipe tricolore n’a pas encore trouvé toutes les clés offensives pour se libérer dans le jeu. Le secteur de la touche demande encore des réglages et le manque de discipline a coûté cher sur ce match avec trois cartons jaunes.
La satisfaction sur cette rencontre est surtout défensive : à plusieurs reprises, les Françaises ont été mises à mal proche de leur ligne d’en-but, et n’ont jamais craqué. Très patientes et organisées, elles ont à chaque fois su provoquer la faute chez leur adversaire, et n’encaisser aucun point.
La finale tant attendue !
Cette abnégation défensive sera un paramètre indispensable pour le Crunch de samedi prochain, finale annoncée de ce Tournoi des Six Nations. Les Bleues sont la seule équipe à pouvoir imposer une telle pression défensive aux Anglaises, qui n’ont pour le moment pas rencontré de véritable opposition. Largement favorites, les joueuses du XV de la Rose ont écrasé l’Irlande, 88 à 10, et comptent bien remporter un sixième Grand Chelem d’affilée.
Pour enrayer la machine anglaise, il faudra certes garder ce niveau d’exigence en défense, mais aussi être beaucoup plus disciplinées, pour ne pas se retrouver en infériorité numérique face à une équipe qui exploite parfaitement les surnombres.
Le combat s’annonce rude et si les Anglaises ont les faveurs des derniers résultats, les Françaises sont bien les seules à pouvoir se mettre en travers de leur route !
Comments on RugbyPass
Adding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
2 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
2 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to comments