Au pays de Galles, les Bleues en marche avant toute
La finale France – Angleterre tant attendue aura bien lieu. Larges vainqueurs du pays de Galles ce dimanche (0-40), les Bleues ont imité les Anglaises qui avaient pulvérisé l’Irlande la veille (88-10). Avec quatre victoires chacune, les deux équipes se disputeront donc la victoire finale dans le Tournoi 2024, agrémenté du Grand Chelem, samedi prochain à Bordeaux.
Mais pour s’offrir cette affiche, l’équipe de France a dû se débarrasser du pays de Galles. On ne doutait pas de la capacité des Françaises à écarter des Galloises en souffrance (seule équipe sans victoire à ce jour), mais on attendait surtout la confirmation de la victoire enfin convaincante, décrochée la semaine dernière contre l’Italie, après deux victoires inaugurales (Irlande, Écosse) qui avaient laissé tout le monde sur sa faim.
A vrai dire, il y a eu de tout dans ce match. Du très bon, avec la mêlée, l’activité des avants, l’efficacité offensive et défensive, ou l’intégration des septistes (Ciofani, Grisez). Du moins bon aussi, avec ces difficultés en touche ou sur les mauls, et une certaine indiscipline (trois cartons jaunes).
Les Galloises pourront même s’en vouloir de terminer ce match à zéro point. Elles ont pourtant eu des occasions, ont occupé le camp français plus que de coutume, ont caressé la ligne d’essai à plusieurs reprises.
Notamment dès l’entame de match. On ne jouait que depuis deux minutes quand Anne-Cécile Ciofani écopait d’un carton jaune pour un contact épaule-tête, à l’occasion de sa première sélection à XV.
Mais avec une Pauline Bourdon-Sansus à la baguette, qui jouait deux fois rapidement (une pénalité puis une touche), Lina Queyroi servait Annaëlle Deshayes lancée. La pilière, d’ailleurs élue meilleure joueuse du match, couvrait les 20 m restants pour marquer alors que son équipe jouait à 14 contre 15 (0-7, 11e).
Rebelote cinq minutes plus tard. Les locales pilonnaient la ligne française depuis deux minutes quand Joanna Grisez interceptait la dernière passe galloise et faisait parler ses jambes de septiste sur 100 m (0-14, 16e). Elle récidivera en tout fin de match, pour une 2e interception synonyme de doublé (0-40, 79e).
A la 20e minute, on était pourtant à 70% de possession pour les filles de Cardiff ! Mais dominer et marquer sont deux choses bien différentes, les Françaises pourraient en parler, en référence à leurs premiers matchs dans le Tournoi.
Et sur une mêlée, le gros point de satisfaction de l’après-midi, les Bleues récupéraient le cuir. La N.8 Teani Feleu se faisait la malle petit côté et transmettait à sa coéquipière de la 3e ligne Romane Ménager qui terminait le boulot (0-19, 31e).
« On subit un peu, mais ce qui est très positif c’est que dès qu’on a un ballon, on rentabilise », jugeait justement Ménager à la mi-temps au micro de France Télévisions, orpheline de sa jumelle Marine, forfait sur commotion.
Les Bleues repartaient en 2e mi-temps toujours portées par leur pack. C’est d’une nouvelle mêlée dévastatrice que Bourdon-Sansus lançait Gabrielle Vernier qui, tout en appuis, atteignait la terre promise pour l’essai du bonus offensif (0-26, 45e).
Puis la capitaine Manae Feleu marquait à son tour d’un pick&go, parachevant la démonstration des avants françaises (0-33, 58e).
Grisez fermait le tableau de marque dans les dernières minutes, mais c’est bien la performance du pack qui reste à l’esprit. Il faudra être capable de refaire un tel match, d’être aussi efficace aussi bien défensivement qu’offensivement tout en réglant les problèmes en touche, pour espérer faire tomber les Anglaises, vainqueurs de leurs 28 dernières sorties dans le Tournoi des Six Nations.
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