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France 7 Féminine à Hongkong pour se relancer
France 7 féminine revient à Hongkong pour la deuxième fois seulement de son histoire. Après le premier tournoi féminin l’an passé, c’est la Nouvelle-Zélande qui s’était imposée en finale face à l’Australie, 26-17. La France avait terminé à la 5e place après s’être inclinée face à la Grande-Bretagne dans un quart de finale très difficile (5-0).
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Aujourd’hui, les filles de David Courteix sont 3e au classement général derrière l’Australie et la Nouvelle-Zélande, mais ont perdu du terrain après une tournée mitigée en Amérique du Nord.
Après avoir terminée avec l’argent à Vancouver, la France avait surmonté la déception de son élimination en quart de finale à Los Angeles en battant sèchement l’Afrique du Sud 53-0 dans le match pour la 5e place.
La France à sa place
Reste que cette performance était en-deçà des attentes après un début de saison au top avec une participation à deux finales – Le Cap et Vancouver – soit déjà plus que toute autre précédente saison.
Meilleure que l’an passé sur le circuit, la France est à son niveau dans différents aspects de son jeu : troisième en termes d’essais marqués (112 pour l’instant – avec une moyenne de 22,4 essais par tournoi contre une moyenne de 19 l’an passé), troisième en termes de remise en jeu rapide menant à l’essai (36% de toutes les réalisations), troisième en termes de franchissement (un en moyenne toutes les 7,1 courses avec ballon), deuxième en termes de offloads (7,2 par match en moyenne)…
La France se distingue également par sa solide défense, déployant des efforts considérables pour stopper l’adversaire avec une moyenne de 16,3 plaquages par match, ce qui représente le taux le plus élevé parmi les équipes, avec un taux de réussite de 80%. Sur 25 rencontres, les Françaises ont remporté 21 victoires, limitant leurs adversaires à moins de trois essais à chaque fois. Et quand elles perdent, c’est qu’elles ont encaissé plus d’essais : lors de leurs trois défaites, elles ont encaissé au moins quatre essais.
La tête de la poule se jouera avec la Nouvelle-Zélande
A Hongkong, la France s’est retrouvée dans la poule A avec le Brésil (9e au général), la Grande-Bretagne (8e) et la Nouvelle-Zélande (2e).
Le premier match contre le Brésil ne devrait pas poser de soucis car la France n’a encaissé que cinq essais au cours de ses quatre dernières rencontres depuis le début de la saison, gagnant avec un écart de 27 points en moyenne.
Face à la France, le Brésil est toujours sur une série de 21 défaites de rang qui remonte à Amsterdam en 2014. Pour autant, les Brésiliennes ont marqué plus de points contre la France cette année (19) que l’an passé (7).
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La seule victoire contre la Grande-Bretagne, l’adversaire suivant, remonte, on l’a vu, au tournoi de Hongkong l’an passé, en quart de finale. La Grande-Bretagne avait terminé 3e et prenait place pour la première fois sur le podium depuis leur arrivée sur le circuit en 2022 (la seconde fois étant à Perth fin janvier cette année).
Mais depuis 2022, la France a battu les Britanniques dans cinq de ses six rencontres. Cette année, leur seul match était à Vancouver avec un score de 31-10 pour la France. La France avait eu fort à faire pour contenir cette équipe en réussissant 17 de ses 20 plaquages (85% de réussite) alors que les Britanniques avaient manqué 50% des leurs (laissant filer cinq essais en sept visites dans leurs 22).
Enfin, le gros morceau de la poule sera aussi le dernier qui déterminera qui terminera en tête de la poule : contre la Nouvelle-Zélande. Après avoir réussi le doublé en Amérique du Nord, les Néo-Zélandaises viseront à Hongkong une troisième victoire d’affilée pour la première fois de la saison.
L’une des trois seules victoires de la France contre les Blacks Ferns Sevens dans l’histoire du circuit mondial était en demi-finale du Cap cette saison (24-12). C’était alors leur plus lourde défaite mais aussi leur précédente rencontre et jamais encore la France n’a battu la Nouvelle-Zélande deux fois de suite.
L’équipe de France 7 féminine pour le Hongkong Sevens :
- Séraphine Okemba – 26 tournois
- Anne-Cécile Ciofani – 19 tournois
- Chloé Pelle – 50 tournois
- Lou Noël – 17 tournois
- Joanna Grisez – 21 tournois
- Valentine Lothoz – 17 tournois
- Camille Grassineau – 45 tournois
- Carla Neisen – 32 tournois
- Jade Ulutule – 24 tournois
- Chloé Jacquet – 7 tournois
- Marie Dupouy – 3 tournois
- Lili Dezou – 12 tournois
- Montserrat Amédée – 19 tournois
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Comments on RugbyPass
Good article, NB. I’ve quite liked the speed and skill levels of Tom Ahern from Munster. I read he was a fullback until late in schools rugby and suddenly shot up to 6 foot 9. Another guy born in 2000 who seems to be able to play out in trams on both sides of the ball is Juan Martin Gonzalez of Saracens. Thanks for the article.
46 Go to commentsShould not even be in the thought to bring Barrett back,the team is going well and remember 2 season ago when the blues were going well & got out thought & out played in the final all Barrett did was needlessly kick away posession again and again, pass to players in worse positions as to avoid contact and for the Blues and AB proved costly in crucial games.
1 Go to commentsBarbarians will be preparing for fiji starting end of this week but fiji will be preparing only 1 week b4 the game…..so unfair
1 Go to commentsI believe it was the Wallaby Nick White who opened the floodgates - earning his team a yellow card against SA and getting Faf binned for 10. Nick White. The original soft pr1ck, diving git. Owen Farrell is growing on me.
2 Go to commentsTo be honest this result was not that seismic as shock, Canada are a very good team and very few teams fear the Black Ferns anymore. The rankings give a good picture, the top four ranked teams are the top four teams in women’s rugby with England ahead the other three can exchange places at any given time. Despite the USA result I still think Australia are ahead of the rest. WXV will show how big the gap is between nations.
9 Go to commentsFarrell playing in France next season better get use to play acting .
3 Go to commentsNot sure I see the magic. Solid flanker but the aggression and lack of bending at the hips leads to boo boos
5 Go to comments100%. Thank you, Andy.
2 Go to commentsFabulous player. Don’t know if people outside of Ireland appreciate his vision and genius. I wish he got more time with the National team. We will never know how high he could have soared. Super season to end with!
1 Go to commentsIf he's playing well enough to be in the top 2 or 3 open sides, then pick him. Essentially nothing else should come into it.
1 Go to commentsBe really surprised if Beale is considered for a WB squad, let alone a match day 23. Feel there are too many younger players in all positions in the backline now who should be developed. These upcoming games this year should be used to develop the players of the future, for building towards next RWC.
2 Go to commentsI think this all came from Fozzie immediately anointing Cane as captain when he became coach, well ahead of when any team was to be named. Then he seemingly felt unable to retract the captaincy as that would have been an admission he was wrong initially. Sam Cane was a good AB and a good captain. Through his injuries and some loss of form he maybe didn't deserve selection but Fozzie couldn't ever make that hard call which led to Cane copping it.
5 Go to commentsThe extra weight that Fraser put on over the off season is really showing. The word is 7/8 kgs heavier than last year. Feel he is now carrying into contact a lot more powerfully, which makes him a bigger threat playing in the sh position at lineout time. I do feel however that he is still too easily moved off the ball at the breakdown unless he is in really early. Comparing him to the top current guys such as Tommy Refell, and past supremos like Pocock and McCaw, I would hope he will develop more in that area. The rest of his game is way out front. His speed around the field as a support player is top notch, and his defence is very sound, apart from the front on tackle on the bigger men sometimes. I also would see him as a future WB captain. He does a lot of quiet encouraging, and for sure can lead from the front. Of the other three NZ lads on the stats. table, would think it may be Papalli’i who gets in. I do like Lakai. Is Blackadder not more a 6/8 player ? Actually really rated Lachlan Boshier, but he was not ever getting anywhere, so now in Japan. Would love to have seen how he went in a AB jersey. Excellent article, Nick…….most thought provoking
46 Go to commentsAhh too many OK 7’s out there at the moment, would have loved to have Harmon (and Boshier from Panasonic) included on that list (although I don’t know what I’m looking at with those stats!). I would love to see another 7 come through like Cane (who VdF has molded off), who was a real attacking machine before his neck injury and inability to turn his head/upper body to pass or catch properly forced his style to change. No sure McReight is it, he looks more like a canny McCaw than the blasters Hooper and Cane were. The real issue is what use can Schmidt mold out of his ability and skills in just two short seasons. I think Cale could do a lot of the more skillful stuff. McReight is probably best to knuckle down and do the core duties a modern day Cane performs for the other two loosies (if he’s the best Schmidt has to play with at 7).
46 Go to commentsI’ve little doubt that England is comfortably the No 1 team and not only beat other teams but beat them easily. Not so sure about France. They should be No 2 after winning 3 of last 4 matches against NZ and only a straightforward missed kick prevented it from being 4 out of 4. However, then they inexplicably lost to Canada and Wallaroos in WXV. I thought the NZ match was their “cup final” and they took the others lightly, but they were not particularly impressive in 6N except in flashes. I think they have stood still whilst Canada and England have moved forward but I don't think Canada has the depth and their team is ageing. I agree NZ not moving forward. What will be interesting is how the Wallaroos fare against NZ and then again in their September match against Ireland and then in WXV2 against other 6N teams. I was surprised they lost to USA.
9 Go to commentsI don't know why peoplenare upset here. If foreign fans think they are poor for their clubs and back it up with stats then it's probably true. Snyman would have been a legend in the NH if he was fit though. He just transforms Munster into a winning machine. Pollard is 100% the most disappointing one and his win rate outside world cups gives a good indicator. For all his clubs his average win rate is around 52%, inbetween world cups for the Boks it's 55%. Compared to other elite flyhalves who have 70%+ win rates for their clubs. If anything Manie is a far better investment if you looking for a flyhalf given that when he is on the pitch teams on average win 76% of games.
71 Go to commentsWhich captains were not human?
5 Go to commentsIt left him open to savage sledging most memorably POMs ‘Sh1t McCaw’ comment which prompted a national NZ meltdown. Cane was later substituted in that game. He had some redemption in the RWC quartfinal against Ireland but unfortunately he will be remembered for torpedo-ing his team with that red card in the final with NZ already 12-3 down.
5 Go to commentsThere should be a smaller number of teams cut off to play finals after the regular season, of course. However, with all due respect, the Crusaders aren’t playing well enough to even make that cut. They may have a late rally, if they can get some key players back from injury, but this is still a speculation as it stands. They will still have to rely on other results going their way too - their season is now entirely out of their control.
10 Go to comments1 week for two cynical and dirty plays? Absolutely pathetic punishment. He should’ve at least received 2 weeks - 1 week per trip. The guy is a cheating moron and liability. He should go back to league.
2 Go to comments