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WXV: Okemba to start for France, only change against Black Ferns

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 30: Seraphine Okemba #1 of Team France scores her team's first try during the Women's Rugby Sevens Women's Placing 5-8 match between Team France and Team Ireland on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

For their final WXV match against the Black Ferns, French women’s team coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have handed regular sevens player Séraphine Okemba her first start, placing her in the back row.

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“Séraphine is a player we selected for this WXV, and she’s been gradually earning more game time. Today, because of what she demonstrates every time she comes in and what she shows on a daily basis, it’s the right moment to start her at the beginning of the match. She’s going to bring all her energy and her desire to perform to this game. I believe she’s ready for the challenge,” explains Gaëlle Mignot.

This is the only change the coaches have made since the last match against USA, which Les Bleues won 22-14. It’s a sign that the coaching team is starting to settle on a standard lineup, or at least cement the core of the squad. With Rugby World Cup 2025 on the horizon, it’s clear they are already building for the future.

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With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

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“We’re in the home stretch now,” confirms Gaëlle Mignot, the former back-row player. “We started with a group of 30 players, and in the end, there won’t be many matches. The key is to build complementary partnerships between the players and begin shaping our overall structure.”

Teani Feleu is one of the players impacted by Séraphine Okemba’s inclusion in the starting XV. After playing as No. 8 in the previous match, Feleu, the younger sister of co-captain Manae, will start from the bench this time. Romane Ménager, who had been moved to the flank in the last game, will now take up the No. 8 position.

The rest of the lineup remains largely the same, with no changes amongst the first five. In the backs, Les Bleues stick with the same seven players. The halfbacks Bourdon-Sansus – Queyroi will look to inject energy into the game, while the back three Marine Ménager, Chloé Jacquet, and Cyrielle Banet will need to step up their performance. Meanwhile, the pair of centres Gaby Vernier and Nassira Konde, whose complementary styles have been a key element, will also need to deliver more impact than in the previous two matches.

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Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
3
Average Points scored
20
25
First try wins
80%
Home team wins
80%

The coaches have chosen a bench with six forwards, indicating their anticipation of a fierce physical contest. This decision comes even though the Black Ferns possess a style that may align more favorably with the French team’s strengths, characterized by a dynamic approach and a willingness to take initiative.

“Their game is far more fluid, built around movement and quick transitions. But the Black Ferns bring a heavy-hitting pack that thrives on a direct, physical style, hammering through the middle before spreading wide to exploit space,” says David Ortiz.

“In terms of deconstructed play, this team focuses on moving the ball quickly. While we share some similarities in our playing styles, that’s exactly why we have concerns about them. They can create a genuine threat at any moment, so we need to be fully prepared defensively,” emphasizes the coach.

French Women’s XV team vs. New Zealand

  1. Yllana Brosseau, 24 years old, 15 caps – Stade Français Paris
  2. Agathe Sochat, 29 years old, 55 caps – Montpellier
  3. Assia Khalfaoui, 23 years old, 26 caps – Toulouse
  4. Manae Feleu ©, 24 years old, 20 caps – Stade Toulousain
  5. Madoussou Fall, 26 years old, 33 caps – Bordeaux-Bègles
  6. Séraphine Okemba, 28 years old, 3 caps – RC Narbonne
  7. Emeline Gros, 29 years old, 36 caps – Stade Rennais
  8. Romane Ménager, 28 years old, 65 caps – Lille
  9. Pauline Bourdon Sansus, 28 years old, 60 caps – Montpellier
  10. Lina Queyroi, 23 years old, 16 caps – Stade Français Paris
  11. Marine Ménager ©, 28 years old, 51 caps – Lille
  12. Gabrielle Vernier, 27 years old, 48 caps – Lyon
  13. Nassira Kondé, 25 years old, 14 caps – RC Narbonne
  14. Cyrielle Banet, 30 years old, 29 caps – Bordeaux-Bègles
  15. Chloé Jacquet, 22 years old, 21 caps – Lille
Fixture
WXV 1
New Zealand Womens
39 - 14
Full-time
France Womens
All Stats and Data

Replacements:

16. Élisa Riffonneau, 20 years old, 11 caps – Paris

17. Ambre Mwayembe, 20 years old, 13 caps – Paris

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18. Rose Bernadou, 24 years old, 16 caps – Toulouse

19. Hina Ikahehegi, 21 years old, 2 caps – Bordeaux-Bègles

20. Axelle Berthoumieu, 24 years old, 16 caps – Lyon

21. Téani Feleu, 21 years old, 6 caps – Toulouse

22. Alexandra Chambon, 24 years old, 24 caps – Montpellier

23. Lina Tuy, 20 years old, 6 caps – Paris

Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 tickets application phase is now open! Apply now.

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F
Flankly 2 hours ago
Four talking points after a 'bonkers' England loss to Australia

On the face of it the England rush defence seemed to be worse this week than last. I thought the line speed last week was very effective against NZ, and that the NZ tries had to be very well worked to get around or through. But in fact the apparent deterioration of the England defence may have been more about Schmidt learning from the NZ game. Australia were quick about getting the ball outside of the midfield defenders, and England struggled to cover it effectively. Suaailii was a key element of this. The Boks are going to test this next week, and if England don't address it we should see some Bok tries out wide.


The England attack was as expected, ie fairly ineffective, per last week. Smith is the exception. His magic was behind almost everything England did on attack. While it's great for England to have a player like this, the question is what will happen when an opponent targets him to minimize his impact. Can England win a game with their Plan B? We saw what happened in the 2019 RWC final when the Boks shut down George Ford.


More of a surprise was the England forward pack. This ought to be the area in which Bothwick excels. It is a traditional England strength, and Borthwick was a forward himself. And there is a lot of experience in that pack. So I thought Australia might be overwhelmed up front. But that's not really what happened. It's not obvious that the England pack is any more than average at the moment.


My conclusion this week is similar to last, namely that England has not solved its coaching problem. It looks very different for NZ and Australia - they both have coaching results that are looking quite good.

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