L'Ecosse dans le Top 6 mondial (et la France toujours dans le Top 3)
L’Écosse connaît le meilleur ranking de son histoire dans le classement mondial féminin World Rugby présenté par Capgemini après avoir battu le Pays de Galles sur le sol gallois pour la première fois depuis 20 ans.
L’Écosse s’est imposée 20-18 grâce à des essais de Coreen Grant et Rhona Lloyd au début de chaque mi-temps et à 10 points de la botte d’Helen Nelson. L’Écosse porte ainsi sa série de victoires à sept matchs et remplace le Pays de Galles à la sixième place du classement.
L’équipe de Bryan Easson était assurée de gagner une place en cas de victoire, mais la défaite 48-0 de l’Italie à domicile contre l’Angleterre 24 heures plus tard lui a permis de gagner deux places, passant devant le Pays de Galles et l’Italie.
Avec un gain de 1,53 point pour l’Ecosse, les championnes du WXV 2 ont porté leur cote à 75,90 points. Cependant, un écart de 5,71 points les sépare encore de l’Australie, cinquième, et il leur faudra donc remporter d’autres victoires importantes avant la fin du Tournoi des Six Nations féminin pour avoir une chance de progresser encore.
Le Pays de Galles a vaillamment riposté après avoir été mené 20-3 suite aux essais de Sisilia Tuipulotu et d’Alex Callender – et huit points de la botte fiable de Keira Bevan – pour emmener le match jusqu’à la dernière minute. Cependant, Lleucu George n’a pas réussi à égaler la précision de Bevan sur le tee, ratant la transformation qui aurait permis d’égaliser le score.
Cette défaite a non seulement compromis les chances du Pays de Galles de terminer dans la première moitié du tableau et d’assurer son retour dans le WXV 1, mais elle s’est également avérée coûteuse en termes de classement, puisqu’un match nul aurait permis au Pays de Galles de conserver son rang en tant qu’équipe la mieux classée des deux. Ayant perdu le même nombre de points que l’Écosse, le Pays de Galles a rétrogradé à la huitième place avec une note de 75,14 points.
La France n’a pas reçu de points pour sa victoire 38-17 sur l’Irlande, lanterne rouge de l’année dernière, au Mans, pas plus que l’Angleterre, qui jouait elle aussi contre une équipe beaucoup moins bien classée. Par conséquent, l’Angleterre reste en tête et la France en troisième position.
Les Bleues et les Red Roses, quintuples championnes en titre, chercheront à améliorer leurs performances sur 80 minutes lorsqu’elles affronteront respectivement l’Écosse et le Pays de Galles le week-end prochain.
Dans le premier match du week-end d’ouverture, la France a parfois peiné pour venir à bout d’une équipe d’Irlande améliorée qui avait encaissé 53 points contre elle 12 mois plus tôt à Cork.
Les cinq essais français, marqués par Pauline Bourdon-Sansus, Marine Ménager, Madoussou Fall, Agathe Sochat et Élisa Riffonneau, ont tous été transformés, tandis que l’Irlande a inscrit deux essais de consolation en fin de rencontre par l’intermédiaire d’Aoife Wafer et Aoife Dalton.
L’Angleterre, quant à elle, a battu l’Italie 48-0, bien qu’elle ait joué la majeure partie du match avec 14 joueuses suite au carton rouge de Sarah Beckett.
Il a fallu une demi-heure à l’Angleterre pour percer la ligne italienne grâce à Hannah Botterman et l’équipe a ensuite doublé son avance grâce à un essai d’Abbie Ward.
Menant 10 à 0, les Red Roses ont transformé leur domination dans tous les aspects du jeu en points en deuxième mi-temps, marquant des essais par la capitaine Marlie Packer, à l’occasion de sa 100e cape, Ellie Kildunne, qui en a marqué deux, et Helena Rowland, Mackenzie Carson et Connie Powell.
Si aucun de ces résultats n’a eu d’incidence sur le classement, le test de Valladolid entre l’Espagne et l’Afrique du Sud a donné lieu à quelques mouvements, les deux équipes ayant échangé leur place à la suite de la victoire 15-13 des Springbok Women.
L’Afrique du Sud est revenue d’un retard de 13-5 pour reprendre l’avantage dans les dernières secondes grâce à un essai de pénalité et à une pénalité de Jacomina Cilliers, mais l’Espagne avait encore une chance de remporter le match à la dernière seconde, mais la demie d’ouverture Amalia Argudo a manqué sa troisième tentative du match.
Les Springbok Women ont fêté leur quatrième victoire consécutive contre Las Leonas, qu’elles remplacent désormais à la 12e place du classement.
Comments on RugbyPass
100%. Thank you, Andy.
1 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.
1 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.
3 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
44 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).
44 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.
3 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.
70 Go to commentsWhich captains were not human?
3 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.
3 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 commentsTest rugby is different level Some players are just big time players when the stakes are high they play better. The boks often lost to AUS on tour as they wanted to beat AB. Even at school level this is the case where some guys play better in tough games.
70 Go to commentsLet’s hope he misses more than just the Force game or the Reds won’t get very far in the finals.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick. I’m looking at the other 7 options in Australia and they don’t seem to be close behind Fraser at the moment? Even before reading this I thought he was well ahead. A random one - Slipper and Allalatoa seem to be getting well beaten in the scrum. I can’t remember this happening often before. Is it a technique/teamwork issue or are their bodies finally past it?
44 Go to commentsNZ is now entrenched in Div 2 of womens rugby. Canada would be thrashed by the likes of France or England. Europe are Div 1, with massive competitions, massive money…
3 Go to commentsBlackadder dies not deserve selection. He has not played enough games. Finau is just better. Kaino's replacement at Blindside On form TJ should be the starting 9 .
130 Go to commentsThe difference is Cotter..
6 Go to commentsThey can’t handle the level of comp in the NH. Pollard was a complete waste at Montpellier - and was the backup 12 when he left. Kitschoff was stealing his paycheque every week at Ulster,- getting absolutely rinsed by backup THs in the URC. There is a reason all the Boks go to Japan - they don’t have it in them to be able to compete. And yes, they won the RWC. Where Barnes and O'Keeffe were the direct reason for that tragedy occurring.
70 Go to comments