Les Bleues remain unbeaten despite sloppy display against Wales

Shaken at times by a tough Welsh side, France’s women’s XV eventually broke through to claim a 42-12 win on Saturday in Brive, keeping their hopes of a Six Nations title and Grand Slam alive, with a potential final showdown against England still in sight.

Under steady rain at Stade Amédée-Domenech, the French team secured their third consecutive win in the tournament — their second with a bonus point, following the one earned against Scotland two weeks ago in La Rochelle (38-15).

Fixture

Womens Six Nations

France Women

42 - 12

Full-time

Wales Women

All Stats and Data

However, despite the wide margin, the performance is unlikely to fully satisfy co-coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz, as Les Bleues dominated without converting enough of their opportunities.

These mistakes they will need to erase before their next outing on April 19th in Italy — always a tricky opponent — and more crucially before the potential decider at Twickenham against reigning champions and heavy favourites England.

For their final home game of the tournament, the squad led by co-captains Marine Ménager and Manae Feleu often struggled to execute their ambitious game plan, with frequent handling errors disrupting momentum.

Le premier essai du match est pour les Bleues 💙

Quelle diagonale au pied de Carla Arbez pour son ailière Émilie Boulard 🔥

📺 France TV#FRAGAL | #SixNationsRugby pic.twitter.com/svagkIeAyH

— Six Nations (FR) (@SixNations_FR) April 12, 2025

Unstable near their own try line and challenged at the breakdown, France failed to pull away in the first half despite a brace from winger Emilie Boulard (5th, 16th), as Wales replied with two close-range maul tries.

Forced to simplify their play, Les Bleues relied on power late in the half, and hooker Manon Bigot drove over just before the break to open a gap.

Les Bleues se donnent de l’air avant la mi-temps 😮‍💨

C’est Manon Bigot qui inscrit son premier essai international avec @FranceRugby 🇫🇷

📺 France TV#FRAGAL | #SixNationsRugby pic.twitter.com/9Z9ZCHsot5

— Six Nations (FR) (@SixNations_FR) April 12, 2025

After half-time, France stuck with a more direct approach. Back from injury, tighthead prop Assia Khalfaoui imposed her strength, and captain Feleu finished off another strong carry down the middle.

Yet the hosts again lapsed into poor habits, with sloppy offloads and loose passes giving Wales too many chances.

It was once again with power, this time in the scrum, that they finally pulled away, pushing through the Welsh pack, which was penalised with a yellow card and a penalty try with just over ten minutes to go. Flanker Léa Champon sealed the win with a sixth and final try after another close-range drive in the 79th minute.