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'Les Bleues were a bedraggled shadow of a side' but march on to semis
Marine Ménager’s retirement from rugby has been delayed for two more matches after she helped France come from behind to beat Ireland 18-13 and book a Rugby World Cup semi-final against old foes England in Bristol on Saturday afternoon.
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But her rugby career could very easily have ended a fortnight earlier than France, and she, were hoping as Ireland, one place down World Rugby’s rankings ladder, gave them an almighty scare in a tense, hard-fought quarter final in dismal weather at Sandy Park, Exeter.
Les Bleues’ co-captain had announced in May that she would hang up her boots at the end of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 – and she had an important say in extending her playing time. Her pass released winger Joanna Grisez for a long sprint to the line for the score that pushed France into the lead in the 67th minute of a tense, hard-fought encounter.
Important, crucial even, though that score was – a turning point – it wasn’t the decisive moment of the game. That had come before the break.
Ireland dominated the opening period as they played the conditions perfectly. Linda Djougang opened the scoring in the sixth minute. And when Stacey Flood darted over for their second try in the 24th minute, France had still to touch grass in the Irish half. They were under the pump in the set piece, at the breakdown, in the loose. Dannah O’Brien’s boot pinned France deep in their own territory, and every Irish player kept them there.
Les Bleues were a bedraggled shadow of the side that had brushed aside South Africa a week prior.
It was 13-0 that Ireland led at the break. It should have been more. But for an epic defensive set on both sides of the half-time hooter, it would have been. “Clearly, we have to capitalise on this last sequence which shows all the character of the group,” co-coach David Ortiz told French broadcaster TF1 during the interval.
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So it proved. Co-coach Gaëlle Mignot said afterwards: “With the wind against us in the first half, it was going to be tough. We made things harder for ourselves with mistakes that kept us from playing in their half.
“But when we saw the girls’ defensive effort, we knew we were on the right track. In the second half, it was all about using the wind to manage things strategically.”
Co-captain Manae Feleu said the players understood the need to weather the storm. “We knew that with the wind against us in the first half it was going to be really hard. We needed to be patient, put our heads down and defend. I think we showed great spirit. We knew this quarter-final wasn’t going to be easy.”
Morgane Bourgeois, meanwhile, admitted: “We’d run out of solutions. But we showed character. We didn’t break in that long defensive sequence. That’s the image we want to send: even if we bend, we don’t break.
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“That was clearly the turning point. At half-time, it gave us confidence and we built our second half off that sequence.”
Player of the match Charlotte Escudero also highlighted the importance of those high-intensity closing minutes. “Mentally it was tough for all of us at the start, as a team we were in a bit of a hole. We conceded one try, then another. But then came that massive defensive stand – we needed that for our confidence.
“Personally, I loved the second half. Bit by bit, confidence came back, the joy came back. We were all starving for it, and that hunger made the difference.”
And Grisez, whose defensive intervention allowed France to relieve the pressure and escape to the changing rooms without further scarring after 35 hard-tackling phases, added: “We had to go earn [the win]. It wasn’t a pretty rugby match. I feel for the people watching on TV – but it was a match of character.
“That moment gave us belief. We were 13-0 down, nothing was going our way, but with what we’d just shown in defence, we knew we could hold on.”
Eight minutes into the second half, France were on the scoreboard, thanks to a Bourgeois penalty. 11 minutes later, they were just three behind, after Escudero – who also put in a 25-tackle defensive shift – held off two Irish players to score her side’s first try. Grisez’s touchdown, which started with a turnover deep in their own 22 by the hard-working, never-say-quit Manon Bigot, followed eight minutes after Escudero’s. And Bourgeois had the final scoring say with a penalty.
Grisez’s score was – depending on who you supported – spectacularly brilliant or gut-wrenchingly heart-breaking. For the player, it was routine: “Everyone did their job, the ball was turned over, the girls got it out perfectly, and the pass landed right in my hands. That’s my job – if I can’t finish that, I’ve got no business being on the pitch,” said the winger.
It wasn’t, however, the final say. That belonged to Ireland, who hammered at France’s defence at the end of the second half as they had at the end of the first. Ortiz admitted to having doubts as they edged nearer to Les Bleues’ line.
“On that last play, with Ireland having the ball, of course there were doubts. But there were two key moments where we turned the ball over close to our own line. Those two turning points, thanks to heroic defence, allowed us to hold onto the lead.”
Grisez’s focus shifted quickly to England in Saturday’s semi-final at Ashton Gate. “First we need to come down a bit and process everything we didn’t do well.
“We know England. It’s a semi-final: if you want to win the title, you have to beat everyone. We already showed in the Six Nations that we’re capable of turning around nightmare scenarios. That game in Mont-de-Marsan? Forget it. One step at a time. We’ll review this quarter-final first, then the semi will be another story.”
But Ortiz urged caution: “It will be a huge match. England will be at home, we’re under no illusions. We need to be more disciplined and put together a more complete performance because these games take so much energy out of you.”
Ireland may well feel aggrieved with it being such a closely fought battle after discovering France’s Axelle Berthoumieu and Manae Feleu were both cited following the match around two separate incidents. Back row Berthoumieu has been cited for biting, while second row Feleu has been cited for dangerous tackling. Outcomes from the disciplinary hearings and whether these players will be available to play in the semi final against England is yet to be determined.
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