1
Only three players retained in France starting line-up for Fiji
France coach Thomas Darracq has retained only three players in the France starting line-up after their 13-7 loss to England for their final World Cup Pool C match against Fiji in Whang?rei on 22 October.
ADVERTISEMENT
Céline Ferer, Caroline Drouin and Emilie Boulard retain their places, although Drouin shifts out one place to inside centre and Boulard moves to full-back.
Two of the changes were enforced with number eight Romane Ménager going through the return to play protocols after a head knock against England and scrum-half Laure Sansus ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.
Coco Lindelauf, Laure Touye and Assia Khalfaoui are promoted from the bench to form the front row. Lindelauf and Khalfaoui both make their first starts for France since the Women’s Six Nations in April.
Safi N’Diaye, France’s most-capped player, comes into the second row alongside Céline Ferer to make her first start since November 2021.
Gaëlle Hermet returns on the blindside and assumes the captaincy with Julie Annery and Emeline Gros named alongside her in the back row.
Pauline Bourdon replaces Sansus at scrum-half with Jessy Trémoulière set for her first involvement of Rugby World Cup 2021 and only her fifth ever start at fly-half with the bulk of her 71 caps having been at full-back.
Drouin will partner Maëlle Filopon in midfield with Marine Ménager and Melissande Llorens coming onto the two wings to join Boulard in the back three.
Three players come onto the bench looking for their Rugby World Cup debuts in hooker Yllana Brosseau, prop Célia Domain and scrum-half Alexandra Chambon.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Coco Lindelauf
2. Laure Touye
3. Assia Khalfaoui
4. Céline Ferer
5. Safi N’Diaye
6. Gaëlle Hermet (captain)
7. Julie Annery
8. Emeline Gros
9. Pauline Bourdon
10. Jessy Trémoulière
11. Marine Ménager
12. Caroline Drouin
13. Maëlle Filopon
14. Melissande Llorens
15. Emilie Boulard
16. Yllana Brosseau
17. Célia Domain
18. Rose Bernadou
19. Manaé Feleu
20. Charlotte Escudero
21. Alexandra Chambon
22. Lina Queyroi
23. Chloé Jacquet
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to comments