Pourquoi le XV de France féminin doit se méfier de l’Ecosse
L’arrière des Bleues et du Stade Bordelais Morgane Bourgeois (21 ans, 5 sélections) le reconnaît aisément : « toutes les équipes du Tournoi montent en puissance et tous les matchs prennent de l’ampleur ».
Après l’Irlande vainqueur du WXV 3, place maintenant à l’Ecosse qui a remporté le WXV 2 en Afrique du Sud, à la différence de points avec l’Italie qui sera le troisième adversaire des Bleues.
En une édition seulement, le WXV de World Rugby a vraiment apporté un plus à la compétitivité des équipes féminines, proposant une compétition de très haut niveau à l’automne chaque année. Si l’an passé la France avait battu l’Ecosse 55-0 à Vannes, cette année ce ne sera pas la même.
L’exploit contre le Pays de Galles
En battant le Pays de Galles 20-18 lors de la première journée pour la première fois depuis 2004, les Écossaises ont remporté leur septième victoire consécutive, toutes compétitions confondues, et la première sur le sol gallois depuis 20 ans.
« On a connu des moments difficiles, mais on savait que ce groupe avait quelque chose de spécial à offrir et nous allons continuer à progresser », indiquait le sélectionneur Bryan Easson à l’issue de la rencontre.
L’exploit a été récompensé par un gain de deux places au classement mondial féminin World Rugby. L’Ecosse se classe maintenant 6e, son plus haut niveau historique jamais atteint.
Les menaces
Dans ce groupe, les menaces ont pour nom Coreen Grant sur une aile (auteure du premier essai après un cadrage-débordement suivi d’une course de 35 mètres), Rhona Lloyd sur l’autre aile, Helen Nelson, tireuse d’élite du XV du Chardon avec un 100% au pied (4/4) ou encore Caity Mattison qui a placé les joueuses dans les bonnes zones.
A noter aussi l’arrivée pour ce clash contre la France de la deuxième-ligne d’Édimbourg Natasha Logan, impressionnante lors du récent Celtic Challenge et qui pourrait maintenant avoir l’occasion de briller sur la scène internationale.
23 des 34 joueuses du Tournoi sont sous contrat
Si l’Ecosse parvient aujourd’hui à faire de tels résultats, c’est aussi suite à la réorganisation de la filière féminine vers la professionnalisation. Ainsi, 23 des 34 joueuses du Tournoi des Six Nations sont actuellement sous contrat avec Scottish Rugby, la fédération.
« Les contrats font sans aucun doute la différence », a déclaré cette semaine la demie de mêlée Jenny Maxwell, elle-même sous contrat, au podcast BBC Scotland Rugby.
« Ces contrats font aussi la différence pour moi et pour les filles de la PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby), qui peuvent consacrer du temps à aller jouer dans ces clubs qui vont nous offrir du très bon rugby chaque semaine.
« Avant l’arrivée des contrats, on faisait encore des progrès. C’était juste un peu plus lent. Nous avons toujours su que nous étions capables de le faire. Mais il s’agit juste de finir le travail. »
Les dernières victoires ont suffi à renforcer la confiance des joueuses et du staff si bien que beaucoup estiment que l’équipe actuelle est la plus forte de l’histoire de l’Écosse.
« Je pense que la profondeur que nous avons dans l’équipe en ce moment est meilleure qu’elle ne l’a jamais été », a notamment confirmé Jenny Maxwell.
Les joueuses ont les clés
Comme pour la France, le staff de l’Ecosse a souhaité mettre en place un groupe de leaders – six – afin de responsabiliser l’équipe, à l’image de Rachel Malcolm, arrière et capitaine.
« Nous préférons que les joueuses prennent l’initiative plutôt que de dépendre uniquement de l’entraîneur, ce qui permet de renforcer le pouvoir du groupe. C’est probablement là notre principal atout. Notre progression découle également de la cohérence observée dans nos choix de sélection et dans notre encadrement », explique Bryan Easson.
« Nous disons aux joueuses que la salle d’équipe est la leur, que le vestiaire est le leur, et que la façon dont elles s’y comportent reflétera la façon dont elles s’entraînent. La façon dont elles s’entraînent se répercute ensuite sur leur façon de jouer. C’est donc elles qui déterminent leur culture et leurs attitudes.
« C’est la raison pour laquelle on peut constater une réelle solidarité entre nous, un sentiment de famille, qui fait qu’il est agréable de travailler ensemble. »
Samedi 30 mars, la France affrontera l’Écosse au Hive Stadium d’Édimbourg, dans ce qui représente le défi le plus difficile pour l’Écosse depuis leur dernière confrontation il y a un peu plus d’un an.
Si l’Écosse parvient à réitérer l’esprit combatif démontré à Cardiff, le résultat devrait être bien moins déséquilibré que celui observé lors du match précédent au Stade de la Rabine à Vannes. Cette fois, les Ecossaises ne passeront pas à côté.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great analysis Brett and what a shame that RA haven't spent more on the tight five instead. BTW I see the latest 8-9 Combo has dropped, looking forward to that. It's incredible the amount of damage that Hamish and Eddie's egos did in such a short space of time. From memory Eddie drove the initial drive to poach league stars way back in the 00s, with community rugby paying the price in reduced funding. Australia went from 15% of its income being spent on community rugby in 2002 to 2.4% in 2015, sheer madness and look where they are now. Hamish reminds me of Scrappy Doo. Always mouthing off, spoiling for a fight with bigger dogs who'd eat him alive. Sadly RA didn't have a Scooby Doo to bail him out.
9 Go to comments*_“I love watching bone-shuddering tackles, brutal clear-outs, monster ball carries, and crushingly intense scrummaging. I love it. These things make my heart rate spike. These aren’t the only things I love about rugby, but I feel no need to pretend I don’t love them, or to apologise for loving them just in case someone thinks I shouldn’t.”_* beautifully put Flats🔥
3 Go to comments“Hidden comments” all over the place😂 Turlough’s been a busy little boy ey🤭
72 Go to commentsit’ll all be released in an autobiography a few years from now….. “Razor shafted me” blah blah blah. thinking of making Scott Barrett captain might be a good move. Could calm down his brain fades & make him an even better player for them
3 Go to commentsSadly he played far too many games too young. England and France really do need to look after their younger players better.
1 Go to commentsHaving finally been able to watch the first Chasing the Sun (thanks RugbyPass!) - because I refuse to pay DSTV's extortionate monthly fee in SA - after four years, it was amazing to see Mapimpi's story as well as seeing my personal hero, Rassie, breaking down when telling it. There _is_ hope for the country, but only once we've got rid of the crooked and incompetent ANC (and others) who have set out to destroy it. Viva Rassie, viva Kolisi viva rugby!
1 Go to commentsWhether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
3 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
108 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
9 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
9 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
72 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
72 Go to comments