Talking points: France close out a convincing victory over Canada

France defeated Canada in a commanding 21-5 victory in the WXV Global Series at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in La Rochelle.

Les Bleues came into this contest after claiming a 29-26 victory over Australia last weekend. They had to recover from a difficult start against the Wallaroos and scored late to secure the win.

After losing 28-14 to New Zealand in their opening fixture, France looked to build on that comeback and produce a more controlled performance against Canada.

Kevin Rouet’s side came into the game unbeaten in the opening two rounds. They began their campaign with a 64-26 win over Scotland before holding England to a 26-26 draw last weekend in a repeat of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final. That result demonstrated their ability to match England’s intensity and would have given them plenty of confidence heading to France.

For François Ratier’s players, discipline was set to be a major focus after their ferocious game against Australia, while Canada looked to bring the physicality and attacking ambition that had characterised their opening two matches.

Here are the talking points from the game…

Emily Boulard struck first

Emily Boulard crashed over for the first try of the match, which gave the hosts an early lead in La Rochelle.

France had applied the pressure and eventually found the breakthrough, with Boulard finishing the move superbly.

It was exactly the start France would have wanted as they put Canada on the back foot.

Lizzie Gibson provided a response

And Canada hit straight back! Lizzie Gibson powered over for Canada, proving an answer to France’s opening try almost immediately.

The Canadians refused to let France build any momentum, keeping the pressure on and eventually finding a way through close to the line.

Gibson showed exactly what she brings from the back row – strength, determination and the ability to turn sustained pressure into points.

France struck first, but Canada responded emphatically to level the contest.

French defence and discipline much improved from last week

There was a noticeable improvement from France defensively.

After an incredibly chaotic and ill-disciplined performance against Australia last weekend, when France picked up five cards and were at one stage reduced to 11 players, they looked far more composed against Canada.

Their defensive line was much more organised, tackles were made with greater control and most importantly France stayed on the right side of the referee.

It was a far more disciplined performance from Les Bleues and that defensive solidity provided the platform for them to control the game.

Canada struggled to find their attacking rhythm

Canada simply didn’t find the attacking flow we have seen from them earlier in this WXV Global Series.

Fans know how dangerous Kevin Rouet’s players can be when they get quick ball and string phases together, but France’s defensive organisation consistently disrupted their rhythm.

They were often forced into individual carries and more difficult options rather than playing with the fluidity fans saw against Scotland and England.

Credit has to go to France – their defensive line was disciplined, cohesive and difficult to break down.

France close out a convincing victory over Canada

After the chaos of their match against the Wallaroos last weekend, France produced a much more controlled and disciplined performance against Canada.

Their defensive organisation was excellent, and they gave the visitors very little room to play.

Kevin Rouet’s side struggled to find a foothold in the game, particularly in attack, while France were more clinical when opportunities presented themselves.

The final score of 21-5 tells the story: a disciplined, defensively assured performance from France, who controlled the contest and closed it out impressively.