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'We know we are underdogs' - France accept status ahead of Red Roses showdown
By Joe Harvey
France have accepted their underdog status ahead of taking on tournament hosts England in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
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In the Red Roses, Gaelle Mignot and David Ortiz’s team take on World Rugby’s top-ranked side and, with their 40-8 win over Scotland in the quarter-finals, have now won 31 Test matches in a row.
It was seven years ago that France last beat England. A narrow 18-17 win for the French in Grenoble ultimately handed the side a Grand Slam in the Women’s Six Nations. But such has been England’s dominance in the years since, those days of glory seem long ago.
“We know we are underdogs,” Elisa Riffonneau said. “It takes the pressure off us because we know our position, and it’s exciting to be underdogs and prove people wrong. We are convinced we can make it (to the final).”
Four months ago France provided England with their closest contest of their world record winning streak.
At Twickenham Stadium the two teams played out a 43-42 thriller that ended with John Mitchell’s Red Roses lifting silverware in celebration of their latest Guinness Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam.
For much of that game it felt as though England were in the ascendancy. Abby Dow and Emma Sing got a brace each, while Lark Atkin-Davies, Claudia MacDonald-Moloney and Zoe Aldcroft also crossed the whitewash before the final quarter.
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Les Bleues had already kept themselves in the contest, however, late tries for Morgane Bourgeois and Joanna Grisez put west London into a state of anxiety.
Ahead of Saturday’s match-up, former Trailfinders Women player and France’s replacement hooker admitted that the result from May has played on her mind.
“I think the game is still in our heads,” Riffonneau said. “It hurt.
“For me it’s also helpful because we can change that. The Six Nations is the Six Nations, and the World Cup is the World Cup. It’s a different tournament.”
This week France have had an extra challenge. Manae Feleu, the team’s captain, has been banned for a dangerous tackle and flanker Axelle Berthoumieu has been banned for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer.
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Set to be without the duo, even if they do reach the World Cup final in a weeks’ time, it has stacked the odds against France even further.
Marine Menanger has inherited the role of captain in Feleu’s absence. For so long a leading light on the wing for her country, this time around the 29-year-old believes that her side have enough to push England to the limit.
“We know our character,” Vernier said. “Playing them in a World Cup semi-final on their home turf is massive, and the chance to beat them in a game like this would be even bigger.
“Sure, their record speaks for itself, but like we showed in Twickenham during the Six Nations, we’ve got sharp enough weapons to trouble them.”
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