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'We’ll have to be careful': France name team for quarter final clash
On Thursday, French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique previewed Sunday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final between France and Ireland with a front-page ‘Eire de fête’ splash.
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But Midol’s predicted party atmosphere looks set to be limited to the stands at Exeter’s Sandy Park. Les Bleues’ coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz evidently expect a difficult and draining encounter on the pitch between referee’s whistles, so have opted for consistency, cohesion and experience.
Mignot and Ortiz have taken no risks up front – selecting the same starting pack that dominated South Africa in Northampton last weekend and again opting for a 6-2 split on the bench, as they had done against the Springbok Women, and in 10 of their 25 matches to date in charge of France.
Téani Feleu is back in the matchday 23 for the first time since picking up a foot injury against Italy. She’s one of six nominal forwards named on the bench – but, like sevens star Séraphine Okemba, she can fill a position among the backs, if necessary.
Hooker Manon Bigot returns to the bench in place of Elisa Riffonneau, who slips out of the 23. She will come on for starting two Agathe Gérin, who will win her 60th international cap when she runs out on the pitch for the anthems.
Meanwhile, there’s one positional change and two personnel updates among the backs. Morgane Bourgeois starts in place of Emilie Boulard at full-back, her kicking distance and accuracy considered key to France’s chances of making the last four, as they look to counter the boot of Irish fly-half Dannah O’Brien.
After two matches patrolling either wing, co-captain Marine Ménager returns to outside centre, where she played in France’s opening Pool D match against Italy, in place of Nassira Konde, while Kelly Arbey’s consistency under the high ball means she slots back in at 11 after watching last weekend’s match from the sidelines.
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Scrum-half Alexandra Chambon and Boulard, who scored twice in the win over South Africa, are the two backs among the replacements for a match between two sides that know each other well.
“It was a close game last time in the Six Nations,” Boulard had said shortly after France claimed top spot in Pool D with a win over the Springbok Women as the players’ focus shifted quickly to this weekend’s crucial outing. “Ireland have been getting stronger in recent years – they beat the Black Ferns in WXV 1.
“They will come out with a strong desire to win – they will believe that anything is possible against us. It will be up to us to quickly put a stop to their plans.”
It was a message that scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus reiterated in a midweek interview with Midi Olympique. “They’re a team we’re used to playing during the Six Nations Championship and we often have problems with them.
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“They have a big pack, we’ll have to be careful… They move around a lot in the lineout, so we’ll have to counter that. We need to stay focused on our game and put in another strong performance – and, I hope, go through to the semi-finals.”
As for cohesion, Bourdon Sansus is one of four Stade Toulousain players in the starting line-up. Her halfback Lina Queyroi, winger Arbey and number eight Charlotte Escudero make up the Ernest Wallon contingent.
Five players from Elite 1 winners Stade Bordelais also make the run-on 15 – Gérin, Bourgeois, Madoussou Fall Raclot, Axelle Berthoumieu, and Joanna Grisez, with Annaëlle Deshaye and Hina Ikahehegi adding to the domestic champions’ number on the bench.
France squad
1 Yllana Brosseau
2 Agathe Gérin
3 Rose Bernadou
4 Manae Feleu (co-captain)
5 Madoussou Fall Raclot
6 Axelle Berthoumieu
7 Léa Champon
8 Charlotte Escudero
9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus
10 Lina Queyroi
11 Kelly Arbey
12 Gabrielle Vernier
13 Marine Ménager (co-captain)
14 Joanna Grisez
15 Morgane Bourgeois
Replacements:
16 Manon Bigot
17 Annaëlle Deshaye
18 Assia Khalfaoui
19 Hina Ikahehegi
20 Séraphine Okemba
21 Téani Feleu
22 Alexandra Chambon
23 Emilie Boulard
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