On to the game! After months of waiting, Thomas Darracq’s Bleues are preparing to start their World Cup in New Zealand on Saturday, October 8, with the added bonus of playing the opening match of the competition, against the Sud- Africans. Focus on the key figures before the meeting.
The composition for South Africa
Our starting XV for the World Cup opener #RWC2021 in New Zealand
Go Blues! #XVdeFrance #Don’tDoXV pic.twitter.com/l7te5kct9g
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) October 5, 2022
7
Or the number of tries glued by the Bleues to the Springboks during their last confrontation during the 2021 autumn tour. That evening, the French women had largely won at the Rabine stadium in Vannes (46-3). On paper, they are therefore largely favorites against their opponent of the day.
4
This latest beating is also in line with previous meetings between the two teams since South Africa has never beaten Les Bleues in four games. After a first draw in 2009, the French have always imposed themselves, in particular during the pools of the 2014 World Cup, the last South African World Cup.
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0
In eight participations, France has never lost in its first match in a World Cup. In 2017, the XV of France had even rolled the Japanese (72-14) with no less than 12 scored tries.
75
Or the winning percentage of South Africans in 2022. Since June, Stanley Raubenheimer’s players have won five times for a defeat. After being awarded the African Cup by crushing Zimbabwe and Namibia, with each time more than 100 points scored, the Springboks won twice against the Spanish and even the Japanese, qualified for the World Cup. Successes that have allowed them to climb to 11th place in the World Rugby rankings.
Five wins in six matches = 2022 #TogetherMovingForward@FNBSA pic.twitter.com/xWEnKiWOLf
— Springbok Women (@WomenBoks) August 19, 2022
54
To lead Les Bleues in the absence of the usual captain Gaëlle Hermet, Thomas Darracq favored the experience and the 54 selections from the second line Céline Ferer. Quite the opposite of the septist Joanna Grisez who will honor her first cape with the XV of France against South Africa.
30,000
The ticket office is full! With more than 30,000 tickets sold for the three games of this opening day scheduled for Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland, organizers expect to break attendance record competition dating back to the 2014 World Cup final at the Jean-Bouin stadium in Paris (20,000 people for England-Canada).