You may have noticed that, rarely if ever, you will hear a rugbywoman from this France team embrace her performance, however brilliant it may be, without acknowledging that of her teammates. Joanna Grisez did not break tradition when she came back to hers after the success against Italy, which qualified Les Bleues for the last four of the World Cup on Saturday October 26. “My hat-trick just means great teamwork.”simply confided the winger.
If the copy made by the group and the investment of the 32 players were welcomed by coach Thomas Darracq at the end of the meeting, two of them particularly weighed in this first match, Joanna Grisez therefore, and the half opener for the Bleues, Caroline Drouin. A duo with a very different status in this team, but endowed with a common experience of 7, from which they both feed.
First there is the experienced player from Stade Rennais. With his 28 caps, the vice-captain of Les Bleues has been one of the leaders of the XV of France for several seasons now. Against Italy on Saturday, its almost faultless against the poles (10 pts) and in particular the two precious penalties passed in the 44th and 50th came to give a little air to a team which did not manage to validate its highlights. “Caroline was part of the last World Cup in Dublin, she is also vice-world champion at 7. Because of all her experiences at 7 and at XV, she knows how to manage these playoff matches perfectly”, supports former international Marie Sempéré. Enough to prevent the Blues from losing the thread.
“Her animation made the difference, she sorts the balls well. She’s really the boss behind.”
Marie Sempéré, former internationalat franceinfo: sport
In addition to a deep game at the foot of occupation, used sparingly, which made it possible to wedge the Italians in their camp, the opener especially advanced her team with the ball in hand. She made as many raises as the best player of the match, the back Emilie Boulard (6), and is the third to have traveled the most ball meters in hand behind Emilie Boulard and… Joanna Grisez.
On the other hand, the winger of the Blue, surprise of the list for this World Cup, lives her very first experience with the XV of France. With 162 meters swallowed, the 26-year-old player, who was only celebrating her third selection, devoured the spaces. If a ball sent directly into touch following a disagreement with Emilie Boulard on a raise came as a reminder that these two still have automatisms to refine, it is on a similar phase of play, but perfectly orchestrated, that the Bobigny player planted the first of her three tries.
“Joanna is there to be an impact player because we know her qualities of speed and aggressiveness. She had a very big season with the France 7 women’s team and today she showed all her qualities as a puncher and of speed to score tries.”
Thomas Darracq, coach of the XV of Francein the mixed zone after the game
This hat-trick added to the try she had scored against South Africa in the opening match made her the top French scorer (ahead of Boulard, two tries). “Joanna has integrated very well into the group. We could have had questions about the quality of her placement in cover from the baseline which is very different from the 7, but she is not surprised, says Marie Sempéré. On the contrary, she is very comfortable under high balls. And in addition she made very serious matches in defense.
Performances that do not surprise Marie Sempéré. “She is coming out of a 7-a-side World Cup where she made an impression. She’s someone who moves forward all the time, whether there’s space or not, she always wins her duels. She has an incredible ability to improve the ball, it’s the X factor of this selection.”
The icing on the cake, Drouin and Grisez are already transposing their “perfect connection” developed on 7-a-side rugby pitches with the XV of France. “We saw it in particular on pressure foot games”supports Marie Sempéré. A connection that will not be too much to hope to overthrow the Black Ferns, at home next weekend, and to open the road to a first world final.