Seventeen tries for three victories, including two of prestige against New Zealand. Les Bleues wanted to mark the spirits in this autumn tour and assert themselves as a contending team for the world coronation in 2022, it is done. Because after four defeats in a row against the Black Ferns, and three years after their first success on this benchmark of women’s world rugby, they have chained a fourth consecutive victory. A real milestone has been crossed.
Above all, the staff of Annick Hayraud has managed to launch a slew of young players who have blended perfectly into the French game. In the field, some have particularly shone and are already emerging as future holders. A wealth of choice necessarily ideal a few months before the World Cup in New Zealand.
Five players particularly distinguished themselves. Two of them also experienced their first tenures with the XV of France during the resounding victory against South Africa at the opening of the tour: the left pillar Coco Lindelauf (20 years old) and the versatile three-quarter Chloé Jacquet (19) Olympic champion at 7 in Tokyo. “Coco comes from the pole so she is used to training with us. She is a precious person on the balls carried, she holds up well in scrum, she is young so she still has areas for improvement, but she is part of this energetic, smiling youth, which is already doing us a lot of good “, presents the oldest of Les Bleues, Safi N’Diaye. Proof of this is that the Blagnac player has chained three starts during this tour.
For her part, Chloé Jacquet, holder in the center, substitute in the wing, then holder in the back planted a try and showed all the “versatility” highlighted by his France 7 coach, David Courteix. “Chloe has a great ability to adapt due to her rugby culture. She started very early (5 years old). She perceives spaces very well, she has a great ability to change pace, a good left foot and a sense of direction. very sharp tactic. At first, she got frustrated when she didn’t succeed, but she understood that failures are used to progress and that is the main thing “, he supports.
“Chloé Jacquet and Emilie Boulard are great links between the 7th and the 15th. They represent the future of French rugby and are far from exploiting their full potential.”
David Courteix, manager of the French women’s rugby sevens teamto franceinfo: sport
Emilie Boulard, 22, had only three small selections before the tour, which had already been enough to mark the spirits and relegate Jessy Trémouliere, named best player in the world in 2018 and of the decade in 2020, on the bench. Holder twice at the back, she comes out of this tour with a test and performances where she marked by her rods and her availability. “Emilie has less upstream rugby than Chloe, but she is also a great hope for our rugby. She is very observant and has an impressive learning ability. She feels the game, when you have to accelerate”, continues David Courteix.
Axelle Berthoumieux (21 years old, 4 selections before the tour) in the third row, which Safi N’Diaye describes as a “excellent tackler”, “very mobile and available”, and Marie-Aurélie Castel (21, 1st selection before the tour) who signed a double in the center also scored points. An explosion of talents in a short period of time which can be explained above all by the progression of women’s rugby in France.
“Now, girls are exposed to rugby earlier than before. Obviously, things that were deficient in women’s rugby such as kicking, technique, tactical sense, are disappearing., David Courteix analysis. Before, when boys arrived in senior years, they had nearly 1000 hours of rugby in the legs against 500 on average for girls. It makes a hell of a difference. Now that most of the girls start at rugby school like the boys, that changes a lot of things. “
“Most of these girls started rugby with the boys when they were 4 years old. They arrive in selection with an experience that our generation did not have at their age. It is a treat to play with them and to be a witness of this development. “
Safi N’Diaye, second or third center line of the XV of Franceto franceinfo: sport
For David Courteix, it is nevertheless important that women’s rugby keep one of its specificities which makes it so rich: “There is a real culture of multisport. Those who start rugby very early, if they are willing to practice other activities, it is important to encourage them to do so. Rugby is a chaotic sport which requires a lot of effort. ability to adapt. The more you have explored different motor skills, different perceptions depending on the sport, the better you will be able to react on the field and to perform well. “
What is certain is that the France team has perhaps never been so complete. “It’s one of our strengths now, when a player goes out, the level of the team does not decrease because the pool has grown. Being able to change the team without the level decreasing is what one of the things that makes the difference in big games and big competitions “, confided Safi N’Diaye before the third test match. And looking at the stars seen in the eyes of the little girls crossed in the stands of the tour, it is certain that Safi N’Diaye and her teammates have inspired vocations. Less than a year before the World Cup, the signals are green for the Blue.