More than a step to take for the Blues. To hope to win the Grand Slam, the women’s XV of France has an appointment as this Saturday at 3:15 p.m. in Bayonne with England, three-time defending champion and first nation in the world. The match will be broadcast live on France 2.
For this “Crunch” of the last day of the Six Nations Tournament, the Jean-Dauger stadium full. And the Bleues will need the support of the public to compete for 80 minutes against the “Red Roses”.
If France win, it will be their seventh title in the competition since the switch to six teams in 2002, their sixth Grand Slamthe first since 2018. And the third time that the French men’s and women’s teams have won the Grand Slam in the same year.
World Cup rehearsal
This shock against the English, big favorites of the World Cup-2022 in New Zealand (October 8-November 12) where they will find the French from the group stages, is therefore more than expected: it is a life-size repeat.
“Winning such a competition brings a group together. It would be huge, a nice message before the World Cup, it would give us confidence”, dream the third line of Montpellier, Romane Ménager, already present in 2018.
If the Bleues have achieved so far a perfect course in accounting terms with four bonus wins, the “Red Roses”, at the top of the standings thanks to a better point difference, did better: they impressed. They first crushed Scotland 57-5, then crushed Italy 74-0, disgusted Wales 58-5 before atomizing Ireland 69-0, with more than ten tries per match on average !
“Take risks”
Which is far from being the case for the French women who, despite their five tries scored on average per match, have stammered their rugby at times about to end “frustrated” each of their meetings, due in particular to unfinished second periods.
An unthinkable relaxation given the challenge that awaits this Saturday the band at Gaëlle Hermet: during the last ten confrontations between the two nations, theEngland have won nine times.
But on closer inspection, there is hope. Firstly because France have won 21 of their last 22 home matches in the Tournament. Then, because the last three meetings between these two nations ended on a very small gap. Last April in Lille, the English won 17-15, in a match interrupted in the 62nd minute due to a power cut. A week earlier, they had only won by four points (10-6) at Twickenham Stoop. And in November 2020, again in London, the “Red Roses” won “only” 25 to 23.
Another positive point: the defense. In their first four matches, the Blues have made an average of 170 tacklesagainst “only” 112 for the English, conceding only three tries. “England, like France, are above all two packs of forwards”the Tricolores having the best rate of scrums won in the Tournament (97%), while England is the most solid on the mauls, underlines for his part Thomas Darracq, the sports manager of the Bleues, for whom “the ability to take risks” will also be crucial.
With a team of young “full of freshness”and old ones from 2018 to “lived” precious, everything is possible, believes Annick Hayraud. Because a “Crunch” always remains unique. The coach is convinced: “We have the ability to beat this team.”