The Stade Bordelais Lionesses will be well represented on the other side of the world. Five players were named, this Sunday, in the list of 32 selected to participate in the World Cup in New Zealand which begins on October 8. Behind Blagnac (nine players selected) and Montpellier (six), the Lionesses are therefore the third most represented club in this French team, tied with Toulouse.
We cannot really speak of surprise on the presence of the five Bordeaux women on the plane for New Zealand. It was even obvious for the hooker Agathe Sochat (27), vice-captain of the Blue, who wore the armband during the last preparation match against Italy. She will a priori be a holder, just like Madoussou Fall (24), who started rugby thanks to the Drop de Béton association, based in Mérignac. The second line was one of the revelations of the last Six Nations Tournament, of which it played all five matches. A Tournament in which Assia Khalfaoui had also participated, who had celebrated her first four selections there.
In addition to these three players, who were already at the club last year, two new Lionesses recruits will also be on the trip. The left pillar Annaëlle Deshaye (26) who has just signed from Lyon. She will share playing time with Khalfaoui and Coco Lindelauf. In the third row Julie Annery, also arrived at the Lionesses this summer, from the Stade Français, will have a card to play.
In Pool C, France will face South Africa (October 8), then England (October 15) and Fiji (October 22). The first two teams of each group, as well as the two best third (out of three groups), will be qualified for the final phase.
The list of 32 players
Mainstays: Rose Bernadou (Montpellier, 8 sel.), Yllana Brosseau (Bobigny, 6 sel.), Annaëlle Deshaye (Bordeaux, 34 caps)Célia Domain (Blagnac, 4 sel.), Clara Joyeux (Blagnac, 32 sel.), Assia Khalfaoui (Bordeaux, 4 caps)Coco Lindelauf (Blagnac, 9 sel.)
Hookers: Agathe Sochat (Bordeaux, 37 caps), Laure Touyé (Montpellier, 22 caps)
Second lines: Madoussou Fall (Bordeaux, 18 sel.), Manaé Feleu (Grenoble, 3 sel.), Céline Ferer (Toulouse, 54 sel.), Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier, 86 sel.), Charlotte Escudero (Blagnac, 1 sel.)
Third lines: Julie Annery (Bordeaux, 26 caps), Emeline Gros (Grenoble, 18 sel.), Gaëlle Hermet (Toulouse, 45 sel.), Marjorie Mayans (Blagnac, 48 sel.), Romane Ménager (Montpellier, 50 sel.)
Scrum-half: Pauline Bourdon (Toulouse, 39 caps), Alexandra Chambon (Grenoble, 6 caps), Laure Sansus (Toulouse, 30 caps)
Fly-half: Caroline Drouin (Rennes, 26 caps), Lina Queyroi (Blagnac, 2 caps)
Centres: Chloé Jacquet (Lyon, 10 caps), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac, 26 caps)
Wingers: Maëlle Filopon (Toulouse, 15 sel.), Mélissande Llorens (Blagnac, 5 sel.), Marine Ménager (Montpellier, 31 sel.), Joanna Grisez (Bobigny, 0 sel.) Backs: Jessy Trémoulière (Romagnat, 71 sel. .), Emilie Boulard (Blagnac, 13 caps)