women
international women
France suffered a 28-14 loss to the Black Ferns in their first match WXV Global Series campaign.
Led by Pauline Bourdon Sansus, the hosts struggled to live with New Zealand’s forward power, while the speed of the away line largely extinguished an exciting backline.
Bourdon Sansus and Lina Queyroi crossed for tries that featured many of the trademark French attacking guile, but in the end scores from Justine McGregor, Mia Anderson, Mererangi Paul and Liana Mikaele-Tu’u proved too much for France to answer.
Here’s how the French players rated…
15 Chloé Jacquet – 5
She played her part in France’s first try with a nice carry and offload. She struggled otherwise, with handling skills that occasionally let her down and the odd hairy moment in the backfield.
14 Kelly Arbey – 7
Arguably France’s best defensive breakdown player, despite the number on her back. Multiple twists of the jackal. Her issues meant Arbey didn’t get enough of the ball, but when she did, her strength and handling skills made her a real threat.
13 Lili Dezou – 7
Another player who was happy to stick her head in the ruck to get her side out with a breakdown. She showed the ability to manage contact, despite receiving sloppy passes and receiving a dominant shot. Her offload set up France’s first score.
12 Teani Feleu – 6
At times strong in contact, but much like the rest of the backline, Feleu regularly engaged in sub-optimal running of the ball. However, she was able to do her part by winning an early losing game that temporarily eased the pressure.
11 Léa Murie – 6
Murie made a sensational break for Bourdon Sansus’ try, which came at a crucial time as France managed to do enough to stay in touch in the first half. Her pace and decision to lunge to tackle a defender was a combination to watch. Otherwise a quiet day, although her finish for the try that ended up being written off was deservedly better.
10 Carla Arbez – 6
The tactical shooting was excellent throughout, with her trusty left-footed kick leading France out of their own half when they had defensive wins. She too often got the slow ball in the teeth of the Kiwi blitz to be effective in attack.
9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus – 6
A mixed bag. Bourdon Sansus started her performance with a powerful shot in defence, while her forehand was excellent at times. However, the mistakes were not far away, as she made a handful of spills at the base of the hand or the odd pass on the laces of a teammate.
1 Amber Mwayembe – 6
A quiet day for Mwayembe. She showed a handful of skilful moments in attack as she played her part in a scrum that got hit, albeit without much penalty award. Otherwise part of the front pack that was overcome.
2 Mathilde Lazarko – 4
I had a brutally difficult day on the way out. Underthrows. Knockdowns. You name it. At one point, three consecutive performances went astray in the span of a few minutes. Her successor on the bench also struggled, which undoubtedly suggests that the problem is widespread, and not just in one individual.
3 Assia Khalfaoui – 7
Khalfaoui had several moments of dominance in the scrum and was also responsible for two defensive balls – one over the rip in contact and the other by the Jackal. One of the strongest French performers.
4 Julia Grosz – 5
The second line will have to analyze her role in the dysfunctional line. She was also involved in a defensive mix-up with Khalfaoui that left a huge gap for one of the Black Ferns’ first-half tries.
5 Siobhan Soqeta – 6
It was good to hold out for what would have been a game-killing first-half effort. Otherwise she was part of the line of scrimmage and a wider pack that simply couldn’t withstand the might of the Kiwis.
6 to Axelle Berthoumieu – 5
Struggling to slow down the Kiwi ball, either with hard shots or on the floor, France needed more from the entire back row. Berthoumieu was responsible for one counter-ruck that briefly stemmed the tide, but her pass forward saw Murie’s sensational finish ruled out.
7 Léa Champon – 6
There were good defensive moments again, but it wasn’t enough. Champon made a save that briefly delayed the inevitable before the game’s first score. She also pulled off a line steal in France’s rare positive moments on the set-piece.
8 Charlotte Escudero – 5
Tremendous defensive work rate, but again more was needed. France lacked the emotional flair that could come from the back of the scrum.
Substitutions – 6
Lina Queyroi scored a second-half try out of nowhere with her chip collected by a teammate. It was fitting that she created a chance and eventually went over with a great finish. However, there was not enough impact from the forward substitution to overcome the strength deficit that saw the Black Ferns build their advantage. The line-out continued to struggle despite the changes with substitute hooker Elisa Riffonneau guilty of a few errant throws.