I should probably answer the question everyone is asking. Yeah, I thought we could beat the Red Roses. But I also understand why we had to throw the ball away.
It was a 20 minute defense which, as it happens, preceded my time on the pitch at Sandy Park. Sometimes a draw is a good enough ending for what we’re trying to do and where we’re trying to get to. It was like a good fight. The score went back and forth between us leading to an undefined winner. I think we showed great dominance in that game.
DaLeaka Menin was absolutely relentless. You don’t often see a prop go from start to finish. It was no wonder she got man of the match and then player of the week.
It is one of those performances that we can be proud of. I found out the other day that it was the last time England the draw was in 2014, vs Canada that year at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. For them, things often do not end on a level. It was also the first time in 39 games that they failed to win.
The flip side of this is that we have two more shots at them. Two more chances to get their first win against them since the 2016 Super Series in Utah. Roll on Toronto and Ottawa. But now, for France.
Special, but strange
Playing France this weekend will be interesting for me. For the past six years I have called France home. It was a fruitful time for all of us – as I said in my last RugbyPass column, I won four consecutive titles with Stade Bordelais in AXA Élite 1. It was so enjoyable.
Two of those league titles were managed by François Ratier, who joined France as their head coach midway through last season. I’ve known him for some time. Seeing it in other colors will be a little special, but strange.
So long has he been with the maple leaf or orchestrating Bordeaux’s success, game plan or performance. It will be interesting to see him with another team. It brings something more personal to the game. I was excited to see what he brought to this French national team.
Already I feel that he was a good addition to them. I’m really intrigued to see how that plays out, especially given his long association with Canada as coach of the women’s national team, his work in Montreal and even his time as interim head coach of the men’s national team.
I think he made a difference in his professional way of working. It’s something that’s so addictive. He likes when the match time is respected and when the players show hard work on and off the field. It’s serious – it offers a lot of guidance.
As for the way France play, it’s hard to say exactly how he changed things. In fact, it hasn’t been that long since he took over. I think you can see that when he talks to the media all the time. Even so, after hearing from my Bordelais teammates about his time with France so far, they are moving in the right direction.
They said how accurate everything is – but also how many people are working around them now, with all the resources they have at their disposal. And he pulls all the strings.
I play Pauline
It would be impossible not to mention Pauline Bourdon Sansus. How could I not? She plays my position; I play against her once or twice a season when Bordelais play Stade Toulouse and she is now the captain of France.
In France they love scrum-poles. Whenever I tell people that my position is in France, they always ask how much I yell or scream. It’s hard to disagree with them.
I will never forget the bronze medal match at the 2021 Rugby World Cup (played in 2022). She just took off from the scrum for five metres. By the time I reacted, she was already gone. From then on, I told myself, ‘You can’t let her have the short side anymore.’
She is a player who likes to find gaps. At club level, that quick, fast penalty kick can give a team a lot of momentum.
She is unpredictable. You have to be ready for it. I learned that the hard way. There’s a reason he’s regarded as one of the best scrum-halves in the world, of course.
Just enjoy it
I think it’s hard to underestimate the game this weekend. I’m excited about it, not least because I’ve never played at La Rochelle or the Stade Marcel-Deflandre. We go into this game in good shape. Victory against Scotland it was really positive for us – the perfect way to start.
Our draw with England was different. But you saw aspects of our game that aren’t talked about as much, like our defense and set-up. It also allowed our other stars on the team to get credit – like DaLeaka or Kiki Idowu.
When I think about playing France, especially knowing some of the players in their team, I think about their aggressiveness. They are fierce players. They are difficult to play against in the touch zone. They will get to you as much as they can.
We just have to play rugby. That’s something we’ve proven in the past two weeks. We also proved that we can play in different ways. Against Scotland we have to show our attack. Against England it was more of a chess match – I think we competed from start to finish. Bring those two tests home.
Playing with France, we shouldn’t be afraid of those chaotic moments – turnovers, battles and things like that. That enjoyment is important. This is a special game for me and I want to appreciate the full experience.
The crowd may be against us, but being on the pitch with people I know and enjoying a good game of rugby – that’s important too.
