Six nations tournament: no big slam for French, beaten by England

The XV of France bowed in the tournament “final”, Saturday in Bayonne, against England (12-24), which offers its 18th title in the competition.

by

Faced with the world’s first nation in female rugby, walking was too high for the XV of France. In the running to win the Grand Chelem, Saturday April 30 against England, the Bleues did not know how to compete against a better team, which made its power speak to win the Six Nations tournament for the fourth consecutive time.

However, the French people were keen to imitate their elders, victorious of the tournament in 2002 and present at the Jean-Dauger stadium in Bayonne. The players of Annick Hayraud ideally started the game, following a scrum, their big strong point since the start of the tournament, with a test of Romane household between the posts in the third minute.

But, stung to the live, the English have returned to their match in diesel mode and gradually smothered the Blue. With a large possession in their favor and a territorial advantage, the Red Roses have managed to flatten three times in French in-goal, by making their power speak. On similar actions, Sarah Bern, twice, and Abbie Ward have scored tests on balloons worn after penaltrics conceded by the XV of France.

a XV of France too rough in conquest

Basic and helpless, the Blue tried to react by storming the English camp, but their many handheld and touches losses cost them dearly. Too clumsy in conquest, they did not worry English women in numerical inferiority for ten minutes on the return from the locker room, after the yellow card addressed to Zoe Harrison. It was finally necessary to wait for the 66 e minute to see them reduce the gap in the score, thanks to a test of Anaëlle Deshayes, when they played fourteen due to another box addressed to Maëlle Filopon. To return to the score, the French used the English method, by flattening following a worn ball. Too late to reverse the course of the game.

With only three points conceded on the return from the locker room, on a penalty of the inevitable Emily Scarratt (4/4), they will be able to regret their vacuum after the test of spare, and their inability to take advantage of the three penalouches According to the referee in the first period, five meters from the opposing line. “We expected better from us, we had the opportunities but we did not know how to make them concretize, and it still offers us work areas,” admitted Agathe Sochat at the end of the game at the microphone of France Télévisions.

The XV of the feminine rose thus offers its eighteenth tournament of the Six Nations, the fourth consecutive, and confirms its domination of world rugby. As in 2020 and 2021, the Bleues therefore finished second in the standings, just behind the English, but make an appointment for the World Cup, in October 2022. “We have a few months left to erase our mistakes. Because in the game They are not above, but we make too many mistakes, we offer them, “regretted Laure Sansus at the microphone of France 2. The French will find the Red Roses in the group phase of the World Cup, in New Zealand, with the firm intention to end a series of ten defeats against English selection.