It was billed, and it happened. Like a chorus of ” Freed From Desire ” on a loop, France were beaten by England on Saturday (17-35). The Red Roses, far more clinical, more precise and more powerful, won as they should have. As usual. And yet they were far from serene against a gutsy, courageous French side. At this level, those two qualities are not enough. The English, professionals let us remember, join Canada. Without necessarily shining. The predicted rout did not materialise. At least, the scoreline may look heavy. France have nothing to be ashamed of.
Right, before we start, who did not shed a little tear seeing the French players (and Fabien Galthié) in tears during the anthems? Inside two minutes, France held on to the ball. A few fingers and centimetres from scoring. A glimmer of hope? Despair. Five minutes in and the Eurostar that is Kildunne had her fun out wide and touched down in the Bristol in-goal. Right then. Little by little, the players of the Mignot-Ortiz duo kept hold of the ball but ran into Muir… and a wall. English hands stole a countless number of balls. Their physical density held firm. Bernadou got over the gainline, so did Brosseau, the forwards were there. Not enough.
Kildunne did it all
On 21 minutes, the English scrum got on top and earned a penalty. Then came a spot of needle. Nothing surprising so far against the English. But funny that it should be a certain Cokayne doing the winding up… The hooker could laugh then, but a few minutes later France strung their phases together perfectly, thanks to Arbey and the forwards. And at the end of it, Kondé! Kondé, punishing Cokayne and England, not bad, eh?
On 34 minutes, Marine Ménager first missed Champon on the inside, then botched her pass to her team-mate. Frustrating. All the more so as the Red Roses scrum-half, Hunt, was dishing out risky passes. For a moment we thought we were watching England attack… but it was France. A pass from Vernier, marginally forward, was penalised after Ménager had grounded the ball. More frustration against an England side that had been overrun and did not expect to face a blue tide.
At the break, only two points in it. Bourdon-Sansus, Vernier and the rest galloped back to the changing room. Fired up. But the next 40 minutes showed that the gap between the two nations is still too wide. Ward, Kildunne – the best player on the pitch on Saturday – and Jones stretched the score. Tries from Arbey (51) and Konde (72) changed nothing.
The bench brought nothing. The mauls caused havoc at the heart of a defence that gradually fell apart. The closing stages were one-way traffic. Roared on by a crowd that turned out in numbers in Bristol, England join Canada in the final of THEIR World Cup. Ruthless logic. France will be back, that much is certain. The Federation must keep pushing the women’s game forward. Otherwise the gap will remain just as wide. And the defeats will keep on hurting.
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