2 weeks ago
It each comes down to this, again. France person been runners-up to England successful nan Women’s Six Nations for nan past six years, edging ever closer: past year’s decider was settled by a azygous point. But tin François Ratier’s squad not only extremity England’s power successful this title but besides halt their 37-game winning tally connected Sunday? If they show up from infinitesimal 1 to 80, France tin do it.
England will beryllium favourites to assistance their eighth consecutive Six Nations trophy but person been contending pinch a batch this tournament. Retirements, gestation and wounded mean nan squad are without a wealthiness of talent including Zoe Stratford – nan accustomed skipper – Abbie Ward and Alex Matthews. They person continued to triumph pinch a depleted squad but their extent will beryllium fixed its biggest trial yet against an in-form France team.
The statistic ne'er dishonesty and France’s truthful acold this competition, peculiarly successful defence, person been commanding. The broadside are topping nan charts for astir carries, offloads and defenders beaten. They besides person nan fewest missed tackles, nan astir ascendant contacts and an 88.4% tackle occurrence rate, nan champion successful nan competition.
England lead successful less areas but person scored nan astir points this tourney and person nan top effort scorer successful Marlie Packer, who will commencement connected nan chair pinch Sadia Kabeya backmost from injury. The fly-half Zoe Harrison’s ultimate kicking has besides been a immense plus to nan team, pinch 23 of 24 kicks successful. They cognize their onslaught is nan item of their crippled astatine nan infinitesimal and, erstwhile asked if moving connected defence will beryllium captious against France, nan England caput coach, John Mitchell, said: “It will be, but we’ll conscionable people more.”
Against Italy, England conceded nan astir points they ever person successful nan Six Nations against a squad that was not France. The erstwhile England skipper Packer believes nan broadside request to beryllium much reactionary: “I deliberation we request to beryllium a spot amended astatine see, do. We are thinking. As soon arsenic you think, nan different squad has a ft connected apical of you.
“We are a Red Roses squad that has a batch of moving parts astatine nan moment, we person a batch of worldly successful nan forwards. Successful arsenic we are, we person a fewer things we person to activity on. The protect maul was an rumor successful nan Wales crippled and for it to hap again against Italy is not thing we pridefulness ourselves connected astatine all. It will beryllium thing we massively talk astir this week. You person besides sewage to deliberation immoderate of nan players connected transportation it is their first headdress truthful it is simply a learning for them. We can’t fto that hap against France and we will make judge we put nan activity successful truthful it doesn’t.”
England will request to plug their protect holes because France person stars who will snipe astatine immoderate opportunity fixed to them. Anaïs Grando has scored 4 tries successful 4 games and has proved to beryllium a awesome assets successful defence too, a peculiar item coming against Ireland wherever her covering tackle held up Fiona Tuite complete nan line. The scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus has besides been an integral cog successful nan French setup for years and her shape has not fto up this twelvemonth either.
Ruby Tui, nan New Zealand great, said France’s performances are a “roll of nan dice” and nan squad tin beryllium unpredictable. Their second-half performances this tourney person been amended than those successful nan first but they will request to beryllium accordant crossed nan full lucifer to guarantee they travel distant pinch nan trophy. The France caput coach, Ratier, said his squad request a bully commencement and that England are not infallible.
“They conceded 4 tries against Italy and Wales,” he said. “There are weaknesses successful their attack to breaking up rugby. Often, successful nan first 20 minutes, they people capable points to past power nan game. They’re a squad you can’t fto get going. We [have] decided to onslaught them precisely connected that strength, to effort and make them uncertainty themselves from nan commencement to disrupt their rhythm. Once they’ve surgery down, deed them wherever it hurts. That’s nan plan. They person 1 too, and we’ll see.”
France person been chasing England’s tails since they past hit them successful 2018 and nan Red Roses cognize they person a target connected their backs. While their captain, Meg Jones, said nan ascendant winning tally isn’t thing that is discussed betwixt nan squad, Mitchell has urged teams to “come and get us”.
“We emotion being nan modular bearers of consistency,” he said. “Somebody is going to get us, we understand that reality and we shouldn’t beryllium disgraced if personification does get us.
“We don’t want to springiness that up easily, anyone tin prime connected our weaknesses but we will look to hole them. That doesn’t mean we are successful decline, we are really processing and evolving. Maybe we are evolving a batch quicker than a batch of group realise. We get different chance to trial that connected nan weekend, that is what we clasp and thrive in.”
