France's Women's Six Nations squad falls short by a solitary point in their quest for the title in England
Unbridled, Brutally Honest Recap: The French Women's XV's Stunning Near-Victory Over England
In the grand finale of the Six Nations Tournament, the Bleues and the Red Roses put on a thrilling show at the Twickenham Stadium, only for the latter to clinch another win (43-42).
But what a match it was! The French, unbeaten after their first four matches, seemed outclassed from the get-go. England, with the roaring support of 40,000 fans, took an early lead, thanks to scrum-half Claudia MacDonald's stunning performance and a staggering 31-7 scoreline by the 23rd minute.
With heads down in the French camp, it seemed like the Red Roses were cruising towards another title. But the Bleues didn't give up. In a flurry of Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (29) and Marine Ménager (38) tries, France managed to close the gap to just 31-21 at the break. Could they stage a remarkable comeback?
It seemed plausible, as the second half unfolded. The immediate aftermath of the match smiled on the English, who added two more tries to their tally, but France kept pushing. Winger Joanna Grisez, unstoppable on the wing that day, scored a brilliant try to narrow the gap to a single point before the final whistle. The stadium held its breath as France attempted to inflict England's first defeat since 2022 and set the stage for a World Cup final showdown.
Alas, it wasn't to be. A final knock-on from fly-half Lina Queyroi dashed France's hopes, allowing the stands to erupt. Bleues captain Manae Feleu has since declared, "I'm really proud of the players... but we have time to make up the gap."
This summer, the Rugby World Cup will be held in England, giving the Red Roses the chance to avenge their loss to New Zealand and win a title that has eluded them since 2014. But let's be clear: the Blues showed they have the level to cause an upset.
Enrichment Data:- The Red Roses began the match strongly, with Emma Sing crossing the try line twice. - England's initial cushion ultimately proved sufficient to weather France's resurgence.- France greatly improved their performance in the second half, using sharp offloading from their forwards and innovative attacking strategies to close the gap significantly.
- The French Women's XV, known as the Bleues, showcased their potential in the Six Nations Tournament, putting up a strong fight against the Red Roses, even reusing their sports strategies to close a 31-7 deficit by half-time.
- In the Rugby World Cup this summer, the Red Roses will have the opportunity to avenge their loss against New Zealand and potentially win a title that has eluded them since 2014, but the Bleues' near-victory over England serves as a reminder that they have the ability to cause an upset.
- The 23rd minute of the match between the Bleues and the Red Roses saw England take a commanding lead, with Claudia MacDonald's performance in rugby standing out among the players, setting the stage for what would be a thrilling contest.
- Despite the loss, the Bleues can take pride in their performance, as they showcased their rugby skills and fought valiantly till the final whistle, with winger Joanna Grisez scoring a brilliant try to narrow the gap to a single point before the end of the match.
