Paris (AFP)
The women's XV of France came close to the feat in England, bowing on the line (17-15) Saturday in Exeter, a week after a first defeat (20-10) in Clermont-Ferrand.
The French women thought they had done the hardest thanks to two tries by Laure Sansus (25th) and Caroline Boujard (65th) but mostly on dominating fronts, notably in closed scrums, but a missed clearance at the penultimate minute offered a dream revival to the English who have taken over on an essay by Lydia Thompson (79).
Morgane Peyronnet can blame herself: the French opener has unscrewed her clearance to the foot that landed directly in the English arms, while all the French were on the right side of the ground where the ball was.
It was then barely more than a minute and the Blue held their revenge (15-12). But the English have not missed such a great opportunity to register in the end, on a clear sequence, their only test of the game.
In tears, the Blue, so far excellent in defense, could regret this fatal error but also the 5 points (1 penalty and 1 transformation) that the striker Jessy Trémoulière had let pass before. As well as their indiscipline, which allowed the British to remain in the match thanks to 4 penalties.
Otherwise, the players of Annick Hayraud were above. And it is very logical that they opened the score on a penalty Trémoulière (22nd), then scored their first try on a kick to follow Sansus. The half-melee beat two British rebounds to allow his team to create a first gap (8-0).
Swept in February in Doncaster (41-26) by the same opponent, the French thought to hold their first victory across the Channel since 2015 after the test of Boujard, scored closed side after a nice scrum and a two against a well negotiated by Sansus . Even more when Zoe Aldcroft received a yellow for an unlawful clearance on Gaëlle Hermet (74th).
But the French were then scuttled: first touch lost on their throw (75th), avoidable yellow card for Romane Menager (76th) until fateful release. The overall performance, better than the previous week in Auvergne, however, can hope for beautiful things for the tournament.
© 2019 AFP