Paris (AFP)

The Women's XV of France begins the Six Nations Tournament, shortened, against Wales on Saturday (9 p.m.) in Vannes, in a spirit of reconquest to chase the disappointment of the postponement of the World Cup.

Les Bleues are still having a funny season, still disrupted by the health crisis.

After the postponement of the Tournament decided in January and then its rescheduling in a condensed format, the World Cup in New Zealand, initially scheduled for September-October, was postponed to 2022 last month.

The Tournament therefore takes even more depth in the French ambitions and this even if it has been reduced to three matches instead of five and with a distribution of the teams in two groups.

Poured into pool A, the Blue will travel to Ireland on April 17 after the reception of the Welsh, last of the previous edition.

Then they may challenge the English, double title holders, in the final on April 24.

"In view of the situation, the objective is to win the Tournament", underlines the captain and third line of the Bleues Gaëlle Hermet who "tries to be positive" in this year still complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We say to ourselves that perhaps in a year the sanitary conditions will be better, that we will have a craze around the World Cup which can only be festive and that better with why not spectators who will be in the stadiums", continues the Toulouse stadium player, already captain during the 2018 Grand Slam.

The English, whom the Blue will find in their group at the World Cup, have won the last two editions with the Grand Slam at stake.

The path from here to a possible "Crunch" in the final this year is by no means insurmountable.

The Welsh have the appearance of an appetizer for the "Affamées", the nickname of the French.

Last year, Annick Hayraud's players swept them away in Cardiff (50-0).

The Irish, third in 2020, may pose more problems for them.

The groups:

Pool A: England, Italy, Scotland

Pool B: France, Ireland, Wales

The program:

Saturday April 3

(4:00 p.m.) England - Scotland

(9 p.m.) France - Wales

Saturday April 10

(3:00 p.m.) Italy - England

(6:00 p.m.) Wales - Ireland

Saturday April 17th

(3.15 p.m.) Ireland - France

(6:00 p.m.) Scotland Italy

Final and classification matches on April 24

© 2021 AFP