Les Bleues, poured into Pool C, will play Saturday (3:15 a.m. French time) at Eden Park their first match, which will launch in front of at least 30,000 spectators the Women's World Cup, scheduled for 2021 but postponed for a year due to the Covid- 19.

Céline Ferer (54 caps), associated in the second line with Madoussou Fall (18 caps), has "an important place in the group, an aura", underlined coach-selector Thomas Darracq on Wednesday, announcing its composition by video. -Auckland conference.

She combines "a sweet balance between this good mood, this enthusiasm outside, and on the field, a ferocity and a strong commitment which are the two ingredients on which I ask (the players) to rely on for this first match", added the French coach.

Hermet (45 caps), usual captain, although again "operational" after a knee injury, does not appear in the group, as well as another third line, Julie Annery (26 caps), hampered by a "little muscle alert".

The hooker Agathe Sochat (37 sel.), traditional understudy in the captaincy of Hermet, was placed on the bench during this first match, for which the Blue will have to achieve a "huge performance", launched Darracq.

Sansus-Drouin Hinge

Joanna Grisez, the surprise of the list of 32 after her bronze medal obtained at the beginning of September at the World Sevens, will be established on the wing for her first with the XV of France.

"Joanna quickly integrated, she is very hardworking (...) we worked a lot with all the staff to support her", explained Darracq.

The first line, which will have a hard time dealing with reputedly very dense South African forwards, is made up of props Annaëlle Deshaye (35 sel.) and Clara Joyeux (32 sel.) and hooker Laure Touyé (22 sel. ).

In the third row are the young Charlotte Escudéro (22 years old, 1 cap) and the experienced Romane Ménager (50 caps) and Marjorie Mayans (48 caps), whose last match with the Blue dates back more than a year. .

The hinge is made up of scrum half Laure Sansus (30 caps), best player of the Six Nations Tournament and for which this World Cup is the last competition, and Caroline Drouin (25 caps) at the opening.

Finally, centers Maëlle Filopon (16 caps) and Gabrielle Vernier (27 caps) will be framed on the wing by Grisez and Emilie Boulard (13 caps), while the back has been entrusted to Chloé Jacquet (10 caps). .), whose kicking game can be very useful.

These players embody both "speed and creativity" specific to the current women's game, while displaying "athletic qualities" as well as "aerial abilities and to win duels", underlined Thomas Darracq.

Composition of the France team against South Africa: Jacquet - Grisez, Filopon, Vernier, Boulard - (o) Drouin, (m) Sansus - Mayans, R. Ménager, Escudero - Fall, Ferer (cap.) - Merry, Touyé, Deshaye

Subs: Sochat, Lindelauf, Khalfaoui, Feleu, Gros, Bourdon, Queyroi, Llorens

© 2022 AFP