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France team to face Ireland in Women's Six Nations opener

1 day ago

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 30: Seraphine Okemba #1 of Team France scores her team's first try during the Women's Rugby Sevens Women's Placing 5-8 match between Team France and Team Ireland on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Gaelle Mignot and David Ortiz have named their side to face Ireland in the first round of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations on 22 March.

The team will be led by co-captains Manae Feleu, who starts in the second row (alongside Madoussou Fall-Raclot), and Marine Menager, who is named on the left wing.

From their last outing against New Zealand in WXV 1 in October 2024, Agathe Sochat and Yllana Brosseau retain their positions at hooker and loosehead prop respectively and will be joined in the front row by Rose Bernadou. The tighthead was a replacement in their last match but is named to start against Ireland with Assia Khalfaoui unavailable due to a knee injury.

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Seraphine Okemba and Lea Champon will make their first Six Nations appearances, the latter starting on the bench and sevens star Okemba, who switched to XVs during WXV, is named to start at openside flanker alongside Charlotte Escudero and Teani Feleu in the back row.

Carla Arbez will make her first appearance for France since November 2023 and will start at fly-half alongside the most-capped player in the current squad, scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus (61 caps).

The centre partnership of Gabrielle Vernier and Nassira Konde remains the same as their three WXV matches last year.

Morgane Bourgeois, who missed WXV, will start at full-back, and the right wing will be occupied by Mélissande Llorems Vignères.

France won just one match at WXV, against the USA, which saw them finish second from last in Vancouver. Les Bleues last won the Women’s Six Nations title in 2018 and will be eager to replicate the victory of their men’s team in the Men’s Six Nations.

Fixture

Womens Six Nations

Ireland Women

09:00

22 Mar 25

France Women

All Stats and Data

France team vs Ireland, Kingspan Stadium, 22 March

15. Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais)

14. Melissande Llorems Vignères (Blagnac RF)

13. Nassira Konde (Stade Bordelais)

12. Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac RF)

11. Marine Menager (Montpellier HR) CC

10. Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais)

9. Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Stade Toulousain)

1. Yllana Brosseau (Stade Bordelais)

2. Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais)

3. Rose Bernadou (Montpellier HR)

4. Manae Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones) CC

5. Madoussou Fall-Raclot (Stade Bordelais)

6. Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain)

7. Seraphine Okemba (LOU Rugby)

8. Teani Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones)

Replacements

16. Manon Bigot (Blagnac RF)

17. Ambre Mwayembe (FC Grenoble Amazones)

18. Clara Joyeux (Blagnac RF)

19. Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac RF)

20. Lea Champon (FC Grenoble Amazones)

21. Alexandra Chambon (FC Grenoble Amazones)

22. Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain)

23. Emilie Boulard (Blagnac RF)

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JW 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific's rebirth can finally restore the missing All Blacks edge

But under presume he doesn’t have the goods

What made you say that? I thought it was the complete opposite, he was a master class when under pressure and too loose when comfortable.

I’m not sure what that paragraphs about? If it’s along the same lines as mine, “razor is talking bs” then I full endorse your sentiment lol

I’ve suggested to Spew in another article, its not the lack of ball carries, its the lack of intelligence carrying the ball. That’s the whole system. Fix the style and the exact same people carrying the ball will suddenly be world beaters imo. Definitely the work on area imo too.

Crowd draw? You mean how much are the drawing? Not much, camera setups are making it look better than it is (it’s still better though). Moana is the big change with more than one person in the seats now.

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JW 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's rebirth can finally restore the missing All Blacks edge

Mhmm NZ has no other fullback and plenty of wingers, especially some good youth this year.

I’m definitely in the ‘Love is nowhere near ready’ camp though, so fairly opinionated on this one.

11 Go to comments

JW 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's rebirth can finally restore the missing All Blacks edge

Baffling selections? The only baffling selections I can think of were a few by Razor last year (actually other than Christie over Roigard for the final!!).

I can go back earlier to Fosters hesitancy to use the younger brigade but I don’t see what it has to do this topic. A few of the players have already been through this transition I suggest Jordan is going through, with the likes of Barrett and Rieko in midfield still not having come to grips with the ‘small windows’ of execution at test level, but I wouldn’t call Razor moving Jordan to fullback a baffling decision.

Just checking Will’s plays/stats and he’s passing the ball 15% more than he did in 2023 (SR) and kicking half as much (which means he’s carrying into contact slightly less. He’s finding himself using the ball differently, and likely in different circumstances/situations/positions than before. Lets hope he gets to grip with it better than the other examples. I like those changes if he can make it work.

11 Go to comments

JW 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's rebirth can finally restore the missing All Blacks edge

It was only a two test series here I think, but you’re right, for those two NZ dominated most everything other than scoreboard where the alligned articles ‘execution’ and ‘accuracy’ really didn’t help NZs scoring/converting points.

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JW 2 hours ago

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Head high tackle 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's rebirth can finally restore the missing All Blacks edge

Mate we beat England in 4 tests last year and sorry NO they should not have won “hands down”. NZ earnt all 4 wins. England had opportunity in all the tests but they couldnt beat NZs defence.