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Morgane Bourgeois’ Women's Six Nations notebook: The Final Chapter
The fifth week of competition is taking its toll, and the intensity of our sessions is starting to leave a mark. Fatigue is setting in hard, bodies are aching all over.
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Some girls are getting sick, and there’s a strange atmosphere during our high-intensity session on Tuesday. Some are throwing up, others are struggling with the intensity on the pitch — the group is holding strong, but you can feel it’s not just any week.
And yet, despite all that, one thought keeps us going: Twickenham. That final is always there, tucked away in a corner of our minds, the dream that gets us out of bed every morning. The image of a packed stadium, our families in the stands, a title seven years later… This match, we want it more than anything.
For me, it could be my first senior ‘Le Crunch’ match. A crazy feeling of excitement. But before that, we have to go and win in Italy. No slipping up. Italy is a solid team — they proved that against Scotland. It’s a real trap game. Playing away in Italy is never easy.
Champions League Vibes
The week was also marked by two Champions League nights. Four big games to watch — a nice change from all the rugby. The quarter-finals sparked plenty of debates. With some of the girls, we chatted, teased each other, argued over the matches…
One sentence stuck with me: “1 + 1 = more than two.” It’s not just a catchy phrase; it’s a mindset. A vision of teamwork that’s about much more than just the sum of individuals.
It felt good to think about something else for a change, to take a little break from non-stop rugby. We live and breathe rugby all week long, so these chats about another sport gave us a bit of fresh air.
Jersey Presentation
Colonel Nathalie Picot, commander of the Bordeaux air base, honoured us with her presence and shared her journey. Her values really resonated with us, even if our battles are different. It turned into a real exchange — lots of questions, lots of listening.
One sentence from her speech really stuck with me: “1 + 1 = more than two.” It’s not just a catchy phrase; it’s a mindset. A vision of teamwork that’s about much more than just the sum of individuals.
💪 Même esprit d’équipe !
La colonel Nathalie Picot, commandant de la base aérienne 106 de Bordeaux-Mérignac se confie aux Bleues. Un moment fort.🎥 Âmes Sœurs S06E04 ➡️ https://t.co/JtNY4GoUGI pic.twitter.com/83HHj2tb2n
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 23, 2025
On the field, we experience it all the time: one player can shine individually, but it’s the connections between us, the glances, the invisible efforts, that can truly change the course of a match.
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Express trip to Italy
To get to Parma, we took a chartered flight, where everything was tightly scheduled. As soon as we landed, we headed straight to the stadium for the Captain’s Run. We were surprised to find out we’d be running our drills on a back field. It was a bit unusual, not what we’re used to. You could sense the surprise on everyone’s faces.
The main pitch was reserved for the matches the next day, so we adapted.
Fortunately, the kickers were allowed some time on the main field. It was a great opportunity for me. The session went really well — full focus, 100% success rate.
Match day – Saturday
Different atmosphere. The stadium was quite small, barely 2,000 people. It was a real contrast compared to the previous week. It’s always strange to see such a gap in development between nations.
But the mindset stayed the same: do the job, push forward, and win. It felt a bit like a semi-final against Italy. And it was tough. The game was tight, tense, and you could feel the pressure all the way to the final whistle.
Even though I had a perfect Captain’s Run, with a 100% success rate in front of the posts, match day was a completely different story. One of those off days. I can’t really explain it. It’s happened to me before, and when it does, there’s not much you can do. You just have to accept the missed kicks and give everything you have elsewhere on the field.
It was so frustrating not to reward the team’s incredible effort in the second half. I was really disappointed in myself (for missing kicks). The team showed huge character and managed to score in other ways. What a relief.
At the final whistle, when the pressure finally lifted, it was an incredibly emotional moment for me.
We did it. We booked our place in a final at Twickenham, even if it wasn’t easy. We still picked up the bonus point, scored 34 points in total, and that’s a great achievement.
Morgane Bourgeois pour le 2e essai de @FranceRugby 🇫🇷
L’arrière des Bleues réduit l’écart : 14-12 Italie.
📺 France TV#ITAFRA | #SixNationsRugby pic.twitter.com/aTLKpdR4hu
ADVERTISEMENT— Six Nations (FR) (@SixNations_FR) April 19, 2025
What a surprise on the way back when I checked my message requests on Instagram.
Usually, they’re full of kind messages of congratulations, but this time, it was the complete opposite. This time, there was a violent message full of insults: “You fat w.. Go f*** your mother, b…” Wow.
It was a hate message from a gambler who had apparently lost his bet “because” of me.
I thought women’s rugby was still protected from that kind of thing. That our modest level of fame didn’t attract this kind of pressure yet. Maybe it’s the flip side of growing exposure. Either way, it hurt. It was disturbing to read.
On Instagram there was a violent message full of insults: “You fat w…” Wow. It was a hate message from a gambler who had apparently lost his bet “because” of me.
I sometimes wonder if people who send messages like that even realise that we’re human beings, with feelings, emotions, and flaws.
What else can you do? It won’t throw me off for the week ahead. I know my strengths, my qualities, and if the staff give me the opportunity, I’ll be ready to bounce back at Twickenham.
Final sprint
Our last week of preparation before leaving for England was all about freshness and lightness. The training load was significantly reduced — the goal was to keep the intensity up while protecting our bodies, so we could arrive in the best possible shape for the big day.
It was also a special week emotionally: those last moments shared, those last meals taken together, made our bond even stronger and brought a soft, bittersweet feeling.
📍 ??????????
L’une des plus belles arènes du monde du rugby, pour un match exceptionnel !🔥 Coup d’envoi à 17h45 sur France 2 ! On compte sur vous ! 🇫🇷#ANGFRA #NeFaisonsXV #XVdeFrance pic.twitter.com/4b5mhnn8n7
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 26, 2025
For our last evenings together, the famous “Lol: Last One Laughing” game took over in the common room — a little bubble of laughter and good vibes in the middle of such a special week.
Once we arrived in England, the traditional Captain’s Run marked our first real contact with the stadium. The moment felt serious and everything was precisely timed. The pitch was immaculate, looking like a giant billiard table, perfectly tended by a dozen meticulous groundskeepers we could still see at work when we arrived.
The kicking time was extremely limited, meaning I could only take five or six kicks. It was far less than what I’m usually used to, but I had to adapt — it was about quality, not quantity.
Beyond the purely sporting side, this Captain’s Run turned out to be full of emotion, especially thanks to the tribute paid to Jean Abeilhou.
#Sixnationsrugby | 🥹🏉 “Vous allez me manquer.”
Angleterre-France, c’est la finale du Tournoi 2025 mais aussi le dernier match international de Jean Abeilhou aux commentaires.
🎁 Pour l’occasion, les Bleues lui ont offert un petit cadeau ! pic.twitter.com/lU0Nm3YoQe
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) April 25, 2025
There to commentate on our final match on France TV, he too was living his own end of an era — the close of his career as a sports journalist. His familiar, warm voice had accompanied the rise of women’s rugby for many years. Seeing him there, on the sideline, visibly emotional about turning this page, deeply moved us.
He is one of those voices that carried our sport high and proud, long before it enjoyed the spotlight it has today. This shared moment with him, filled with respect and gratitude, will stay etched in our memories — just like this very special week, suspended between past, present, and future.
Crunch Day
Arrival: it’s absolutely crazy, there are people everywhere around the stadium, a huge crowd. I catch my father’s eye — he’s almost tearing up. A powerful moment.
🏴🇫🇷 ????????????.
Nos Bleues sont au stade, la finale approche ! 👊#ANGFRA #XVdeFrance pic.twitter.com/TZk4nu41C5
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 26, 2025
At first, I feel a bit like a spectator to the whole event. For my first ever Le Crunch, I finally understand what it’s like to face the best team in the world for the first 20 minutes. 31-7 after just 23 minutes — they looked like they were performing a choreographed routine we just couldn’t keep up with.
But little by little, our pride, our personalities, and our mindset kicked in. We started to fight back.
At half time, you could feel it in everyone’s eyes — there was real belief. Only ten points behind, and everything still to play for.
We never gave up. Far from it.
The second half is intense. We’re chasing the score, running out of steam, but we never break. Jo (Grisez’s) s try breathes new hope into the whole team, into the whole group, into our family.
One point. We are just one point away from something incredible. In my head, I’m already imagining a penalty to win it.
We’re ready. We believe we can do it. But time runs out, a knock on, and that’s how it ends.
Those first 20 minutes cost us too much. The disappointment is overwhelming. So close to making it happen.
Of course, the speeches afterward are full of encouragement. We were just one point away from toppling the world’s number one team on their own pitch, just a few months before the World Cup.
🙏✨ Face à la meilleure équipe du monde, nos Bleues ont produit ??? ?????????? ?’?? ????? ???? ?????? cet après midi dans l’antre du rugby.
💙 Gardez la tête haute les filles, vous pouvez être fières de vous ! #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV #ANGFRA pic.twitter.com/8XD847Xdqh
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 26, 2025
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