France-England in the Women’s 6 Nations: 27,000 in attendance, a formidable challenge for the Blues… Why this match is an event

The French hope to finally end England’s hegemony this Saturday April 27 (5.45pm) in Bordeaux, in front of a record crowd, during a crucial Crunch in the pursuit of the Six Nations tournament, which has eluded them since 2018.

With more than 27,000 tickets sold, the attendance record for a women’s rugby match in France will be broken during this encounter where the winner will win the competition, the Grand Slam at stake, and strike a major blow eighteen months before the 2025 World Cup in England.

On paper, the Red Roses, five-time defending champions and world No. 1, seem completely out of reach. They won their last twelve duels against Les Bleues and in turn crushed Italy (48-0), Wales (46-10), Scotland (46-0) and Ireland (88-10), offering themselves a boulevard to achieve their sixth consecutive Grand Slam.

Above all, they have changed their style of play since coming to the head of New Zealander John Mitchell, adding a touch of champagne rugby specific to the southern hemisphere. “In 2022, during the + final + of the tournament in Bayonne (defeat by the Bleues 24-12, editor’s note), they killed us on mauls,” recalled former international second row Lenaïg Corson to AFP.

“But today,” she adds, “they are able to do their own thing with their strikers, who are more impactful and have support behind them, as well as playing their three-quarters who are not there for laughs “. Les Bleues, on the other hand, had a more mixed tournament, with laborious wins against Ireland (38-17) and Scotland (15-5), before rising to a crescendo against Italy (38-15 and Wales). ).

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Touch and discipline to watch out for

Similar to their game on Sunday in Cardiff, where they did not concede a point, Manae Feleu’s teammates shone during this edition with their defence, which they claim as an “identity”, and their efficiency in closed scrums (100%). The tackling queen is also a French woman: third-row Charlotte Escudero made 98.3% of her tackles (59 of 60), “best ratio among the 60 players who attempted at least 30 tackles” according to Opta.

On the other hand, on the sidelines, the blues are struggling. They lost six in their last game against Wales and recorded an average success rate of just 71.9% per game (84% for the English). But the team took time this week to “adjust” in this aspect of the game, “while remaining calm, because we actually know how to do it,” second row Madoussou Fall explained to AFP.

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Another sector that could pose a problem against the Red Roses: discipline. The French received three yellow cards throughout the competition, all against the Welsh, but no red cards, unlike the English who received two. “Sometimes, when we get too involved, we get punished,” former international second-row Safi N’Diaye told AFP. “Three cards against Wales is way too many them, it’s difficult…”

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France-England at the Women’s 6 Nations: “Crazy intensity!” A huge record will be broken during the clash between the Blues and Red Roses

In addition to the winner of the trophy, another case arises on Saturday between Scotland, who travel to Belfast to face Ireland, and Italy, who go to Cardiff, to decide the third place, synonymous with participation in the 2025 World Cup.