Women’s Rugby World Cup: so close to coming true, the dream of the Blues has gone


Long ahead in the score, the France team ended up losing in the semi-finals against the New Zealanders (25-24) who will challenge England for the world title.

The women’s XV of France, in search of a first World Cup final, came very close to the feat on Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland, losing on the wire against New Zealand (25 -24), after a missed penalty by Caroline Drouin at the last minute. The Black Ferns, reigning world champions, will meet England in the final next Saturday, victorious over Canada (26-19), which Les Bleues will face for the bronze medal.

The French, for the eighth time in the semi-finals of a World Cup, have again failed at the gates of the final, against a team that they had nevertheless just beaten four times in a row. For this first match between the two nations on New Zealand soil, in a sparse Eden Park, the suspense lasted until the end, with this penalty obtained by the Blues at the last minute but which Drouin, otherwise impeccable, did not failed to pass. Solidarity and without complexes: in response to the haka of the New Zealanders, the Blues, who had repeated all week that they had “desacralized» their adversaries and «play down» that moment, had chosen to gather in a circle on the lawn of Eden Park, to sing at the top of their lungs the «Marseillaise“.

blue wall

In a sky pinked by the setting sun, they set the tone of entry, occupying the field and choosing to play a penaltouch rather than attempt the penalty. Excellent choice: the third row Romane Ménager, back after a fortnight’s break following his concussion against England in the group match, has energy to spare. During the week, his captain Gaëlle Hermet had warned: “if there’s one player you shouldn’t see too often on the pitch on Saturday, it’ll be her!“On this penalty, the Montpellier player will only have to flatten in force and Drouin to transform (10-0, 23rd).

After the reduction of the score by the back Renee Holmes (10-3, 29th), the “Black Ferns» did try to break through the blue wall, but the Habs, with the best defense of the teams in the last four, did not panic, tackling and tackling again, Charlotte Escudero and Madoussou Fall in the lead. After a scrum, on the quick exit of the ball, they went to score their first try by the center Stacey Fluhler in conclusion: equality (10-10, 37th). The French women could then have started to doubt. Nothing happened: they responded immediately with a try from center Gabrielle Vernier, in order to return to the locker room in the lead (17-10).

After the break, the New Zealanders, on a low kick from Holmes, took things in hand and signed their second try by the center Ruby Tui (17-15, 44th). In a still intense encounter, the two sides competed in debauchery of energy until, on a carried ball concluded by center Teresa Fitzpatrick, New Zealand took the advantage for the first time (22-17 , 56th, then 25-17, 63rd). Thanks to Romane Ménager, again her, France picked up the score (25-24, 65th). Safi N’Diaye, decisive on the previous try and for his 90th selection, then received a yellow card, without the New Zealanders managing to take advantage of it.

It is even they who are penalized at the end of the match: victory is then at the feet of Drouin but, thirty meters in front of the posts, his shot is too short, making Eden Park rumble with relief. An Eden Park again cruel for French rugby, eleven years after the defeat (8-7) of the Blues against the All Blacks in the final of the 2011 World Cup.

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