Latest news with #PaulineBourdonSansus
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rampant Red Roses make World Cup statement with warm-up thrashing of France
England ran in six tries as they completed their preparations for the Women's Rugby World Cup with a 40-6 win over France. The Red Roses, who kick off their campaign against the United States at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday 22 August, were made to work hard for a 27th successive victory in Mont-de-Marsan by a French side missing first-choice scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus through suspension. England's forward power proved irresistible during the first half as they established a commanding lead, but having seen France all but reel them in before holding on to win their Six Nations grand slam decider in April 43-42, they headed for the dressing room taking nothing for granted. Sadia Kabeya provided the finishing touch to a fourth-minute rolling maul after second row partner Abbie Ward had secured possession at an early line-out, and hooker Amy Cockayne repeated the dose at the end of a powerful 15th-minute drive with Zoe Harrison adding the conversion. Handling errors and imprecision cost John Mitchell's side further tries as the French conceded a series of penalties which eventually saw lock forward Manae Feleu yellow-carded, and although Morgane Bourgeois reduced the deficit with a penalty in her absence, prop Maud Muir touched down from another rolling maul and Harrison added the extras to make it 19-3 at the break. Bourgeois kicked a second penalty to capitalise on Teani Feleu's rampaging early break as the second half got under way, but scrum-half Natasha Hunt's quick thinking after her pack had forced a scrum penalty sent centre Meg Jones over and Harrison obliged once again. France started to throw the ball around, with half-backs Carla Arbez and Alexandra Chambon both making dangerous breaks and as the England scrum came under pressure, the visitors were starved of meaningful possession. But catch and drive did the trick once again with six minutes remaining for replacement hooker Lark Atkin-Davies to go over, and she added a second three minutes later to allow Harrison to take her tally to 10 points with two more successful kicks. PA
The Independent
10-08-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Rampant Red Roses make World Cup statement with warm-up thrashing of France
England ran in six tries as they completed their preparations for the Women's Rugby World Cup with a 40-6 win over France. The Red Roses, who kick off their campaign against the United States at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday 22 August, were made to work hard for a 27th successive victory in Mont-de-Marsan by a French side missing first-choice scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus through suspension. England's forward power proved irresistible during the first half as they established a commanding lead, but having seen France all but reel them in before holding on to win their Six Nations grand slam decider in April 43-42, they headed for the dressing room taking nothing for granted. Sadia Kabeya provided the finishing touch to a fourth-minute rolling maul after second row partner Abbie Ward had secured possession at an early line-out, and hooker Amy Cockayne repeated the dose at the end of a powerful 15th-minute drive with Zoe Harrison adding the conversion. Handling errors and imprecision cost John Mitchell 's side further tries as the French conceded a series of penalties which eventually saw lock forward Manae Feleu yellow-carded, and although Morgane Bourgeois reduced the deficit with a penalty in her absence, prop Maud Muir touched down from another rolling maul and Harrison added the extras to make it 19-3 at the break. Bourgeois kicked a second penalty to capitalise on Teani Feleu's rampaging early break as the second half got under way, but scrum-half Natasha Hunt's quick thinking after her pack had forced a scrum penalty sent centre Meg Jones over and Harrison obliged once again. France started to throw the ball around, with half-backs Carla Arbez and Alexandra Chambon both making dangerous breaks and as the England scrum came under pressure, the visitors were starved of meaningful possession. But catch and drive did the trick once again with six minutes remaining for replacement hooker Lark Atkin-Davies to go over, and she added a second three minutes later to allow Harrison to take her tally to 10 points with two more successful kicks.
BBC News
09-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Watch: England face France in final Rugby World Cup warm-up
Update: Date: 19:48 BST Title: The last time they met... Content: France v England (20:10 BST) In their most recent meeting in April, England beat France - only just - in a high-scoring thriller at Allianz Stadium to secure a fourth consecutive Six Nations Grand Slam. This video can not be played England survive France comeback to win Grand Slam by a single point Update: Date: 19:45 BST Title: France team Content: France v England (20:10 BST) France: Bourgeois, Grisez, Menager (c), Neisen, Arbey, Arbez, Chambon; Deshay, Bigot, Bernadou, M Feleu (c), Fall Raclot, Escudero, Champon, T Feleu. Replacements: Riffoneau, Brosseau, Khalfaoui, Ikahehegi, Makka, Cissokho, Queyroi, Tuy. France are without scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus, who is serving a ban for criticising the referee's performance in France's domestic final. Instead Alexandra Chambon plays at nine in a side co-captained by second row Manae Feleu and centre Marine Menager. Uncapped back row Khoudedia Cissokho is on the bench. Players to look out for are wingers Kelly Arbey and Joanna Grisez, who scored both scored superb tries when England beat France 43-42 in April. Speaking of which... Update: Date: 19:42 BST Title: England team Content: France v England (20:10 BST) England have made 11 changes to the starting side that thrashed Spain 97-7 in Leicester a week ago: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Kabeya, Matthews. Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Feaunati, L Packer, Rowland, Sing. Update: Date: 19:36 BST Title: Last chance to impress Content: France v England (20:10 BST) Good evening! England barely broke into a sweat in last week's 97-7 thrashing of Spain, but I'll stick my neck out and predict that things will be quite a bit tougher tonight against perennial Six Nations rivals France on a sultry evening in Mont-de-Marsan in south-west France. And they'll want it that way as this is the last warm-up before World Cup starts. Let's take a look at the teams.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How England can overcome French threats in Grand Slam decider
Guinness Women's Six Nations: England v FranceVenue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 16:45 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and online, listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, live text and video highlights on the BBC Sport website and app York, Cardiff, Cork, Leicester. It doesn't matter where England play in the Women's Six Nations, comfortable bonus-point wins 59-7 hammering of Scotland last weekend means the Red Roses have secured the maximum possible 20 points from their four matches to set up a Grand Slam decider against France at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Mitchell's side have breezed past the competition so far but he has challenged his side to produce the "complete performance" to secure a seventh successive Bleues are also undefeated this campaign and are the last team to beat the Red Roses in the Six Nations back in 2018."It's something we've had a chat about and it's something we're keen on. We know it's there. We're continually searching for that complete performance," Mitchell areas do England need to get right to once again lift the Six Nations? And what threat do the French pose? Win the kicking battle France almost stunned England when they last travelled to Twickenham in 2023, when they scored 33 points in an incredible second-half game finished 38-33 as France cut loose in attack in the second period, scoring tries from all over the pitch, showing what can happen if you kick inaccurately to their dangerous scored 141 points in this year's championship and 21 points in last year's defeat by Mitchell's side in Bordeaux, Les Bleues remain dangerous in attack through their old-school French flair, meaning accuracy from the boot is needed to win the territorial battle and shut down Pauline Bourdon Sansus remains a class act - proven in her standout display in a dominant second-half performance against Scotland - and has the ability to produce a magic moment from anywhere and at any Carla Arbez is joint-second for kicks in play (52) this championship, a tactic France have avoided using in their previous two encounters with Mitchell's side."France now attack differently and have a world class nine [Pauline Bourdon Sansus], who is a threat," Mitchell told BBC's Rugby Union Weekly."They focus on kick metres, the 10 [Carla Arbez] is there to move them forward."In Bordeaux, they didn't kick, maybe seeing how our back three played at Twickenham against Ireland [the week prior], and in our WXV1 warm-up game in September they didn't kick at all."In this tournament, they have been reliant on kicks from 10, so I'll be surprised if they don't come with that."Rapid wing Joanna Grisez is another player England need to keep an eye on after the 28-year-old showed off her sharp finishing ability for the opening score as France fought back to win 34-21 in Italy last has moved away from Holly Aitchison's running game at 10 in favour of the tactical kicking of Saracens fly-half Zoe Harrison, who impressed in wins over Wales and Ireland, for the on a wide Allianz Stadium pitch, is suited to finding space behind France's back three, and with a strong performance could seal a starting spot before a home Rugby World Cup that starts in August."A big, long kicking game where you can pressure France is going to be huge," former England fly-half Katy Daley-Mclean told BBC's Rugby Union Weekly."France are not going to want to get into a territory battle, they are going to want to have their territory in the 22 when they can dominate with their big carries." Win the breakdown Scotland flanker Evie Gallagher was a constant threat at the breakdown in Leicester to record three turnovers, finding particular success in the second half to slow down England's ball."We could have been more ruthless at the breakdown in the second half [against Scotland]," flanker Marlie Packer told BBC."It's not about the scoreboard it's about our individual targets."Prior to the win over Scotland, England struggled in the first half against Ireland, leading only 7-5 at half-time, with the hosts also producing vital turnovers to nullify the Red number eight Teani Feleu is joint-second for turnovers in this year's Six Nations with four, while lock Manae Feleu is also handy over the ball and has made three steals at the Bleues are likely to take note from Gallagher, who tops the overall stats with eight turnovers, and target England's breakdown to prevent quick ball reaching their clinical outside Zoe Aldcroft is top for attacking ruck arrivals (101) in the competition, and will need more support from the rest of her pack in order to retain the ball. Stop France's pack power & fix maul England's pack have been dominant up front in all four of their wins during this year's Six dominance over Ireland resulted in the second-half sin-binning of prop Niamh O'Dowd, which helped England score two tries and swing the game in their scored their first try against England since 2023 from a powerful maul drive on Saturday, with Mitchell also unhappy about his side's set-piece."We were a little bit untidy. Our maul could have been better and we let them off the hook at times," he told second row Manae Feleu has stolen two line-outs this campaign - topped only by England locks Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan - and will be keen to disrupt the Red Roses' line-out and maul, which was so key in their run to the World Cup final in it is also in the loose where France's pack will want to go toe-to-toe with the champions, with number eight Teani Feleu and locks Madoussou Fall and Manae Feleu all standout their past three wins Les Bleues have opted for a 6-2 bench spilt to maintain power from their pack for the full 80 minutes, which they have turned to again for the game on Saturday."France are one of the few packs in the Six Nations that I think can rival what England do," Daley-Mclean 10 offloads between lock pairing of Fall and Feleu, Mitchell's side will need to target wrapping up the ball as well as the tackler. Line-ups England: Sing; Dow, Jones, Heard, MacDonald; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Feaunati, Cokayne, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Burton, L Packer, Aitchison, Bourgeois; Grisez, M Menager, Vernier, Arbwy; Arbez, Bourdon; Brosseau, Bigot, Khalfaoui, M Feleu (capt), Fall-Raclot, Escudero, Champon, T Riffonneau, Mwayembe, Bernadou, Zago, Berthoumieu, Maka, Chambon, Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZ)TMO: Quinton Immelman (SA)
