v

KO KO 2 3 5 6 14 15 30 33 34 35 48 48 52 53 57 58 58 61 61 61 62 62 62 64 68 68 69 77 80 80 FT

Results

TeamTriesMissed ConversionDGPenaltiesConversionsBPPointsOutcome
France Women83015153Win
Wales Women000Loss

Review

Match Report

BY LUKE BAKER – SIXNATIONSRUGBY.COM

Caroline Boujard’s quickfire hat-trick was the highlight of a dazzling display of running rugby as France started the 2021 Women’s Six Nations with a bang by convincingly beating Wales in Vannes.

If reigning champions England had laid down a marker earlier in the day by beating Scotland 52-10, France responded in kind with a scintillating eight-try victory that suggests they are eager to regain the Championship title they last won in 2018.

Winger Boujard crossed the whitewash three times in the opening 15 minutes as Les Bleues produced a scintillating start at Stade de la Rabine, while Agathe Sochat also went over in a first half that saw them outscore their visitors 31-0.

Taking charge of his first game since being named as Wales head coach on a three-year contract in November, Warren Abrahams would have demanded a response at half-time and his team responded with a promising and resilient display after the break.

But, after losing 50-0 to France in the 2020 Championship, they ultimately failed to trouble the scorers again, while Emeline Gros crossed twice for the hosts before Emilie Boulard and Laure Touyé dotted down late on to stretch the home record of Les Bleues to 31 wins in 35 Women’s Six Nations matches.

Wales will now look to bounce back when they host Ireland in Round 2 next weekend, while Annick Hayraud’s troops will head into their rest week buoyed by an impressive all-round performance.

BRILLIANT BOUJARD FLIES OUT OF THE BLOCKS

France got off to the perfect start when Boujard demonstrated some quick-thinking to pick-and-go from a ruck in the Welsh 22 with less than three minutes played – darting through a gap and over the line.

And the flying winger had her second try inside six minutes when Gros ripped the ball away from Jasmine Joyce in the tackle, allowing Morgane Peyronnet to free Boujard for the run-in.

France were playing some dazzling running rugby, moving from inside their own 22 to inches from the Wales line in a single phase before quick hands and a sumptuous Peyronnet offload out of the back of her hand enabled Boujard to complete her hat-trick within the first quarter of an hour.

With Pauline Bourdon impeccable from the tee and dictating the speed of play from scrum-half, Les Bleues looked liable to score from every attacking opportunity but coupled that with a suffocating defensive line that impressively shut down Wales when the visitors had possession.

Another spell in the Welsh 22 ended with Bourdon calmy slotting her fourth kick of the day – this time a penalty – before a textbook catch-and-drive from a five-metre lineout was steered over the line by Sochat to extend the advantage to 31-0 at the break.

GROS AT THE DOUBLE

Wales began the second half strongly and began to show flashes of the expansive new attacking system that Abrahams is implementing but failed to turn territory and possession into points.

And at the other end of the pitch, they were twice caught out by the quick-thinking and pace of France No.8 Gros – aided by a pack that was dominating the physical exchanges.

Firstly, she picked up from the back of a dominant scrum on 52 minutes and burst between tacklers for the score, before rolling off the back of a driving maul ten minutes later and powering over the whitewash.

At 43-0 behind, the visitors could have folded but continued to battle valiantly in defence, holding France up over the line on multiple occasions and demonstrating a commitment that will undoubtedly pay dividends on the scoreboard in the near future.

However, Les Bleues had the final word as firstly debutant full-back Boulard – who impressed all evening – powerfully finished another neat team move in the left corner before replacement hooker Touyé fell over the line from the back of an inexorable driving maul to take the score above 50 points.

Officials

RefARTMO
Nikki O’Donnell (RFU)Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Katherine Ritchie (RFU)
Claire Hodnett (RFU)

France Women

# Player Position TRY CON PEN DG TACKLES CARRIES PASSES METRES YC RC
15Emilie BoulardFull Back1 (77')000011814000
14Caroline BoujardWing3 (2', 5', 14')000211513200
13Maelle FiloponCentre000067145300
12Gabrielle VernierCentre0000126126900
11Marine Menager 23Wing00001335900
10Morgane Peyronnet 22Fly Half000083263700
9Pauline Bourdon 21Scrum Half05 (3', 6', 15', 35', 62')1 (30')043684000
1Annaelle Deshaye 18Prop00005211400
2Agathe Sochat 16Hooker1 (34')00014412000
3Clara Joyeux 17Prop00008401800
4Coumba Tomb DialloLock00009763300
5Madoussou Fall 19Lock00009425000
6Celine Ferer 20Back Row00001003000
7Gaëlle HermetBack Row000091249400
8Emeline GrosBack Row2 (52', 61')0009637200
16Laure Touye 2-1 (80')0003312300
17Rkhya a Labhbib 3Prop00002312900
18Maylis Traore 1Prop0000010600
19Safi N’Diaye 5-00002563400
20Marjorie Mayans 6Centre0000234800
21Laure Sansus 9Scrum Half000013122000
22Camille Imart 10Fly Half00002110400
23Jessy Trémoulière 11Full Back000005136400
 Total 8510118107203101900

Wales Women

# Player Position TRY CON PEN DG TACKLES CARRIES PASSES METRES YC RC
15Robyn WilkinsFull Back00006491300
14Lisa Neumann 23Wing00006403300
13Hannah JonesCentre000015431900
12Kerin Lake 22Centre00006531400
11Jasmine JoyceWing00004625000
10El SnowsillFly Half00005331500
9Jessica Roberts 21Scrum Half00003257400
1Caryl Thomas 17Prop00003601800
2Kelsey JonesHooker000010321200
3Donna Rose 18Back Row00005402100
4Gwen CrabbLock00009551800
5Teleri Wyn Davies 20Lock00002401100
6Georgia EvansBack Row00001291391 (80')0
7Manon JohnesBack Row000011521700
8Siwan Lillicrap 19Lock00003867700
16Robyn LockBack Row0000000000
17Cara Hope 1Prop00002201800
18Cerys Hale 3Prop0000202000
19Bethan Dainton 8-0000120700
20Natalia John 5Lock0000211700
21Meg Davies 9Scrum Half00002015000
22Gemma Rowland 12Full Back00004201300
23Courtney Keight 14Centre0000200000
 Total 00001157913939610
TRY
8
0
CON
5
0
PEN
1
0
DG
0
0
TACKLES
118
115
CARRIES
107
79
PASSES
203
139
METRES
1019
396
YC
0
1
RC
0
0

Details

Date Time League Season Streaming Link
03/04/2021 8:00 pm Women's 6 Nations 2020-21 Live on BBC iPlayer

Past Meetings

Women's 6 Nations

Women's 6 Nations

Women's 6 Nations

Women's 6 Nations

Women's 6 Nations

Women's 6 Nations

WRWC POOL C

Women's 6 Nations
Talbot Athletic Ground

Women's 6 Nations