Here we go again, are you ready for round two of Le Crunch?
England and France go toe to toe once again tonight, with plenty of grudges still to be settled after the two sides battled it out for supremacy in the 2021 Women’s Six Nations final last weekend.
The Red Roses emerged 10-6 victors in the Championship’s showpiece event at Twickenham Stoop but Les Bleues will be fired up for the challenge when they welcome Simon Middleton’s side to Stadium Lille-Métropole tonight, with the match billed as a friendly in name alone.
2021 Player of the Championship Poppy Cleall scored the only try of the game in London to see England claim a third consecutive Women’s Six Nations crown on Finals Day, with Caroline Drouin keeping France in touch with the boot.
But as we have seen so often over the past few years, the English defence held firm when it was put under pressure, as they put their bodies on the line to see out the game and lift the trophy once again.
And now we get to go through it all again, with both sides fired up for another rip-roaring encounter in store – will England extend their unbeaten run to 11 games, or will France exact revenge on home turf this time around?
Until recently, Les Bleues had held the upper hand when it came to facing the Red Roses on their own patch – going seven years without a home defeat between 2012 and 2019 – but recently the tables have turned, with England winning on each of their last three trips over the Channel.
TEAM NEWS
Captain Sarah Hunter returns to the starting XV for the trip to France at No.8, with Poppy Cleall at blind-side flanker and Vicky Fleetwood at open side.
Zoe Aldcroft starts at lock while there’s a first start of the year for Harriet Millar-Mills in the second row, with the Harlequins triple threat of Vickii Cornborough, Amy Cokayne and Shaunagh Brown starting up front.
Zoe Harrison and Leanne Riley will make up the half-back pairing, while vice-captain Emily Scarratt and Sarah McKenna will line up in the midfield.
The fearsome back three for the Red Roses sees Ellie Kildunne start at full-back, with the fleet-footed duo of Jess Breach and Abby Dow on the wings.
Development players Merryn Doidge and Flo Robinson could earn their first senior caps from the bench, while Sarah Beckett returns to the squad after recovering from injury.
Annick Hayraud has rung the changes ahead of Friday’s showdown, with the France boss making seven alterations from the side that missed out so narrowly last weekend.
Jessy Tremouliere is among those to come back into the side at full-back in place of the lively Emilie Boulard – who drops to the bench – while Elise Pignot comes onto the wing with Caroline Boujard on the opposite flank.
There is a new-look midfield for France this week, with Maëlle Filopon and Gabrielle Vernier lining up at centre, while Pauline Bourdon comes back into the side at scrum-half in place of Laure Sansus.
Morgane Peyronnet will be pulling the strings at No.10, while there is only one further change in the pack, as Julie Annery comes in starts at blind-side flanker in place of Marjorie Mayans.
Annery will play alongside Gaëlle Hermet and Romane Menager in the back row, with Madoussou Fall and Safi N’Diaye in the engine room.
There are no changes up front either, as Annaelle Deshayes, Agathe Sochat and Rose Bernadou all continue to do battle in the scrum.
WHAT THEY SAID
Head coach Simon Middleton said: “We were absolutely delighted to secure the Six Nations title last Saturday. Attention quickly turned to Friday’s game. We know France will be hurting and we need to be quick out of the blocks.
“Playing France in France is always a huge challenge and one we’re really looking forward to.
“Although we are missing players, it’s testament to the strength and depth of our squad that we are still able to name a very strong team. We’re pleased to have this vital game time against quality opposition.
“It’s a great opportunity to finish this period on a high.”
France coach Stéphane Eymard said: “To play this match is to anticipate, to see how we digest things. In terms of result or honorary title, it will not have the same flavour as that of last Saturday, it is true.
“But in terms of projection, planning, how you build as a group in anticipation of the World Cup, it makes a lot of sense.
“Even if we are mentally worn out, we will succeed in producing a great performance, that’s it. the challenge. That is the most important.”
Key battle: Back-row brilliance
This Friday night sees us get another chance to see Poppy Cleall in action, after the Red Roses star scooped the Player of the Championship crown with a number of outstanding performances during the 2021 Women’s Six Nations.
The 28-year-old produced the goods week in, week out for her country this year, winning the Player of the Match award for a dominant performance against Scotland in Round 1, before claiming the match-winning try against Les Bleues last time out.
Alongside skipper Sarah Hunter and the experienced Vicky Fleetwood, the English back row are a force to be reckoned with, but they will have fierce competition once again on Friday, with the hosts more than up for the challenge.
Romane Menager has already proved what she can do this year, with a superb score against Ireland in Round 3, while captain Gaëlle Hermet will always give as good as she gets.
Julie Annery will also be looking to impress on her return to the side, and we can expect fireworks throughout the 80 minutes as the two sides try to overpower each other at the set-piece and claim the win.
TEAMS
FRANCE: Trémouliere, Boujard, Filopon, Vernier, Pignot, Peyronnet, Bourdon, R. Ménager, Hermet (c), Annery, N’Diaye, Fall, Bernadou, Sochat, Deshaye.
Replacements: Thomas, Arricastre, Joyeux, Diallo, Touyé, Sansus, Imart, Boulard
ENGLAND: Kildunne, Breach, Scarratt, McKenna, Dow, Harrison, Riley, Hunter (c), Fleetwood, P. Cleall, Millar-Mills, Aldcroft, Brown, Cokayne, Cornborough
Replacements: Davies, Botterman, B. Cleall, Ward, Beckett, MacDonald, Robinson, Doidge
