Marine Ménager: 'Our slack periods cost us dearly'

After closing the gap to just one point against New Zealand (15-14) shortly before wing Katelyn Vahaakolo’s second try in stoppage time (40+2), France seemed to be in their match.

They were precise, solid in defence, and patient, managing to score two converted tries (Émeline Gros, 15^th and Manae Feleu, 29^th) while the Black Ferns had already crossed the line three times, though none were converted, before Vaha'akolo's impressive try.

The staff viewed it as a positive start. “We began the match as we had hoped, pretty solid on many of the fundamentals,” co-selector David Ortiz told RugbyPass. “We showed what we were capable of, even though we found our rhythm quite early. We were fairly composed in the first half.

“It was just that last try that really hurt us mentally and cost us dearly. After that, we faced a very strong New Zealand team that dominated us in one-on-one situations and on the set-pieces. In this sport, if you don’t control those aspects, you can quickly find yourself in trouble.”

Difficult comeback

“What’s difficult is the result,” added her colleague Gaëlle Mignot, referring to the final score of 39-14, confirmed by Vahaakolo’s third try (43^rd), followed by scores from Olsen-Baker (47^th) and Kalounivale (56^th).

“We went into halftime on track with our game plan. Everything we aimed to do was working. However, we are aware of a few weaknesses, and the start of the second half didn’t go our way. It became difficult to regain our focus and get back into the game.”

“We were caught out by our commitment, especially in the duels. It’s difficult when you lose control of your contacts,” said Mignot. “But we held on until the end. The score could have been much worse if the girls had let up. These are the building blocks that will serve us well moving forward. We were outplayed, especially in the second half.”

Even with just 33% possession in the first half (36% for the match overall), Les Bleues managed to come within a point of New Zealand, all while holding strong on defence, making 192 tackles—almost twice as many as the Black Ferns.

“It’s part of our mentality. We enjoy defending, and we proved that today. We put a lot of heart into it. It’s one of the French team’s strengths, even though we had some early issues in the tournament that we’ve since corrected,” remarked co-captain Marine Ménager.

“Today, we had a great first half defensively. Each of us gave everything we had; we were at 200%,” said Ménager. “We believed in it for as long as we could. But our slack periods, especially at the start of the second half, cost us dearly.”

Some reasons for satisfaction

Despite a disappointing record of just one win in the 2024 WXV 1 edition, the French women's rugby team has shown noticeable improvements in several areas over the past month and a half, including their test against England on 7 September (a 38-19 defeat).

While they lost 26 balls against England, they reduced that to 22 against Canada and just 12 in the final game—though still too many. Similar progress was seen in their set pieces: from a 29% success rate against England to 67% in the scrum against Canada, 64% against the USA, and a better 88% against New Zealand. In the lineouts, their consistency improved from 90%, 82%, 78%, to 92% across the matches.

However, the number of penalties remains a major issue, with 11 conceded against Canada, 10 against the USA, and 16 against New Zealand. Ironically, they were the most disciplined against England, with only 8 penalties conceded. This inconsistency is a significant concern.

Emeline Gros switches direction to send the defence packing 🔥#WXV | #WXV1 | #NZLvFRA | @FranceRugby pic.twitter.com/ChGD7DeKEV

— WXV (@WXVRugby) October 12, 2024

Despite these improvements, France has won just one of their last four matches, with Rugby World Cup 2025 in England less than a year away. They’ve suffered three defeats to the top three teams in the world (England, Canada, and New Zealand), followed by a victory against the 8th-ranked team, the USA.

A disappointing international campaign

“What’s difficult for us is the sadness we feel today. We’re fortunate to have a group of players who work incredibly hard every day, and it’s heartbreaking to see the result, especially for them. We want to reward ourselves,” admitted Gaëlle Mignot.

“In terms of performance, it’s not what we expected. We’ll analyze all the matches and assess where we stand. There are positives to take away. In the first half, we implemented a strategy that worked quite well.

“Now, we need to play full 80-minute games. This period of four high-level matches was valuable. We are a resilient team, and that’s what we’ll hold on to. Nothing is over yet—we still have a year of hard work ahead, and we won’t give up until the end. We’re all very sad today.”

Upon their return to France on Sunday, 13 October, the coaching staff will debrief the block of four matches, while the players will enjoy a brief period of rest before resuming play in the women’s Elite 1 championship.

Everyone will be eagerly tuning in to RugbyPass TV on Thursday, 17 October, to watch the live draw for Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

“It’s a symbolic moment that the World Cup is fast approaching. We’re looking forward to this moment with great anticipation. We can’t wait to discover who our future opponents will be,” confirmed Marine Ménager.