Deprived of matches for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Black Ferns are struggling to regain their automatisms this fall, and their status as number two in the world rankings has been shaken in recent weeks by their defeats against England ( 43-12 and 56-15) and France. Annick Hayraud, general manager of the Bleues, nevertheless warned her daughters against a possible excess of confidence:
"We know that the last week
(of tour)
is often the one where the game is best worked out, where the players are the fittest. It's up to us to be really vigilant about that. ”
“We worked on this this week saying
'beware, the game (last week) was not easy even if the score was still largely in our favor.
It was physically sending! ”
, she added.
The message has visibly passed to his troops, in search of a third success in a row after that also signed against South Africa (46-3) at the opening of the autumn tests.
We must not fall into the trap of telling ourselves that we won last week and that it will be the same
Laure Sansus
"We can imagine that they
(the New Zealanders) are
not going to play the same game,"
said scrum half Laure Sansus.
"We must not fall into the trap of saying that we won last week and that it will be the same thing."
“They lack a bit of benchmarks collectively, but it can happen quickly
,
”
insisted the Toulouse, nominated this week for the title of world player of the year along with two English women and her compatriot Caroline Boujard.
Store a little more confidence
The latter will be missed on Saturday at the Pierre-Fabre stadium, the usual lair of Castres Olympique, which should be full, in order to be able to pass the professional firefighter competition.
In his absence, Aurélie Castel will be responsible for igniting the left wing of the XV of France, whose staff has largely retained the framework since only one other change has been made, with the tenure at the back of the young Chloe Jacquet (19 years old).
With less than a year before the World Cup, which will take place from October 8 to November 12, 2022, in New Zealand precisely, the Blue will try to store up a little more confidence.
And to show the way to the boys, opposed to the All Blacks a few hours later at the Stade de France.