France-Italy: Escudero hits hard, the French rugby team still too tense... The highs and lows

TOPS

Joanna Grisez held her own

We introduced her in our columns as one of the players to watch at the 2025 World Cup. Joanna Grisez was there on the pitch at Sandy Park in Exeter, for the French women's opening match against Italy. The first ray of sunshine in the French adventure, she was the one who broke the deadlock in a messy and boring first half. A solo try from forty meters, outpacing the entire Italian defense before finishing in the in-goal area. Otherwise, the Bordeaux player was diligent, on her feet, and finished the match with an interesting line of statistics: ten runs, one ball scraped, and one crossing. And she should, like her teammates, gain strength as the competition progresses.

Also read: Fall, Arbez, Grisez… The 5 French women to watch during the Women’s Rugby World Cup

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What an XXL performance from Toulouse's back row. While Les Bleues weren't exactly precise and technically focused in their opening match, they did have the merit of being present in their commitment and fight. In these registers, Charlotte Escudero left only crumbs for her opponents. Nine runs, eighteen tackles (match record!) and above all four balls won in the ruck zones, the Tricolore was simply astounding this Saturday evening in the west of England. As a bonus, she scored the third try for the French team, potentially, to seal the fate of this match.

A dominant scrum

The big positive of the evening was the team performance. Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz's (co-coaches) girls were imperious in the closed scrum sector, achieving 100%. Thanks to a very solid front row composed of Brosseau, Bigot, and Khalfaoui (who notably scored the second try of the evening), the French team recovered several penalties, putting the Transalpine forwards to the test. This is very good news ahead of a possible clash against the English, the big favorites in the competition, in the semi-finals.

Also read: Alpine hunter, firefighter, rugby at 23… The unusual journey of Manon Bigot, the French team's hooker

FLOPS

The French women are still too tense

While they did the job by winning 24-0 to get off to a good start to this World Cup, things weren't perfect for Marine Ménager and her team. The first half, in particular, was far too messy with a significant number of lost balls, a still-sluggish system, and inaccuracies. On their last chance, Feleu and her teammates could have earned an important offensive bonus point with a view to qualification, before dropping the ball in the lineout, just like in their first outing. They will obviously have to find their rhythms as this competition progresses, and there is little doubt about this group's ability to raise their level of play when the moment demands it, especially during the final phase.

Carla Arbey a tone below

On the right wing, Joanna Grisez played a masterclass, opening the scoring around the half-hour mark. On the left wing of this French team, Carla Arbey struggled more to find her feet in this match. The Bordeaux player notably lost two balls and wasn't always on the front foot. But we won't hold that against her, given the difficulty of this first match and the tension that certainly surrounded the French squad.