Report: Scotland Women 28-69 France Women

The impressive visitors didn’t have it all their own way, with Scotland reaching a highest points tally in the fixture late on, but their extra brawn ultimately won the day.

French captain Manae Feleu looked to have been put in touch after being popped a ball by fellow back-row Lea Champon, but the openside kept her cool to squirm over for an opening minute try (0-5, 1 min).

It was a portal for what was to come, even if Scotland ensured they were to go down fighting with a spirited display.

France were playing with a pace and precision that their hosts gamely went along with, and Hive Stadium found its first proper cheer of the day when, after Meryl Smith launched a ball 40 metres up the park, Chloe Rollie was on hand to hold up opposite full-back Pauline Barrat with the aid of a cavalry that rapidly joined in.

Scotland won the resulting scrum and again the crowd buzzed in anticipation of the hosts’ first attacking set, but the ball was knocked on. Still, they had landed a first few jabs of the contest.

And they engineered a proper blow moments later, with Smith involved again as her clever no-look pass sent fellow centre Rachel Phillips crashing over, with Helen Nelson’s conversion giving Scotland the lead (7-5, 16 mins).

With try scorer and captain Feleu sent to the sin bin for her part in the lead up, France upset the narrative when stand-off Carla Arbez collected and converted her own delicate chip and chase to offer the perfect riposte (7-12, 19 mins).

A very different third French try owed itself to the grunt of the pack, with second row Siobhan Soqeta the eventual scorer from close range after a mountain of defensive work had been offered by Scotland in the phases leading up to it. Arbez converted from in front once more (7-19, 27 mins).

Champon, who had set up the game’s opening score, sold a lovely dummy on a two-on-one overlap to canter over for her own try, the extras added by Arbez again (7-26, 31 mins).

It was important that the next score was a home one and Phillips, in the groove after a try on her first start in dark blue, doubled her tally with another bruising, pin-point finish which Nelson duly converted (14-26, 35 mins).

It would be France who would enter the half-time break with all the momentum though, with Champon adding a fifth try after a clever offload from winger Anais Grando (14-31, 40 mins).

Half-time: Scotland Women 14-31 France Women

France wasted little time in extending their lead after the break as full-back Barrat ghosted through numerous tackles to kill off notion of a Scottish comeback (14-36, 42 mins).

Rollie’s piercing run breathed life into the Hive crowd as the game stagnated towards the hour mark, but France held all of the aces and improved on their hand when Soqeta burrowed over for her second, and her side’s seventh, the conversion clipped over by Arbez (14-43, 57 mins).

France replacement Alexandra Chambon took France over the 50-point threshold, with fellow substitute Lina Queyroi slotting the extras (14-50, 61 mins), before winger Lea Murie went over moments later (14-55, 63 mins).

Scotland were well beaten but their attitude refused to wilt and reward came when Emily Coubrough barged her way over for a first international try, converted again by Nelson (21-55, 69 mins).

As had been the case on each of the three occasions Scotland crossed, France did likewise very soon after, with Annaelle Deshayes’ try and Queyroi’s extras halting all momentum for the home side (21-62, 71 mins).

A fine moment was then to come for the hosts as hooker Aicha Sutcliffe, excellent since entering the fray, finished off a driving lone-out maul for a debut try to remember, Nelson converting from out wide (28-62, 78 mins).

The game’s trend continued, however, as France closed out proceedings with an 11th try, converted, through Ambre Mwayembe (28-69, 80 mins).

Full-time: Scotland 28-69 France

Scotland : Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Méditerranée), Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Rachel Phillips (Sale Sharks), Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears), Francesca McGhie (Trailfinders Women); Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) (captain), Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning); Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks), Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning), Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears), Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women), Louise McMillan (Saracens), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County), Eva Donaldson (Sale Sharks), Becky Boyd (Loughborough Lightning).

Replacements: Aicha Sutcliffe (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County) (for Martin, 64 mins), Demi Swann (Exeter Chiefs) (for Bartlett, 55 mins), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC) (for Clarke, 55 mins), Hollie Cunningham (Bristol Bears) (for McMillan, 52 mins), Emily Coubrough (Glasgow Warriors/University of Edinburgh) (for Bogan, 52 mins), Rhea Clarke (Bristol Bears) (for Brebner-Holden, 64 mins), Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning) (for Rollie, 64 mins), Shona Campbell (Sale Sharks) (for McGhie, 60 mins).

France: Pauline Barrat, Anais Grando, Aubane Rousset, Teani Feleu, Lea Murie; Carla Arbez, Pauline Bourdon-Sansus; Yllana Brosseau, Mathilde Lazarko, Assis Khalfaoui, Siobhan Soqeta, Madoussou Fall, Charlotte Escudero, Manae Feleu (captain), Lea Champion.

Replacements: Elisa Riffonneau, Ambre Mwayembe, Annaelle Deshayes, Cloe Correa, Kiara Zago, Axelle Berthomieu, Alexandra Chambon, Lina Queyroi.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
Assistant Referees: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU) and Maria Latos (DRV)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
FPRO: Jenny Davies (WRU)

Guinness Player of the Match: Carla Arbez

Attendance: 5871