Women's Rugby World Cup: Les Bleues kick off their World Cup perfectly with a victory over Italy

Mission accomplished. Not everything was perfect, there was a bit of tension, but the essentials were assured: the French women's XV ideally started their World Cup in England , dominating Italy ( 24-0 ), their toughest opponent in the group. Dominating for a long time but lacking in efficiency, the Blues finally found the fault half an hour into the game through Joanna Grisez (27th), before doubling the lead, after the break, through Assia Khalfaoui (45th). And to definitively seal their victory thanks to Charlotte Escudero (62nd). France's next match, Sunday August 31, against Brazil, who are playing in their first World Cup.

A quiet start was predicted for Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz's girls. An unremarkable first match to kick off their adventure. But it's clear that a World Cup match, whatever it may be, is never easy. Les Bleues experienced this firsthand with a poor and lackluster first half in a Sandy Park with a very Italian accent. To sum up the first thirty minutes? Tense French players, dropped balls, and unsure passing (like a skipped pass from captain Ménager to Escudero, directly into touch). Nothing to worry about, as Feleu and her team were never in danger during this first half. But it was inevitable that they had to rely on an individual feat.

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And in this game, who better than Joanna Grisez to break the deadlock? On a perfectly controlled first-hand kickoff (finally), the Bordeaux player took the ball at the same time as the gap, accelerated and finished in the in-goal area after a forty-meter run, the first ray of sunshine in the French team's adventure in this World Cup. Are the French team finally liberated? Bourgeois could have scored the try that would break the deadlock in the 39th minute, but it was ultimately disallowed. The French full-back redeemed himself, however, by kicking in a penalty just before the break. Ten points ahead going into the locker room, the main thing, before perhaps letting loose in the second half...

Returning with better technical intentions, the Blues quickly found the gap thanks to their prop Khalfaoui, well alerted in the interval by her fly-half Carla Arbez (45th). Even less worried than in the first half, Mignot's girls nevertheless did not manage to completely free themselves. It was therefore in commitment and in combat that Ménager and her team rose to the occasion. Second ray of sunshine in Exeter? Escudero. The Toulouse player is the player of this first match for the French team in this World Cup. Uncompromising in defense and author of 4 turnovers, the Haut-Garonne flanker came to score the third try of the Blues, all power, in the 62nd minute.

In the final quarter of an hour, Feleu's teammates easily resisted the Italians' final attacks, failing to secure the bonus point on their last chance. The French team therefore entered this World Cup in the best possible way, without having been flamboyant, but by pocketing the victory and, above all, by having conceded no points. Their next match is against Brazil on Sunday, August 31, against whom a better performance is expected to reassure followers of French rugby.