France beat England 2-0 in U20 series

After a three-year COVID break U20 rugby has returned, but little has changed with France again beating England in two test series, winning 35-14 at Evreux in France a week ago, and 32-27 at Henley last weekend.

France have now won 18 of the 21 U20 “tests” played between the two countries since 2010, including five in a row since the last win by England in 2018.

French U20 Manager Caroline Suné was delighted to be able to play again. “It was a great moment for the players with a lot of emotions at the beginning of the game", she said after the first game in Evreeux. “"After two years without competition for the U20s, we were going a little into the unknown. Our opponents had already played the previous week against Scotland [England winning 38-7]. We had a very good game with a lot of good spirit in the battle”.

France won the first test comfortably, five tries to two, but the return in Henley was far closer, England outscoring France by five tries to four, but France winning the day thanks to the boot of Morgane Bourgeois who converted three out of four French tries, and two penalties.

"The Englishwomen were waiting for us after our victory last week in France in a very close match”, Suné said after the second test. “The "bluettes" were able to battle to the end to get this second consecutive victory, in weather conditions that combined rain, snow and sunshine.

“The girls benefit from playing these two high-level matches and also through the work of the clubs and the FFR “Pôle Espoirs” rugby academy.

“I hope that we can have an U20 Six Nations tournament one day because these players are the future."

Teams

Evreux (Stade Roger Rochard)

France U20: 15 Lilou Graciet (AS Bayonne); 14 Margaux Dufros (Stade Rennais Rugby); 13 Louise Lavabre (Stade Bordelais); 12 Marie Dupouy (Blagnac Rugby Féminin); 11 Zoé Tixier (ASM Romagnat); 10 10. Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais) (cap); 9 Margaux Duces (Stade Rennais Rugby) (Bordes); 8 Teani Feleu (Oneleki RC – FC Grenoble); 7 Léa Champon (FC Grenoble); 6 Cyrielle Augé (AS Bayonne); 5 Emma Poulat (FC Grenoble); 4 Julia Grosz (AS Bayonne); 3 Zelie Reulet (Stade Toulousain); 2 Élisa Riffonneau (Stade Rennais Rugby); 1 Ambre Mwayembe (FC Grenoble) (Nicole);Replacements:Lucile Contal (Stade Rennais Rugby); Clémentine Pages (Blagnac SC); Audrey Bervin (RC Chilly Mazarin); Aissata Coulibaly (AC Bobigny 93 Rugby); Marisol Le Brun (Stade Rennais Rugby); Apolline Gaudon (Lyon OL U); Suzanne Nicole (Lille Métropole RC V)5 tries - Riffonneau (7) Lavabre (28), Graciet (37), Dupouy (75), Feleu (80), 2 Conversions - Bourgeois (37, 75), 2 penalties - Bourgeois (40, 73)

England U20:15. Abi Kershaw (Worcester Warriors); 14. Holly Thorpe (DMP Durham Sharks); 13. Georgina Tasker (Loughborough Lightning); 12. Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs); 11. Jenny Hesketh (C; Bristol Bears); 10. Lizzie Duffy (Sale Sharks); 9. Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs);; 1. China Kill (Bristol Bears); 2. Alana Bainbridge (DMP Durham Sharks); 3. Kelsey Clifford (Saracens); 4. Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning) ; 5. Delaney Burns (Bristol Bears); 6. Nikita Prothero (Loughborough Lightning); 7. Maisy Allen (vice-captain Exeter Chiefs); 8. Gabriella Nigrelli (Bristol Bears)Replaements:16. Rosie Dobson (Harlequins); 17. Abby Middlebrooke (Exeter Chiefs); 18. Georgie Grimes (Exeter Chief); 19. Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Sale Sharks); 20. Jemima Moss (Worcester Warriors); 21. Alicia Maude (Gloucester-Hartpury); 22. Pip Hendy (Gloucester-Hartpury); 23. Grace Crompton (Bristol Bears)

Henley Hawks:

England U20: 15. Georgina Tasker (Loughborough Lightning); 14. Grace Crompton (Bristol Bears); 13. Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs); 12. Lizzie Duffy (Sale Sharks); 11. Jenny Hesketh (CC; Bristol Bears); 10. Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs); 9. Alicia Maude (Gloucester-Hartpury); 1. China Kill (Bristol Bears); 2. Alana Bainbridge (DMP Durham Sharks); 3. Kelsey Clifford (Saracens); 4. Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning); 5. Gabriella Nigrelli (Bristol Bears); 6. Nikita Prothero (Loughborough Lightning); 7. Maisy Allen (CC; Exeter Chiefs); 8. Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Sale Sharks)Replacements:16. Rosie Dobson (Harlequins); 17. Abby Middlebrooke (Exeter Chiefs); 18. Georgie Grimes (Exeter Chief); 19. Delaney Burns (Bristol Bears); 20. Megan Barwick (Bath); 21. Abi Kershaw (Worcester Warriors); 22. Pip Hendy (Gloucester-Hartpury); 23. Holly Thorpe (DMP Durham Sharks)

France U20:1. Ambre Mwayembe (FC Grenoble); 2.Élisa Riffonneau (Stade Rennais Rugby); 3.Zelie Reulet (Stade Toulousain); 4.Aissata Coulibaly (AC Bobigny 93 Rugby); 5.Julia Grosz (AS Bayonne); 6.Audrey Bervin (RC Chilly Mazarin); 7.Léa Champon (FC Grenoble); 8.Teani Feleu (Oneleki RC – FC Grenoble); 9.Océane Bordes (Stade Toulousain); 10. Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais); 11. Clémentine Pages (Blagnac SC); 12. Marie Dupouy (Blagnac Rugby Féminin); 13. Louise Lavabre (Stade Bordelais); 14. Margaux Dufros (Stade Rennais Rugby); 15. Lilou Graciet (AS Bayonne)Replacements:16. Apolline Gaudon (Lyon OL U); 17. Suzanne Nicole (Lille Métropole RC V); 18. Emma Poulat (FC Grenoble); 19. Marisol Le Brun (Stade Rennais Rugby); 20. Cyrielle Auge (AS Bayonne); 21. Margaux Duces (Stade Rennais Rugby); 22. Lucile Contal (Stade Rennais Rugby); 23. Zoé Tixier (ASM Romagnat)Tries: Riffonneau (2), Pages (25) Lavabre (44), Duces (54), Converstions:  Bourgeois (2, 25) , Graciet (44), Penalties: Bourgeois (9, 76)