France: “This will be a special year”

A year ago France were not high on anyone’s list as Six Nations contenders. With retirement and sevens taking a whole raft of players from the previous summer’s World Cup squad, as well as having to travel to London and Dublin to meet their main rivals, 2015 looked like being a year of rebuilding for Les Bleus. Instead they came within an ace of taking the title, beating both England and Ireland and only missing out as a result of a shock defeat in Italy.

Although the demands of sevens have taken away another tranche of players – including perhaps most importantly the reliable boot of Tremoliere – the experience of last year plus a favourable fixture list (all but one of France’s Six Nations triumphs have come in even numbered years) would seem to put France in pole position for this year’s tournament.

Captain Gaëlle Mignot is cautious, however: “I do not know if we can say anything this year other than it’s going to be tough. It is true that there is an advantage to be playing at home, but it will still not be easy. Last year, we created a little surprise by being so ready for this tournament. Unfortunately, we stumbled in Italy that cost us dearly. This year I think even more will be expected of us. But it is very difficult say who will win.

"This is also a very special season because we are only a year from the World Cup. We will keep to our main target, which is preparing for the World Cup, so new players who will continue to be given opportunities so that the pool of players continues to grow. Still, with three matches in France, we really have to believe that we can do better than last year.”

A key factor of France’s resilience in recent years has been the strength of their U20 programme, and the squad for the opening two games introduces two more graduates – prop Arkya Ait Labib and fly-half Camille Imart - and Gaëlle is delighted with everything these young players bring to the team: "They bring pep, competition, and they challenge everyone with a positive dynamic. They have beaten England at U20s many times and know the reality of the international level. We, the “ancients”, try to integrate them into the squad, the mixture becoming very positive force."

The third new face is Laure Sansus, scrumhalf and captain of Toulouse, who is illustrative of the other great source of French rugby talent, the higher education system. Both she and the player she will understudy – Yanna Rivoalen – had played little rugby prior to higher education, but after their talent was identified they were quickly promoted through university programme to club and now national level.

"What is very positive is that all players within the national squad are hungry to learn, to win and to participate in the next World Cup. The team spirit is growing and growing. Frankly, I find that everyone is positive and that we are moving forward very quickly. It is very encouraging and the shape of the World Cup team is far from set. Girls are preparing for the Olympic Games with the sevens, young people from the U20s may yet disrupt the existing hierarchy, and we must continue to work hard to be in the running for 2017. You have to go step by step and the first step in front of us, that's the Six Nations Championship.”

And the first target for this year’s championship is to lay the ghost of 2015, with the visit of Italy to Bourg-en-Bresse on Saturday. A chance for revenge?

"Revenge, perhaps”, says Gaëlle, “but if so it is perhaps against ourselves. It was our fault we lost the game last year. We should not have not been just hanging on into the 80th minute so that we could be hit with the try that lead to the defeat. This year we are at home and they will have to redouble their efforts if they want to beat us.”

Despite that defeat, Gaëlle was still shortlisted for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award last autumn. While the award eventually went elsewhere, the experience has made her all the more determined make the performance of her team and her players the good they can possibly be. As he told us this week, “I want to redouble my efforts to ensure that in future not only is a French player shortlisted, but that they become the International Player of the Year.”

Gaëlle Migot may be cautious in predicting success, but there is a steely determination behind the smile to take France to the top in Europe in 2016, and then the world in 2017. And any team in her way is going to have a very tough task stopping her.

French squad:

Audrey Abadie (Blagnac Saint-Orens), Arkya Ait Labib (Stade Rennais Rugby), Julie Annery (Bobigny), Lise Arricastre (Lons), Coralie Bertrand (Stade Toulousain), Julie Billes (Montpellier), Caroline Boujard (Montpellier), Patricia Carricaburu (Lons), Laura Delas (Tarbes), Coumba Tombe Diallo (Bobigny), Julie Duval (Ovalie Caennaise), Celine Ferer (Bayonne), Audrey Forlani (Blagnac -Saint Orens), Lucille Godiveau (Bobigny), Camille Imart (Stade Toulousain), Romane Menager (Lille –Métropole RC Villeneuvois), Gaëlle Mignot (Montpellier), Safi N’diaye (Montpellier), Elodie Poublan (Montpellier), Pauline Rayssac (Montpellier), Yanna Rivoalen (Lille –Métropole RC Villeneuvois), Laure Sansus (Stade Toulousain), Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais ASPTT)