France U20s aim to go on winning

The French U20 team were still at collège – the French equivalent of middle school – the last time their age group team lost to England.

Indeed that narrow 12-7 win for England at Worcester in 2011 remains the only defeat suffered by France in this fixture since they replaced their “A” team with an age group side in 2010. Overall the two teams have played nine times, with eight French wins:

2010Sainte Nazarre

France 36 England 22

2011Worcester

England 12 France 5

2012ParisMoulton CollegeMoulton College

France 50 England 0England 5 France 11England 3 France 13

2013EsherDijon

England 5 France 17France 15 England 3

2014BeauvaisEsher

France 27 England 0England 0 France 28

There is no obvious reason behind the French success. Although overall registered player numbers are not dissimilar between the two countries, significantly fewer schoolgirls play rugby in France than England - it is noticeable that most players in the French national team started playing later than their English equivalents.

The run of success creates an added pressure on the new team, who unusually this year had a full warm-up game against European Trophy runners-up Belgium,winning 46-0, including two tries for back row Romane Menager from Lille whose identical twin sister, Marine, plays at outside centre. Overall half of the squad plays in the elite Top 8, while one more – Grace Okemba – plays for English champions Saracens.

England also warmed up last week with a25-10 win over The Army.  Head Coach Jo Yapp has made three changes to the starting line-up from that team including Worcester fullback Rachel Lund being handed the captaincy arm-band after Caity Mattinson was ruled out through injury. Wing Zoe Aldcroft, scrumhalf Devon Holt and prop Henrietta Burkinshaw have been called up off the bench while Bristol’s Olivia Jones makes a positional move at lock.

Yapp said: “We have made a couple of changes to the squad due to injuries and because we want to rotate the squad. We want to give players the chance to put their hands up for selection over these three games. We were really pleased with the win over the Army because of the nature of the performance. The players really stepped up and stuck to the game plan. They were also very physical and didn’t take a backward step.

“I was really pleased with their mentality and that is exactly what we are going to need against France. Playing France in France is always one of the toughest Test matches you can play so we need to be even more disciplined, mentality strong and front up.”

France v England, Saturday February 28, KO 1pm GMT (2pm local), Stade Sainte-Germaine, Bordeaux

France U20

From:Montserrat Amedee (Blagnac Saint Orens),   Julie Annery (AC Bobigny 93),   Pauline Bourdon (AS Bayonnaise) ,   Annaelle Deshayes (Ovalie Caennaise) ,   Cindy Faure (USA Perpignan XV Féminin Roussillon), Ophélie Gincourt (Ovalie Caennaise) ,   Amaya Gonzalez (AS Bayonnaise) ,   Emeline Gros (Rugby Sassenage Isère),   Gaëlle Hermet (Stade toulousain Rugby Féminin),  Talis Kuresa (US Néracaise) ,   Laurie Laborie (Stade toulousain Rugby Féminin),  Emilie Mathieu (Rugby Sassenage Isère),   Marine Menager (Lille Métropole RC Villeneuvois),  Romane Menager (Lille Métropole RC Villeneuvois),  Grace Okemba Séraphine (Saracens) ,   Prune Pegot (Stade toulousain Rugby Féminin),  Elise Pignot (Ovalie Romagnatoise Clermont Auvergne),  Lori Ramirez (AC Bobigny 93),   Emma Roubinet (Stade Bordelais ASPTT),   Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais ASPTT),   Michelle Tchouta Nkwami (Stade Rennais Rugby),  Maïlys Traore (Stade toulousain Rugby Féminin),  Justine Vergnaud (Stade Rennais Rugby),.

England Women U20s (Name, Club, CB, Academy, AASE)

15 Rachel Lund (Worcester, Yorkshire, Midlands) C , 14 Zoe Aldcroft (Hartpury, Yorkshire, North, Hartpury College),13 Charlotte Holland (Bath, Devon, South West),12 Emily Wood (Lichfield, Gloucestershire, South West),11 Charlotte Clapp (Saracens, South East),10 Sarah Nicholas (Lichfield, Staffordshire, Midlands),9 Devon Holt (Bristol, Berkshire, South West),1 Henrietta  Burkinshaw (Lichfield, Yorkshire, North),2 Lark Davies (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands) VC,3 Katie Trevarthen (Camp Hill, Notts, Lincs & Derby, Midlands),4 Olivia Jones (Bristol, Oxfordshire, South West),5 Catherine O'Donnell (Vale of Lune, Cumbria, North),6 Abbie Walker (Worcester, Gloucestershire, South West),7 Sarah Bern (Esher, Surrey, South East, Hartpury College),8 Sally Stott (Vale of Lune, Lancashire, North)

Replacements:16 May Campbell (Bristol, Hertfordshire, South West),17 Abigail Parsons (Bristol, Berkshire, South West) ,18 Georgia Bradley  (Hartpury/Bristol, South East, Hartpury College),19 Amy Wigley (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands),20 Rebecca Trist (Worcester, Lancashire, South West),21 Lucy Nye  (Lichfield, Devon, South West),22 Jade Shekells (Hartpury, North Midlands, Midlands, Hartpury College),23 Courtney  Bishop (Bristol, Somerset, South West)