Rivoalen: World Cup loss to England will be on our mind

France trailed just 3-0 at halftime in Dublin in that game as they sought to reach their first ever World Cup Final, but England were too good in the second half going on to win 20-3.

“We will will definitely have that defeat in our mind, Rivoalen says.

“It was such a hugely disappointing result so we will remember how it felt to lose that game as we prepare for Saturday.”

Having made her debut in 2013, Rivoalen has gone on to become one of the stalwarts of this French squad - starting all but one game in last year’s World Cup - while the PE teacher is also a central figure for her club Lille (LMRVC), who have just qualified for the Top 8 Semi-Finals.With three wins under their belts she says France are pleased with their progress, but have plenty left to offer.

“We have to be happy with the wins so far but there's still a lot to work on. We've been looking at all of those improvements in training and now we are three games in, we can use the footage to pick apart the detail we need to get better.”

She says her side has not been surprised with England’s excellent performances so far, as they too have gone unbeaten.

“England always play at a high level, we are used to that and games against each other are always a fight. They move the ball very well and they are physical, so how they have done so far is not a surprise to us and we know what to expect

“Playing England at home is always a big game. You feel both nerves and excitement. It always feels almost like a one off game between us - it feels different to other games in the tournament and it’s exciting.”

With French crowds always turning out in their thousands to support their women’s team, she expects it to be no different in Grenoble and agrees that the noise and colour generated by the French fans is an advantage.

“Yes you would have to say that being at home is an advantage. We aways get those big crowds who are loud and passionate and it is always great for those big games. I think it does add some extra power to French teams when  they are at home and it will the same for us this weekend.”Fitting in training around her job as a PE teacher, Rivoalen is grateful for the support of her employers during major tournaments.

“Thankfully my school are very supportive and so it's no problem for me to take the time off I need to train and play. I have a really good substitute so when I am away with France I don't even have to think about it which is ideal as I just focus my mind on rugby - it really puts me at ease.”Once international duties are out of the way, she will be back with her club as they seek to win back the title they lost to Montpellier this year.

Also playing for LMRVC this year are Scottish players Lisa Thompson, Jade Konkel and Chloe Rollie and Rivoalen says they have been brilliant additions.

“It's been great to have them here - they have been excellent players for us and it's always good to get new ideas about how people train and what sort of ideas they have. They have been a great addition.

“We've achieved our first goal already which was to reach the semi-finals and now we want to go further and win back our title from Montpellier. “

First up is a key clash with England this weekend though and Rivoalen is continuing to compete for the number 9 shirt with other talents like Jade Le Pesq and Pauline Bourdon. She says there are a raft of talented players now in the French squad that no spots can be taken for granted.“There is always competition for the number nine position in France which can only be a good thing. It pushes me harder to train and improve. We have a lot of players coming into the squad who can play with the number 9 or 10 shirt and they have a lot of talent and vision.

“We have some huge talent in this squad. The Menager sisters are going to be around for a long time while Pauline Bourdon has also been a huge asset to the team - she is hugely skilful and has great vision. We are bringing through some great players and it’s exciting to be part of it.”