New Zealand: France loses after close match

Women’s Rugby – Les Bleues de French rugby team He lost 24 to 25 on Saturday 5 November to New Zealand’s “Black Fern” after a particularly difficult World Cup semi-final match, at Eden Park in Auckland. And so they fail at the gates of the final, where they would have faced the women’s team in England. This is the ninth time that the French national team fails at the gates of the final.

The 15th France players could not have hoped for a better opponent Writing their own page in the history of French rugby, facing the host nation of the tournament in the legendary Garden of Eden, which welcomed nearly 40,000 spectators for the occasion. But the challenge was daunting, facing the five-time world champions (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2017), who advanced as the favorites.

“We are disappointed, we have to accommodate”

France came close to qualifying, but Caroline Drouin’s – flawless – penalty kick at the last minute definitively raised the hopes of the French fans, who were bolstered by a very encouraging first period of play. And the “black fern”, the world champion, will meet England in the final next Saturday, defeating Canada (26-19), which the French team will face for the bronze medal.

“It was a match at stake, we are disappointed and we have to accommodate (…) We had a big heart throughout the competition, we showed it again today”after meeting Captain Gaëlle Hermet, at the TF1 microphone. “It’s so hard to approach, so hard”abdicated by the coach of the blue team, Thomas Darrac. It’s very frustrating because the place was actually there tonight. » But the captain assures him: “Next week, we will be looking for third place.”

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