French WRWC training squad and other news

Audrey Abadie (Blagnac -Saint Orens Rugby féminin); Lise Arricastre (Lons Rugby féminin Béarn Pyrénées); Manon Bigot (Blagnac-Saint Orens Rugby féminin); Camille Cabalou (AS Bayonne); Patricia Carricaburu (Lons Rugby féminin Béarn Pyrénées); Lenaig Corson (Stade Rennais Rugby); Laura Delas (Stade Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby); Annaëlle Deshayes (Ovalie Caennaise); Coumba Tombe Diallo (Bobigny); Julie Duval (Ovalie Caennaise); Céline Ferer (AS Bayonne); Audrey Forlani (Blagnac-Saint Orens Rugby féminin); Lucille Godiveau (Bobigny); Amaya Gonzalez (AS Bayonne); Laetitia Grand (Lons Rugby féminin Béarn Pyrénées); Camille Grassineau (FFR); Elodie Guiglion (FFR); Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain Rugby Féminin); Camille Imart (Stade Toulousain Rugby Féminin); Shannon Izar (Lille Métropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois); Caroline Ladagnous (Bobigny); Christelle Le Duff (Stade Olympique Villelonguet); Jade Le Pesq (Stade Rennais Rugby); Lauriane Lissar (AS Bayonne); Marjorie Mayans (Blagnac-Saint Orens Rugby féminin); Marine Menager (Lille Métropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois); Romane Menager (Lille Métropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois); Gaëlle Mignot (Montpellier); Safi N’diaye (Montpellier); Marion Peyronnet (Stade Toulousain Rugby Féminin); Elodie Poublan (Montpellier); Pauline Rayssac (Montpellier); Yanna Rivoalen (Lille Métropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois); Laure Sansus (Stade Toulousain Rugby Féminin); Dhia Traore Maylis; Jessy Tremouliere (Ovalie Romagnatoise Clermont Auvergne)

Although the French have not officially gone down the route of running separate sevens and fifteens squads, it is noticeable that only two players in the World Cup squad – Camile Grassineau and Marjorie Mayans – also played in Dubai, where France finished seventh.

After am international delay, Round 8 of the Top 8 was finally completed last weekend. And after the dust cleared champions Lille find themselves seven points clear at the top with the only 100% record, with the two Toulouse teams (Stade Toulousain and Blagnac St Orens) and Montpellier well set for the semi-finals – only Rennes are perhaps capable of competing for a place.

Lille thumped Romangnat 48-7 (eight tries to one) at home, the newly promoted team from Auvergne finding life at the top tougher and tougher as the weeks go on, but elsewhere games were closer. Rennes upset BSORF 14-6 at home, Stade maintained second place with an 18-7 win against Bobigny, and last weekend Caen came close to a massive upset when a second half comeback nearly overhauled Montpellier, but the 2015 champions held on to win 22-18.

The final two weeks of the year will see some crucial games that could all but decide the semi-finals. On Sunday, Lille travel to second place Stade Toulousain, and a week later Rennes make the same journey. Also on the 18thLille host Montpellier