The French women’s XV, which largely won its first match of the 2024 Six Nations Tournament against Ireland (38-17), expects “a big fight” on Saturday in Scotland, against a team which has just string together seven victories in a row.

The Blues, led by Madoussou Fall, in great form, scored five tries last Saturday at Le Mans against the Irish.

This improved victory allows the French, second in the 2023 Tournament, to continue to believe in a possible “final” of the competition on April 27 in Bordeaux against the English, victorious over Italy (48-0).

But against the XV du Chardon, who for their part secured a victory in Cardiff (20-18), their seventh in a row but above all their first on Welsh soil for 20 years, it is another pair of challenges which awaits the teammates of captain Manae Feleu.

“It’s a team with confidence, it’s going to be difficult and we expect a big fight,” warned the back of the French XV, Morgane Bourgeois, this week.

Thanks to this success acquired last weekend, the Scots, who won level two of “WXV”, the new competition created in the fall of 2023 by World Rugby, climbed to 6th place in the rankings world for the first time in their history.

Suffice to say that the Tricolores, who will field the same starters in Edinburgh as at Le Mans with one exception, are wary of an opponent who “offers more offensive threats than the Irish and has a very fast three-quarter line », underlines scrum half Alexandra Chambon.

For hooker Elisa Riffonneau, “we will have to be really connected in defense because we noticed that they liked to play on the outside”.

For this, the Blues, who will have to deal with the synthetic pitch on which the meeting is planned, will have to notably erase the inaccuracies and a certain feverishness seen against Ireland, as third row Gaëlle Hermet admitted: “there is always has little things to resolve but the main thing was to have a big match in this start.

After the confrontation between Scotland and France, the XV de la Rose, vying for a sixth Grand Slam in a row, will host Wales (4th, 1 point) in Bristol.

Finally, on Sunday, Ireland (5th, 0 pt) will host Italy (6th, 0 pt), with whom the Blues will meet on April 14 in Paris during the third day.

. The program for the 2nd day:

SATURDAY

(3:15 p.m.) Scotland – France

(5:45 p.m.) England – Wales

Sunday

(4:00 p.m.) Ireland – Italy

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