Issued on: 08/10/2022 – 10:55
Star scrum half Laure Sansus crossed twice as France defeated a stubborn South Africa 40-5 on Saturday in the opening match of the women’s Rugby World Cup in Auckland.
Sansus and fly-half Caroline Drouin excelled for the French, who went 19-0 clear in the first quarter at Eden Park but only made the game safe with three tries in the last 15 minutes.
France is among the top contenders to win the ninth edition of the tournament, which started under sunny skies for the first leg of a triple header.
Although the stadium was barely half full for the opening game, it was expected to grow throughout the day.
Tournament favorites England open their women’s rugby World Cup imperious-style campaign by crushing Fiji 84-19 before host New Zealand takes on Australia in front of a likely capacity crowd of 40,000 – what would be a world record crowd for a women’s rugby test.
France had to work harder than expected to fend off the South Africans, whom they had beaten by an average margin of 45 points in their three previous encounters.
The elusive runner Sansus, who was named this year’s player of the tournament in the European Six Nations, managed to score in the second minute.
The stylish Drouin set up the second try with a chip collected superbly by center Gabrielle Vernier before French winger Émilie Boulard ran through an intercept at 45 yards for the third race.
South Africa in eleventh place in the world rankings had the better of the middle stages, despite a yellow card being shown to flanker Sizophila Solontsi.
Their physicality prompted a 60-minute attempt to defeat Nomawethu Mabenge as a winger, prompting France to reunite.
Sansus crashed for her second score before Drouin hit her stride in the closing stages.
She went for a try herself, then set up a last gasp five-pointer for winger Joanna Grisez via another tactical kick.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)