France Grind Out Hard-fought Win Over Stubborn Italy

Women's Rugby World Cup - Pool D

France (10) 24

Tries: Grisez, Khalfaoui, Escudero Cons: Bourgeois (3) Pens: Bourgeois

Italy (0) 0

France made a winning commencement to their World Cup run pinch a hard-fought 24-0 triumph complete Italy astatine Sandy Park.

Winger Joanna Grisez scored nan only effort of an attritional first half earlier France crushed Italy into submission successful nan second, pinch further tries from forwards Assia Khalfaoui and Charlotte Escudero.

Points had flowed crossed nan tournament's opening 2 days, pinch nan first 4 matches yielding 42 tries, 20 of which were scored successful nan first half. But this crippled successful Exeter bucked that trend.

Despite camping wrong Italy's half, dominating nan scrum, and benefiting from galore handling and line-out errors passim nan opening 40 minutes, France were mostly disappointment by Italy's fantabulous scramble defence.

At 1 point, skipper Marine Menager was held up by 3 defenders arsenic she drove complete nan tryline.

France had to hold until nan 27th infinitesimal to make nan breakthrough, Grisez coming connected nan overlap and brushing disconnected 2 defenders to dot down successful nan near corner.

A 2nd effort was ruled retired connected nan changeable of half-time arsenic nan video referee was incapable to find whether France's Morgane Bourgeois had touched down Kelly Arbey's backward flick up of defender Alyssa D'Inca.

Full-back Bourgeois past kicked a punishment to nonstop her broadside into nan break pinch a 10-0 lead.

France extended their lead 5 minutes into nan 2nd period, prop Khalfaoui powering done a spread successful Italy's defence aft a play of sustained pressure.

France's handling was progressively sloppy arsenic nan crippled wore connected and they were forced to take sides a line-out connected their tryline pursuing a vulnerable break from D'Inca and Sofia Stefan.

But aft surviving that little threat, France put nan crippled to furniture successful nan 62nd infinitesimal pinch Escudero bulldozing complete aft Carla Arbez produced a tiny chip-and-chase from her footwear to burst done Italy's defence and Grisez had been held up inches from nan line.

France XV: Bourgeois; Grisez, Menager (c), Vernier, Arbey; Arbez, Chambon; Brosseau, Bigot, Khalfaoui, M Feleu, Raclot, Escudero, Champon, T Feleu.

Replacements: Gerin, Deshaye, Bernadou, Berthoumieu, Okemba, Queyroi, Tuy, Neisen.

Italy XV: Minuzzi; Muzzo, Sillari, Mannini, D'Inca; Stevanin, Stefan; Turani, Vecchini, Seye, Tounesi, Duca, Sgorbini, Ranuccini, Giordano (c).

Replacements: Spinelli, Stecca, Maris, Fedrighi, Arrighetti, Bitonci, Madia, Granzotto.

Referee: Sara Cox (Eng)