France vs Italy
Kickoff: 8:15pm, Saturday 23rd Agust
Venue: Sandy Park
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
This is a game that France will expect to win, and to so so fairly comfortably. However, a mixture of pressure and familiarity creates a level of pressure that can cause any team to stumble. Italy are good enough to take advantage of any French mistakes. France have won each of the last five fixtures between these two teams and the closest game was a 22-12 win for France in 2023. When the two sides met in the Six Nations earlier this year, France won with a score of 34-21.
So, where can Italy look to make inroads? France's scrum half, Pauline Bourdon Sansus, is serving the last game of her suspension for questioning the level of refereeing in the French domestic league. She'll be a big miss and Italy will look to use her absence as an opportunity to disrupt France's attack. Italy will need the likes of Ostuni Minuzzi to take advantage of every possible opportunities which will be hard to come by against a fierce, French defence.
Team news
France
Starting XV
1.Yllana Brosseau 2.Manon Bigot 3.Assia Khalfaoui 4.Manae Feleu(C) 5.Madoussou Fall Raglot
6.Charlotte Escudero 7.Lea Champon 8.Teani Feleu 9.Alexandra Chambon 10.Carla Arbez
11.Kelly Arbey 12.Gaby Vernier 13.Marine Menager 14.Joanna Grisez 15.Morgana Bourgeois
Bench
16.Agathe Gerin 17.Annaelle Deshaye 18.Rose Bernadou 19.Axelle Berthoumieu
20.Seraphine Okemba 21.Lina Queyroi 22.Lina Tuy 23.Carla Neisen
Italy
Starting XV
1.Silvia Turani 2.Vittoria Vecchini 3.Sara Seye 4.Sara Tounesi 5.Girodana Duca
6.Francesca Scorbini 7.Alissa Ranuccini 8.Elisa Giordano(C) 9.Sofia Stefan 10.Emma Stevanin
11.Alyssa D'Inca 12.Sara Mannini 13.Michela Sillari 14.Aura Muzzo 15.Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi
Bench
16.Desiree Spinelli 17.Emanuela Stecca 18.Gaia Maris 19.Valeria Fedrighi
20.Ilaria Arrighetti 21.Alia Bitonci 22.Veronica Madia 23.Francesca Granzotto
South Africa vs Brazil
Kickoff: 2:24pm, Sunday 24th August
Venue: Franklin's Gardens
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
The Springboks Women are huge favourites for this game, so much so that anything other than a South African victory would have to go down as one of the greatest upsets in rugby history - men's or women's. Having said that, this South Africa team is not the equivalent of the men's team and isn't expected to make it through the group stages although it has a chance against Italy. Brazil are the underdogs but will hope to use their sevens influence to create chaos in any broken-field scenarios.
Team news
South Africa
Starting XV
1.Sanelisiwe Charlie 2.Lindela Gwala 3.Babalwa Latsha 4.Nolusindiso Booi(C) 5.Danelle Lochner
6.Sizophila Solontsi 7.Sinazo Mcatshulwa 8.Aseza Hele 9.Nadine Roos 10.Libbie Janse Van Rensburg
11.Ayanda Malinga 12.Aphiwe Ngewu 13.Zintle Mpupha 14.Macaela Samboya 15.Byrhandre Dolf
Bench
16.Micke Gunter 17.Yonela Ngxingolo 18.Nombuyekezo Mdliki 19.Vainah Ubisi
20.Lerato Makua 21.Catha Jacobs 22.Unam Tose 23.Jakke Gilliers
Brazil
Starting XV
1.Franciele Barros 2.Julia Leni 3.Tais Gomes 4.Eshyllen Coimbra(C) 5.Marcelle Souza
6.Larissa Henwood 7.Larissa Carvalho 8.Camilla Isis Carvalho 9.Aline Mayumi 10.Raquel Kochhan
11.Edna Santini 12,Marina Nicolau 13.Marina Fioravanti 14.Giovanna Barth 15.Bianca Silva
Bench
16.Isabelle Gomes Saccomanno 17.Samara Vegara 18.Giovana Mamede 19.Dayana Dakar
20.Leticia Silva 21.Luza Campos 22.Fernanda Tenorio 23.Isadora Lopes
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