Game Changer Ladies first Sweet victory Sporting times
the 30-year old is likely to be a mainstay for France for years to come.
So where must France improve this year? “Well, first off we start at home against Wales in Montpellier (in the Six Nations) and I know the fans are really excited to have a game there. We also have three tough games on the road, so that will focus our minds sharply.
“In terms of improvement, we can definitely grow in how we manage bad weather. We have a very young team who want to play everything at high tempo, but we must build our experience to know how to manage that when it is not perfect conditions. That is something we need to get better at.”
France have become renowned for attracting huge crowds to their home matches – there were more than 17,000 in the stands in Grenoble for that win over New Zealand – and N’Diaye says it’s a massive plus for the team.
“It makes a big difference. I remember Grenoble, Montauban, Perpignan, La Rochelle, where we had full stadiums with an extraordinary crowd and that changes everything for you on the field.
“It is starting to get better in other countries now too and here at home we have the chance to have TV broadcasts for all our games, which is important and we are getting good audiences. I hope that just continues to get better.”
Harlequins aim to break their own record for the highest attendance for a women’s UK club match (4,542) when they face Gloucester-Hartpury at the Stoop on 30 March. Tickets for ‘The Game Changer’ are £10 for adults, £5 for juniors. See quins.london
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