France reaction (Bourdon Sansus, co-captain Feleu, co-head coaches Ortiz and Mignot, Boulard)

France's Pauline Bourdon Sansus, co-captain Manae Feleu, co-head coaches David Ortiz and Gaëlle Mignot, and Émilie Boulard give their reaction to the win over South Africa to top Pool D at Franklin's Gardens, setting up a quarter-final against Ireland.

Mastercard Player of the Match, Pauline Bourdon Sansus

On whether that was the best we have seen of France at the Rugby World Cup:

"We still have a lot to give. Our objective was to finish first and we did it. Now it's getting better and better, stronger and stronger for the quarter-final and we are ready to go."

On being solid in defence and attack:

"That was our goal. We still have a bit of tweaking to do but we'll be at our best for next week against Ireland."

Manae Feleu, co-captain

On the performance:

"We really wanted to show how big we are on defence and let go in attack, have fun and play the rugby we like to play. I think the girls had a lot of fun on the field. I am really proud of them."

On making a statement:

"We wanted to dominate in the scrum, in the tackles. We knew South Africa was going to be tough, they have a really big team, tough physically, so we wanted to make a statement on that."

On how ready they are for the quarter-final:

"We are really excited. We have been working for the past three years for this. The quarter-final is the next step so we will recover for next week now."

On making so many tackles:

"With Madoussou, that’s the area we enjoy the most. These kinds of matches are made for us. We had a great time out there. It’s no surprise. Mentally, we’d switched on this week, we knew we had to go in two-on-one to dominate. When you believe in it, there’s no reason it won’t work."

On dominating in the scrum right from the start:

"I thought to myself: we’re in this. When you get the upper hand in the scrum, it’s easier because you feel you’re winning the mental battle too. We needed to let go, to free ourselves. We’d built things defensively against Italy and offensively against Brazil. Today we wanted to put together a complete performance and really enjoy ourselves on the pitch."

On whether this was their most complete match in recent months:

"We’ll need to watch the game in detail, but on the pitch it had been a long time since we’d enjoyed ourselves that much. That’s a good sign for what’s ahead. We’ll keep building on this. We’ve laid down solid foundations and we’re moving forward step by step."

On the crowd being against France:

"Personally, I don’t hear it on the pitch. That’s not something that will change much for us."

On Ireland:

"We haven’t started looking at them yet, but during the last Six Nations we saw they’re stepping things up. They’ve got a powerful pack. Up front, it’s going to be very physical."

David Ortiz, joint head coach

On how happy he is with the win:

"We are ecstatic. This is what we wanted, we played the way we wanted to and now have to concentrate on the quarter-final."

On the tweaks to the team, such as to the lineout:

"We managed to control what we couldn't do last time and correct our mistakes and hopefully this will lead us to a better match in the quarters."

On attacking efficiency:

"That was another key focus for us. This team needs game time and match connections – that’s how we grow. Facing three different teams with very different styles has helped us validate several areas, especially in the red zone, where we’d lacked accuracy in the first match."

On conceding that late try:

"No, that’s part of the game. A bit of a shame, because defence had been strong throughout. But we’ll move on quickly and focus on the details."

On Marine Ménager:

"There’s no concussion. She’ll undergo further tests, but that’s all we know for now."

On Ireland:

"The key will be to keep the same pressure we applied all game. The girls were in full hunting mode, ready to pounce on any loose ball. We need to really anchor that identity in every situation. Ireland are improving and will bring a big fight. We have to keep putting together complete performances and pile on the pressure, because they’ll certainly do the same."

Gaëlle Mignot, co-head coach

On whether the dominance up front was a surprise:

"No. We’d analysed them. We knew the scrum was one of their strengths. We wanted to show we could match them there. We wanted to prove that France could dominate both in the scrum and in defence. The girls fronted up in the contest. I’m pleased with that."

On facing Ireland:

"Now it’s a whole new competition. It’s knockout rugby: you win or you’re out. We’ll want to lean on our strengths and what worked today in a high-stakes game. We have to believe we can achieve something big, tidy up a few details, and keep building momentum."

On what still needs fixing:

"There’s a lot of desire and determination in this team. What we need is to sharpen up those final passes, those small details that stop us turning dominance into points. That will come bit by bit. We just need to be more precise with those little passes under pressure if we want to keep pushing forward. We also wanted to test ourselves at the breakdown, and that was a positive area today. Ireland will bring huge pressure there, so we want to keep improving in that department."

On scrum dominance:

"I’ve been pushing them hard on that area for some time. The players know I like to challenge them on it. This week we knew there was a massive test ahead. The players showed me that France can dominate in that sector. I’m really happy with what they delivered."

Émilie Boulard

On whether the gameplan worked perfectly:

"Yes, pretty much. We managed to put our game in place and defend well, which was crucial against such a physical side. Doing that early in the match gave us confidence, and after that we took our chances when they came. The plan worked, the result is good, and we need to keep building on that for what’s next."

On whether she felt relief:

"Yes, definitely. We knew this match carried extra pressure with first place in the pool on the line. We don’t often face players of that size. We knew what was coming, but weren’t sure how we’d match up. In the end, we managed to execute what we’d worked on all week, and it went well. So yes, relief – and it reassures us for the rest of the competition to know we can put our game in place, both in attack and defence."

On the forwards’ dominance:

"They were immense, but we also know we have powerful ball carriers who can break lines. We showed that in attack, and defensively we came up hard. We’d targeted certain players and knew we had to stop them early. We did that, and it opened up the game for us. That’s what made the difference."

On whether France showed its real face:

"Yes, we were solid in defence, even if it was a bit shakier at the end when they played tighter. Still, it wasn’t bad — you can’t be perfect for 80 minutes. Overall it was a positive match both in defence and attack. We found space quickly and attacked it well. That’s satisfying."

On her performance after two consecutive starts and a brace of tries:

"I felt good, with a bit more pressure than last time. I was happy to get another chance on the pitch. These big physical teams don’t necessarily suit my game, but on the tries I was in the right place at the right time. It doesn’t matter who scores, the key is that we’re efficient in attack – and tonight everyone got on the scoreboard again. As for the competition ahead, we’ll see. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done, especially last week. This time there were a few more mistakes, from me and the team, because the opposition was tougher. The staff will make their choices, and we’ll see."

On meeting Ireland in the quarter-final:

"We play them every year. Our last match in the Six Nations over there was tight. They’ve been getting stronger in recent years. They beat the Black Ferns in WXV. They’ll come in with huge belief, thinking everything is possible against us. So it’s up to us to shut down their intentions early, impose our game, and build confidence. Starting well will be absolutely crucial."

On playing in front of a crowd that will back Ireland:

"That’s been the case since the start of the tournament – most of the crowd is against us every time. No, we’re not worried about that, we know what to expect. And if we win, it’ll be even more so in the next round. We may not be ready for that, but we know wherever we play the crowd won’t be behind us. We have to stay strong as a group. Having family there today was amazing. But it won’t decide the result. We need to focus on our rugby and on ourselves. The crowd is a bonus or not, but it won’t change anything for us."