That is, if they are to reach their objective: a first Championship title since 2018.
Fall has struck up an impressive partnership with France captain Manaé Feleu in the second-row. Together they mix athleticism around the field, with the strength and agility to give their side the upper hand when it comes to the scrum and lineout.
The 26-year-old has shown off her athleticism with two tries in the Championship so far, one on the opening weekend against Ireland, and the second in round three versus Italy.
The first was a typical second-row effort, driving through the middle of a ruck to touch down between the posts, while the second came when she broke free off a planned lineout move to stretch her legs and charge through the Italy defence to the line.
It was France’s sixth score and signalled the end of Les Bleues’ scoring with just over a quarter of the match remaining. Italy had the last word when Alyssa D’Inca scored her second, and Fall does not want to see a similar drop-off in Cardiff.
“We can’t allow what happened against Italy to happen against Wales, and we have to play the first and second halves in the same way,” Fall said. “You need to keep doing the same things and not go into your shell, or you will regress.
“Even if the team fatigues a little, we need the finishers to bring us closer to the intensity and physicality we need. We are improving though and developing our understanding of what we need to do.”
SCORING TRIES NOT BASKETS
Watching Fall stride out on her way to scoring against Italy showed why she was once tipped to reach the top in basketball.
At 187cm (6ft 2in) it was little surprise that Fall played basketball in her youth, especially as her mother Fatoumata Traoréa played it to international level. However, once she tried rugby at school there was only one winner, and after she earned a sports scholarship for rugby, her path was set.
Fall made her France debut when she came off the bench against Canada in the 2019 Women’s Super Series. A week later, she made her first start and helped France to a memorable 25-16 win over New Zealand.
Her next step came in 2021 when she left Bobigny Rugby in the Parisian suburbs to join Stade Bordelais in Bordeaux. It was a move that paid dividends as she helped them win the 2023 French title.
Bordeaux will be firmly in the French teams’ sights once their match at Cardiff Arms Park is over, as Stade Chaban-Delmas is the venue for the closing match of the Championship against the team they are aiming to dethrone as Six Nations champions, England.
It is the third different stadium they have used this year. They played Ireland at Stade Marie Marvingt in Le Mans, and Stade Jean Bouin in Paris, with both matches attracting large and vociferous crowds.
“Seeing so many people in the stands made us proud and it was a pleasure for me to play in Paris, as it is a very special place for me,” Fall said. “For people to come from all over France to watch us is very, very special and I hope they do the same in Bordeaux.
“Having all my family and friends come and support me, helped me feel at home and helped me perform well. It’s great that more fans are coming to watch us.”
WATCH OUT FOR WALES
France’s trip to the Welsh capital on Sunday is the final match of Round 4 and pitches a team with three wins from three against the bottom team, who are winless so far with only a point to show for their efforts.
Two years ago, Fall helped France to a 33-5 win over Wales at Cardiff Arms Park, and then last year they triumphed again, this time with a 39-14 win at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble.
However, despite Wales’s struggles this season, Fall is aware of what Ioan Cunningham’s team can produce when they find their rhythm.
“I played against Wales in Cardiff two years ago, and it is a really memorable match,” Fall said. “The supporters are really close to you, and they try to play with the ball as much as they can which the supporters like.
“They aren’t regressing. They have improved over the last few years, and they just need to correct one or two things. We will have to improve our levels from last week and focus on what we are doing, not what our opponents are doing.”
