IN rugby league, wingers often gravitate towards the forwards as they age.

France women will bring a 38-year-old winger who used to be a prop to the World Cup - and on the weekend she scored four tries in a Test match.

Haoua Kessely was Eric Grothe and Lesley Vainikolo wrapped into one as new coach Alan Walsh got his first win the role, beating an energetic and talented Nigeria line-up 36-8 in an entertaining clash played at Perpignan’s Stade Gilbert Brutus before the Catalans-Wakefield Super League game.

“She’s a a big girl - you wouldn’t have thought she was 38,” said Walsh.

“She’s an athlete, she used to be a runner. She’s played for France before, a few years ago, and I think it was prop forward which seems a bit of a waste. She’s got a lot of speed.

“I’ve got her back in the setup and I think she’s earned her place in the World Cup now.”

In fact, records show Kessely won four indoor long-jump championships and one in the triple jump.

Photo: Four try hero Haoua Kessely was Eric Grothe and Lesley Vainikolo wrapped into one in France's 36-8 against Nigeria. @Steve Mascord

She has a profile on the World Athletics website and a Wikipedia page that doesn’t even mention rugby league.

However, Kessely had such an impact against the Green Falcons that it got to the point that whenever she was tackled ,the Nigerian bench cheered as if they had posted points.

“I feel better, more comfortable on the wing,” she said.

On travelling to Australia for the World Cup, Kessely commented: “I don't know anything about it. I expect very tough, very intense matches. But with all my team-mates, we're going to do everything we can to win.”

Walsh said he had decided against calling in any NRLW players for France's World Cup matches against Papua New Guinea in Port Moreseby on October 17, New Zealand in Christchurch on October 2 and Fiji on the Gold Coast on October 31.

“We asked about, there wasn’t any available - a couple of girls who we thought weren’t as good as what we’ve got,” he said.

Photo: France celebrate their first win under new coach Alan Walsh. @FFRXIII

For Nigeria, it was a positive outing after losing out to Fiji for the eighth and final Women's World Cup berth last November.

“It was a hard week, it was a long journey, it took us nearly three days to get to France,” said Nigeria Rugby League vice chairman and manager - and former professional player in England - Ade Adebisi.

“We’ve got girls from Australia, Nigeria, the UK and Canada so it’s a logistical nightmare bringing everyone together.”

Nigeria’s first set was memorable, fullback Ovbokhan Success Iyoya launching herself full-length at a ball bouncing in the in-goal and almost scoring an outrageous try.

But Kessely got the first of her tries just a minute later.

Nigeria’s Tolulope Lauretta Bayere was mobbed after a long-range try following a turnover in the 10th minute - and then Kessely got her second from a straight-forward overlap and her third on halftime to make it a hard-fought 14-4 lead for Le Tricolours.

Anais Andral scored a powerful try from close range to make it 20-4 with Lisa Diraison’s conversion shortly following the resumption, before Nigeria posted another spectacular fast-break touchdown from a turnover 80 metres out, finished off by Odiri Becky Okitkpe.

The French then took advantage of their tiring opponents with three more tries, with Kessely getting her share of those spoils too.

FRANCE 36 (Kessely 4, Andral, Akpa, Samara tries; Diraison 4 goals) beat NIGERIA 8 (Bayere, Okitkpe tries) at Stade Gilbert Brutus.

Teams:

FRANCE: Manon Samara; Haoua Kessely, Amal Vilamour, Margot Canal, Chahrazad Himoudi; Camille Biudaud, Lisa Diraison; Elisa Akpa, Noemi Samuel, Eledi Pacull, Stecy Bessiere, Salome Segala, Tallis Eranossian. Res: Christina Song Puche, Anais Andra, Lousa Toomban, Louisa Tooman, Perrine Monsarrat.

NIGERIA: Ovbokhan Success Iyoya; Antique Oyinlola Omodiagbe, Tolulope Lauretta Bayere, Mmesoma Confidence Ibelizim, Precious Endurance Ukwuoma; Kakayat Temitope; Ajok Akinade, Adaeze Precious Innocent; Fedelia Omoghan, Odiri Becky Okitkpe, Danyelle Oluwadamilola Shobanjo, Abiola Christiana Obazuaye, Siobhan Honeybell Sheerin, Diamoind Temidayo Racheal Osburu. Res: Augustar Efe Mene, Adefunk Mary Adewa, Abigail Ayawa Daly, Chinasa Blessing Abbah.

Referee: Geoffrey Poumes (France)

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