As France fell just short in their bid for the Grand Slam against England in Bayonne on Saturday there was one player who stood out both literally and figuratively from the rest.

At 1m87 second row Madoussou Fall is one of the tallest players in the game and she puts that size to good use.

Against the Red Roses, Fall ran for 73 metres with ball in hand on nine carries, broke three tackles while making 17 herself and missing none.

By the second half, she had become France’s de facto first receiver with the game plan based around her ability to get over the gain line. It was something she managed to time and time again.

Just turned 24, Fall is not the finished article by any means, and yet she is already France’s most impactful forward.

It was no nod to the future that saw her among the four nominees for the TikTok Player of the Championship.

Over the course of the TikTok Women’s Six Nations, few players were more influential on both sides of the ball.

As Thomas Darracq, the head of the French set-up, explained: “She was one of the players who had a big impact. Madoussou had a great game. We know that her potential is exceptional, we hope that she will keep working hard and will be able to add even more in future.”

The next step for Fall is to build on her unquestioned physical gifts and channel them into the French game plan.

Darracq added: “We were able to get over the gain-line thanks to her, but in terms of recycling the ball, we were not able to maintain that speed. We need to improve the play around Madoussou. She has work to do in contact, to be able to keep the ball alive around her. That is part of the progress she needs to make going forwards.”

Fall is aware of her margin for growth but has already demonstrated her unquestioned potential.

It is no coincidence that Fall was the only player other than France captain Gaëlle Hermet to start every game of the campaign, she is that important to their game plan.

That is despite the fact that France have massive depth in the second row. Fall started alongside both Audrey Forlani and Céline Ferer during this year’s Championship, while the vastly experienced pair of Safi N’Diaye and Coumba Diallo are also in the mix.

Diallo, who like Fall spent much of her formative time at AC Bobigny, was something of an idol for the lock growing up. There was a sense of the passing of the baton when Fall started and Diallo came off the bench last November against South Africa for the latter’s 50th cap.

It was a poignant moment when you consider their history together.

Fall explained: “When I was younger I came to Marcoussis and met Coumba Diallo. I’ve got a photo of myself when I was younger with Coumba. I showed it to her the other day, we laughed! I was already bigger than her then!

“It’s nice to know that I have improved and that I’ve got to the point where I am playing with players who I used to admire when I was younger, and who I still do. When it comes to advice, the girls are really cool. 

“Whatever happens, whatever the question, you can ask any of them. 

“There is healthy competition and we help each other, whether you are in the squad or out of it, starting or finishing. That is what is great about this team. Whether it’s Safi, Céline, Audrey Forlani, or Coumba, I can ask them anything.”

Fall has already shown her mental resilience, bouncing back from injury which kept her out of the back-to-back wins over the Black Ferns in November.

She admits that was not easy, but has worked hard to put the injuries behind her and produce some of her best rugby.

After starting alongside Forlani on Saturday, she is now set to face her France colleague at the weekend in the Elite 1 and a huge game for her Stade Bordelais against Blagnac.

Club duties are the next priority for Fall, but there is a World Cup on the horizon and if France are to achieve their dream of becoming the best in the world, she will have to be at the heart of it.

She added: “For the Six Nations, it went very well overall but there is obviously the disappointment of the final against England. We still have work to do. Now we have to focus on the upcoming games with our clubs and then the preparation for the World Cup.

“New Zealand is a country that I’ve always said that I have to visit, whether it was with rugby or not. So when they announced the World Cup would be there, I was delighted. 

“The squad has not been announced of course, but the opportunity to going out there and spending all that time playing against so many different teams, particularly with the squad we have here, it would be a dream come true.”

The TikTok Women’s Six Nations is more accessible than ever before. To find out how you can watch the Women’s Championship visit: womens.sixnationsrugby.com/tv/