A look at the France players lining up on court as the starting seven for their opening 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship match against Angola on Friday saw familiar faces which, between them, included Olympic gold (2020) and silver (2016) medallists, European Championship winners (2018) and World Champions (2017).

French handball icons such as Laura Glauser, Laura Flippes, Grace Zaadi Duena, Estelle Nze Minko, Coralie Lassource and Beatrice Edwige were there, ready to get their campaign started, but the seventh player, wearing the number three shirt, only made her debut for the senior side 58 days earlier.

That player was Brest Bretagne HB right back Alicia Toublanc, who had made her bow in Olivier Krumbholz’s squad on 6 October in a 2022 European Championship qualification win (38:22) against the Czech Republic, scoring three times.

Yet there she was on court at Spain 2021, making the cut into not only Krumbholz’s 16-name squad, but that starting seven following a fantastic season, which has already seen her score 39 times for Brest in the DELO Champions League.

In local French media ahead of her debut, it had been revealed that Toublanc had dreamed of the day when she would wear Les Bleus’ number three shirt, with a former classmate revealing a drawing the young Toublanc had penned showing her name and the number three emblazoned on a French shirt on sheet of lined school paper.

And when ihf.info showed the 25-year-old the same picture immediately after her first senior championship match, one in which she also scored three times, she broke out in a wide smile – a smile which had been on her face for the entire time at the Palau d’Esports in Granollers.

“I feel really good after my first match, it was a little bit of pressure because it's my first official championship,” she said. “But I'm happy because the girls have been a lot of help for me and the other new girl (Lucie Granier), so it was nice.”

Ahead of the match her French teammates had tried to compete with their Angolan counterparts’ pre-match motivation behind-the-scenes as they prepared to be introduced onto court, but Toublanc could be seen quietly taking stock amongst the high-fiving and shouts, focusing on the next step of her career.

“I just needed to focus on myself, to be like I am at my club, to be the same and to feel like the same person as [I am] at the club,” she said. “I don't know how to describe it, it's a strange feeling,” she added about lining up under the French flag and hearing the national anthem playing. “You think ‘wow, I’m going to play now’, it’s a really nice feeling.”

While the African champions kept the game equal for almost all of the first half, France found their rhythm and pushed ahead before half-time, taking a four-goal (13:9) into the break to settle any remaining nerves as France powered to an eventual 30:20 victory.

“In the beginning we were losing some shots and missing some shots,” said Toublanc. “After that, we enter in the match really good and then we make the difference. They were really strong, really powerful. It's different. We are not used to playing this kind of pivots, so it was really nice [to win].”

Any direction Toublanc looked in during her 32 minutes on court she could see experience – and help – including players like 2009 IHF Women’s Player of the Year, Allison Pineau, and that proved to be a big help for the debutant.

“They are really careful of us,” said Toublanc of the experience around her. “They help us to feel good on court and outside also. I played with Allison before and some other girls, so it's maybe easier to come [onto this stage].”

Pineau played her club handball at French powerhouse Brest Bretagne, a club which is strongly represented at national level thanks to Toublanc and four other teammates in Spain.

“Because we are five, it's easier to have some [understanding],” said the right back about playing with her teammates from the club where she has been her entire professional career. “There are situations [on court] when it’s like in the club, so I feel better. I recognise this situation, and for me, it allows me to play my game.”

While Toublanc may have a smiling, happy exterior, it does not take away from the steely determination and quiet confidence she has, that she belongs at the very top. 

And with this, the player was not surprised with her call-up to the senior team, despite it coming less than two months ago.

“It was officially today,” revealed Toublanc when she knew she would start against the Angolans.

“I expected it because we are two young players, we are two new players and in the friendly game I begin so [I thought] maybe I would begin today.”

That confidence was inspired by a golden summer for the French women, who took gold at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Toublanc was an avid follower of their Japanese success, despite taking a break close season.

“I was on holiday with my friend and my family in Rome and I watched every game,” she said. “It was really nice to see them winning the Olympics. For sure I wanted to be with them because it's so incredible to win the Olympics and it's a dream of a lot of players. After this moment, I really wanted to join the team and be part of this kind of things and live these emotions.”

Those emotions could be soon, with France looking strong in Spain, with Toublanc looking to not repeat her previous IHF Women’s World Championship experience with France, when the side finished 13th at junior edition in Moscow in 2016, beating Angola in the 13/14 placement match.

“We can make good results, maybe medal, because we have almost the same team of Olympics and we are really competitive girls – I really want it,” she said about how her French side can go in Spain. 

“Not so good memories, because it was really hard with this team, we had good players, but we didn't win so many matches,” she added about her Russia 2016 experience where she scored once in a total of 89 minutes-worth of play. “I don't keep so much [of a] good feeling. I always look for the future. I don't look back.”

So, what would Toublanc say now to her younger self, the Alicia Toublanc who drew that picture?

“You did good to believe in it and to work for it,” she said, smiling. 

And the next drawing? An IHF Women’s World Championship medal or Olympic gold medal?

“Yes, I will do it on my paper,” says a laughing and smiling Toublanc. 

Do not bet against her.