Australia to Hunt down France captain Renard

Aug 10 (Reuters) – As a junior player with big dreams, Australia’s Clare Hunt once idolised Wendie Renard, but now the defender will try to shut down France’s captain in a dream Women’s World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

“Wendie Renard was a role model for me,” Hunt told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. “I saw her composure at a young age and wanted to emulate that in some way. I feel like I know the way that Wendie plays because I used to watch her as a kid.”

The 6-ft 2-in (1.87m) Renard has been a defensive colossus for France for more than a decade and is a huge threat in attacking set-pieces.

She has been a major factor in France’s progress to the quarter-finals, scoring with a header late against Brazil to earn Les Bleus a vital 2-1 win at Brisbane’s Lang Park in the group stage.

Renard will be back at Lang Park for the quarter-final, ensuring Hunt and fellow centre-back Alanna…