2 weeks ago
Dominant, impenetrable, invincible. There are truthful galore words to picture this England team. No matter what is thrown astatine them, they triumph matches and assistance trophies. The Red Roses person an almost untouchable aerial astir them as, contempt experiencing nan worst wounded and unavailability situation this squad has seen for a decade, they swept speech each force successful nan Women’s Six Nations to seal their eighth consecutive title and 5th expansive slam successful a row.
With a bequest already successful nan container pinch their 2025 World Cup win, England group retired successful this Women’s Six Nations to commencement to build a dynasty and they person surely laid nan foundations successful this tournament. The Red Roses not only claimed nan cleanable expanse aft dismantling France successful a sunny but windy Bordeaux but they besides became nan first squad to triumph nan tourney instantly aft claiming nan World Cup.
The last past September put Ellie Kildunne’s sanction successful lights and this triumph will surely nutrient nan aforesaid outcome. Her 2 first-half tries group England connected their measurement to triumph and nan Harlequins prima ever seems to travel bully successful crunch matches for her team. Mentions excessively must spell to nan hooker Amy Cokayne and nan skipper Meg Jones, who seemed to beryllium everyplace contempt being nan only Red Rose who has played each infinitesimal of nan tournament.
France will beryllium bitterly disappointed arsenic they were building thing typical and moreover successful nan buildup nan prima scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus said she had nan aforesaid emotion arsenic she did backmost successful 2018 successful Grenoble, nan past clip France hit England. The No 9 had a awesome crippled while Ambre Mwayembe and Madoussou Fall Raclot besides impressed successful a hugely beingness encounter.
The France caput coach, François Ratier, had noted nan value of not allowing England to people early and get a clasp of nan match. That scheme was executed perfectly. The visitors leaked penalties but France’s defence forced them to make nan errors. The hosts’ ain onslaught was besides singing but was missing nan last touch until nan 14th infinitesimal erstwhile they scored a spectacular squad effort that collapsed nan deadlock. Mwayembe ripped nan shot from an England onslaught and pinch superb handling and speedy reasoning Bourdon Sansus was sent over.
The 2nd portion of Ratier’s scheme was to “hit England wherever it hurt” but they grounded to onshore blows successful nan first 40 and truthful while nan bluish ceramic wall continued to beryllium mightily impressive, it was nan Red Roses who scored adjacent done Sarah Bern.
Glorious chaos followed earlier thing clicked successful spot for England. Their onslaught started to travel and France’s defence began to wane pinch nan full-back Kildunne scoring doubly and Jess Breach completing a superb decorativeness successful nan corner.
A Zoe Harrison punishment began nan 2nd half and nan fly-half’s impeccable kicking has been basal to this title win. The Saracens subordinate has missed only 2 shots of 31 astatine nan posts crossed nan 5 matches and her crippled guidance against France was commendable erstwhile again.
France gave everything to effort and deed back, which was rewarded pinch a 5th effort successful 5 games for nan helping Anaïs Grando. Bourdon Sansus had her 2nd but Breach besides doubled her effort tally to group up a tense last 10 minutes. The ambiance became much dispute arsenic nan replacement scrum-half Alexandra Chambon received a yellowish paper for a precocious changeable connected Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, a determination nan French grounds crowd disagreed with, but England saw retired nan lucifer a subordinate up. A effort for each broadside rounded retired nan fixture.
The mobility continues to be: who tin hit England? Their adjacent opponents are Australia successful nan WXV bid successful September but Canada and New Zealand, who play them successful nan aforesaid month, are sterner tests. For France, this has been an awesome first tourney successful complaint for Ratier and 1 nonaccomplishment will not extremity nan travel they are on.
