England’s women appear certainties for a grand slam after only two games. A ruthless display by their forwards and some sharp finishing by their backs destroyed the Six Nations champions in Doncaster.
This was supposed to be a real test for Simon Middleton’s side. It was over by the interval by which time England had scored four of their seven tries.
Katy Daley-Mclean pulled the strings behind a dominant England scrum, the fly-half’s first conversion after 10 minutes helping her pass the landmark of 500 international points. France rallied after the interval with four tries to put a gloss on an unexpectedly heavy defeat.
England v France: Six Nations – live!
England knew they had to match the powerful French pack at the set piece and the early portents were good when a Red Rose scrum drove forwards and Sarah McKenna looked to have scored a smart try. England, though, were penalised at the scrum, Poppy Leitch adjudged by the TMO to have obstructed.
England had brought back the Harlequins lock Abbie Scott, who captained them against the United States in the autumn, to add extra power. Scott was soon at the heart of a driving maul that gave Daley-Mclean the opportunity to show her distribution skills with a beautifully weighted kick that gave Jess Breach the chance of the first try. The fly-half passed her milestone with the conversion.
The full-back McKenna was then just held up over the French line after Vickii Cornborough had smashed French bodies out of the way with a powerful carry into the visitors’ 22. Poppy Cleall, though, soon barged over the line for England’s second try after the left-wing, Kelly Smith, had been tackled just short of the line.
England’s captain, Sarah Hunter, was leading by example in a real test of her team’s physical qualities, one thumping tackle on the France centre Gabrielle Vernier snuffing out a dangerous attack. Cornborough’s huge hit on the France captain, Gaëlle Hermet, followed but it was judged to be high and the prop was shown a yellow card.
France attempted to take advantage of their one-player advantage but their famed driving maul was snuffed out by the English pack, giving Hunter’s team a huge lift. England turned the ball over and Cleall gave Emily Scarratt the chance to show her skill and vision with a kick downfield that bounced into the hands of Smith. England were 19 points clear and French heads dropped.
With the last move of the first half the England forwards surged once more, McKenna carried on with a weaving run and Breach went over again to secure a try bonus point.
France were able to take advantage of the extra player just after the break when Safi N’Diaye finally breached the English defence. It was a brief respite, though, with Cleall soon diving over near the posts for her second try.
Pauline Bourdon, the France scrum-half, then, is seriously quick and she motored over beneath the posts for a try she converted herself. Daley-Mclean appeared to have cancelled that score out but she spilled the ball over the tryline. It hardly mattered with the replacement prop Hannah Botterman driven over near the same spot for the sixth try and France were soon swept away by the white tide with Cath O’Donnell battering her way over.
Bourdon scored her second try and Romane Ménager’s score in the last move of the game gave them some consolation with a try bonus point. England had avenged the one-point defeat at Grenoble last spring, a reverse that has been eating away at them ever since. It would seem nothing can stop them taking France’s grand slam crown now.