Rampant Pink Roses win third straight Grand Slam by beating France

An superior show from Alex Matthews helped the Pink Roses prolonged their record-breaking Six Nations dominance with a 3rd straight Grand Slam courtesy of a 42-21 victory over France in Bordeaux.

John Mitchell’s aspect have now gained 29 championship video games in a row, extending their very own file, and continued their latest superiority towards les Bleues, who’ve nonetheless not overwhelmed the Pink Roses since 2018.

Learn extra: When was the final time England ladies misplaced to France within the Six Nations

Matthews scored two tries however the No 8 was a menace all around the park and typified the form of struggle and spirit that may please Mitchell and the remainder of his teaching employees who had been a part of a 28,000-strong file crowd watching on.

The house aspect weren’t helped by taking part in the overwhelming majority of the second half with 14 ladies, however even with a full contingent they had been at all times up towards a white successful machine that scored six tries on Saturday afternoon and ominously for the remainder of the ladies’s sport, present no signal of relenting anytime quickly with subsequent yr’s residence World Cup quick approaching.

Pink Roses win Grand Slam: How the motion unfolded in Bordeaux

England stormed into motion within the south of France, Maud Muir’s strive from shut vary giving them the proper begin after simply 4 minutes.

The Pink Roses’ onslaught continued and finally their stress informed as Matthews added a second try to with fly-half Holly Aitchison kicking each conversions the guests went 14-0 up after 12 minutes.

Issues appeared ominous for les Bleues at that stage however they rallied, drawing the Stade Chaban-Delmas crowd into the competition with some promising phases which took them deep into England’s 22. As soon as there, an outstanding line from centre Gabrielle Vernier, who surged previous Tatyana Heard, opened France’s account.

England have fun scoring towards France in Bordeaux on their method to victory (Getty Photographs)

Momentum gave the impression to be swinging in direction of the underdogs however Meg Jones’ opportunist interception and an outstanding touchline conversion from Aitchison restored the 14-point cushion.

France then pulled off one of many scores of the match as a stunning wrap-around play despatched scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus into area earlier than the ball went by means of the arms to wing Marine Menager who utilized an electrical end, though her reverse quantity Jess Breach was overwhelmed far too simply.

With the sport now within the steadiness at 21-14, England had been handed a straightforward means again into the ascendancy as France bungled the kick-off. Mitchell’s aspect then went again to fundamentals with their energy sport and the rolling Pink Roses maul led to a strive for captain Marlie Packer.

France went shut when Bourdon Sansus dribbled the ball over the tryline, nevertheless the play was pulled again because the No 9 was offside from the chargedown. Buoyed by that reprieve, England dominated the closing levels of the primary half and their imperious ahead pack as soon as once more proved too sizzling to deal with for France, hooker Amy Cokayne dotting down the fifth attempt to make it 35-14 at half-time.

France’s hopes of mounting a second-half comeback suffered an early setback when tightead prop Assia Khalfaoui’s yellow card for a harmful clearout on Morwenna Talling simply 5 minutes after the interval was subsequently upgraded to crimson.

The choice to take away captain Manaé Feleu to carry on the alternative prop raised a number of eyebrows however France, with nothing to lose, continued to throw every part at England and had been completely happy to play from wherever and though they put their opponents beneath giant quantities of stress, struggled to transform that into factors.

Finally, taking part in with abandon supplied some reward as Vernier made inroads near the road earlier than Menager grabbed her second within the seventieth minute courtesy of an overlap on the right-hand aspect. A profitable conversion diminished the hole to 14.

In reply, England chucked on World Cup winner and former World Participant of the Yr, Emily Scarratt. A riposte which works some method to explaining the hole England have opened up over the remainder of the northern hemisphere.

Nevertheless it was one other 2014 world champion in Matthews who extinguished France’s faint hopes along with her second rating to cap an incredible particular person show, each on Tremendous Saturday and throughout the championship, from the bottom of the scrum.

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