Rampant Purple Roses win third straight Grand Slam by beating France

An superior show from Alex Matthews helped the Purple 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 facet have now received 29 championship video games in a row, extending their very own document, and continued their latest superiority in opposition to les Bleues, who’ve nonetheless not overwhelmed the Purple 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 everywhere in the park and typified the sort of combat and spirit that can please Mitchell and the remainder of his teaching workers who had been a part of a 28,000-strong document crowd watching on.

The house facet 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 all the time up in opposition to a white successful machine that scored six tries on Saturday afternoon and ominously for the remainder of the ladies’s recreation, present no signal of relenting anytime quickly with subsequent 12 months’s dwelling World Cup quick approaching.

Purple 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 Purple Roses’ onslaught continued and ultimately their stress advised 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 seemed 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 excellent line from centre Gabrielle Vernier, who surged previous Tatyana Heard, opened France’s account.

England have a good time scoring in opposition to France in Bordeaux on their method to victory (Getty Photos)

Momentum gave the impression to be swinging in the 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 event as a stunning wrap-around play despatched scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus into house earlier than the ball went by means of the palms 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 simple means again into the ascendancy as France bungled the kick-off. Mitchell’s facet then went again to fundamentals with their energy recreation and the rolling Purple 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 scorching 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 convey on the alternative prop raised a number of eyebrows however France, with nothing to lose, continued to throw every little thing at England and had been blissful to play from wherever and though they put their opponents underneath massive quantities of stress, struggled to transform that into factors.

Finally, taking part in with abandon offered 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 facet. A profitable conversion diminished the hole to 14.

In reply, England chucked on World Cup winner and former World Participant of the 12 months, Emily Scarratt. A riposte which fits 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 together 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.

Purple Roses win Grand Slam however what does outcome imply for girls’s Six Nations? Tell us on social media or e mail [email protected]

Obtain the digital version of Rugby World straight to your pill or subscribe to the print version to get the journal delivered to your door.

Comply with Rugby World on Fb, Instagram and Twitter/X.