England chalked up their tenth win on the trot over France to gain a fourth consecutive Grand Slam.
This was the first time for exactly a year England had faced the possibility of losing. They last played France in the ‘lights out’ match in Lille on 30 April 2021. And les Bleues gave them a rough ride – just what they expected.
At the start the England back-3 looked as though they hadn’t mugged up their lessons about Chloé Jacquet’s left boot. Twice the cover had to scramble back to gather her kicks. The second time Zoe Harrison knocked on close to the line.
Laure Sansus made the half-break everyone expected and Romane Ménager cut a fine line to cross under the posts. (7-0) Game on.
Jacquet’s third kick was a chip and chase. France gained a useful line-out position, but – you can probably guess what happened next – Zoe Aldcroft snaffled the ball to win a relieving penalty.
This was to be the story for most of the match: French line-outs, so masterly against the Black Ferns, dissolved into wonky throws, poor lifting and mistimed jumps.
It took the Red Roses quite a while to get their engine purring. They were helped by a fine 50:22 kick from Helena Rowland who was creative in many parts of the field. Once the newest 50-capper, Alex Matthews, had had some blood staunched, the English line-out got to work. The drive was slow but efficient. In the end Sarah Bern managed to worm her way round and over. (7-7)
Lark Davies threw another fine throw to the back of the line-out. It started a move finished by Abbie Ward under a heap of bodies. (7-14)
The tide was turning. Both those trundles took an age, so strong was the French defence; but both succeeded.
From here on the crowd spent more time booing (mainly the opposition, but occasionally the referee) than supporting the girls in blue.
Lydia Thompson made a rare long thrust downfield to win a penalty. Hollie Davidson gave Gaelle Hermet a general warning – more boos. Harrison kicked to the corner and Bern had her second of the day. (7-21).
A rare error by Jacquet, dropping a high kick from England’s No 10, led to another big raid, but Davidson called ‘held up’ to end thoughts of a fourth try.
Indeed, we were nearly at the end of the scoring barely half-an-hour into the game, so tight were the defences. The attacking side had to take chances with risky passes and off-loads, all too often they failed to come off.
France pressed very hard now, the crowd urging the referee to react strongly to English misdemeanours. Neither she nor the TMO agreed with them, but a line-out on the English 5-metre line looked promising.
Oh dear! Another mishap and Aldcroft got the first touch again. Audrey Forlani was one of several players to show up well during these exchanges, but she was the first to be replaced after the interval.
Did Leanne Infante knock the ball on as she dashed back into in-goal to retrieve a nasty situation? A goal-line drop-out was ordered, Harrison cleared to the 10-metre line for England to reclaim, and Infante sent the ball into the stand.
Half-time 7-21
England needed to be more clinical after the break, but then so did the French, and they had to find three scores to turn the game. The rest of the game turned into another of those close struggles typical of recent Crunches; so little space to develop moves; field kicks unable to unlock defences.
Harrison’s kick-off was returned with interest by Jacquet, then Harrison put her next kick straight out.
France were still exerting pressure. The crowd thought Infante had kicked Gabrielle Vernier’s head as she dived on a loose pass, but the TMO didn’t agree. Instead Harrison was yellowed for a deliberate knock-on. Boos.
Still, the Red Roses had an answer. At an attacking French scrum 5 metres out, the pack pushed the opposition off the ball. Caroline Boujard was standing in splendid isolation on the other side of the field ready for another perfect cross-kick, but a golden chance went abegging.
England might have been one short out behind, but up front they were still in charge.
France did create more chances, especially when Emilie Boulard cut a fine line through the centre, She must have thought she was over, but somehow Scarratt zoned in from a diagonal behind her and chopped her down inside the 5-metre line.
Just as in the great game in Pau three years ago, the moment England won a penalty within range, Scarratt ordered herself to take the pot at goal. (7-24)
The moment Harrison returned, Maelle Filopon suffered the same fate, yet now the French turned the screw. Huge pressure on the English line saw quick ball released left to Annaelle Deshayes. There was no stopping her, but Caroline Drouin couldn’t add the vital two points. (12-24)
Those were the only scores of the half. Perhaps the game lacked the high drama of other recent battles, but the stakes could scarcely have been highter. It was Grand Slam Day, a tenth successive loss for the home team, a marker put down for the next meeting, in Pool C in Whangarei at the World Cup next October.
No wonder the visitors celebrated as if it was their first win of the season.
Result: France 12 England 24
Player of the Match: Lark Davies (awarded by the French media)
Afterthoughts
Simon Middleton made just one change to his side for the decider (Sarah Hunter played water-girl), and it was forced on him. It helps to prove that he and his staff were certain this was the optimum line-up available.
People who doubted these choices may now retreat defeated.
An interesting statement emerged from World Rugby’s rankings forecast: ‘France will fall one place to fourth if they lose to England, with Canada the beneficiaries’.
That really makes you wonder about the accuracy of the system. Canada have fallen way back in recent times, conceding 51 points to England at Worcester. In stark contrast France have kept them panting to the 80th minute and beyond several times. But France are now fourth, having walloped the world champions twice. It’s a funny old world.
One record remains out of England’s grasp. By failing to complete a fourth try, they missed out on the bonus point needed to become the first side to gain maximum points while playing three away matches. We await 2024.
Teams
France:
15 Chloé Jacquet, 14 Caroline Boujard, 13 Maelle Filopon, 12 Gabrielle Vernier, 11 Marine Ménager, 10 Caroline Drouin, 9 Laure Sansus, 1 Annaelle Deshayes, 2 Agathe Sochat, 3 Clara Joyeux, 4 Madoussou Fall, 5 Audrey Forlani, 6 Céline Ferer, 7 Gaelle Hermet (captain), 8 Romane Ménager
Bench:
16 Laure Touyé, 17 Coco Lindelauf, 18 Yllana Brosseau, 19 Julie Annery, 20 Emeline Gros, 21 Alexandre Chambon 22. Jessy Trémoulière, 23 Emilie Boulard
England:
15. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning),14 Lydia Thompson (Worcester Warriors),13. Emily Scarratt (captain, Loughborough Lightning),12. Holly Aitchison (Saracens),11. Jess Breach (Harlequins), 10. Zoe Harrison (Saracens), 9. Leanne Infante (Bristol Bears), 1. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins), 2. Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning), 3. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), 4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), 5. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears), 6. Alex Matthews (Worcester Warriors), 7. Marlie Packer (Saracens), 8. Poppy Cleall (Saracens)
Bench:
16. Amy Cokayne (Harlequins), 17. Hannah Botterman (Saracens), 18. Maud Muir (Wasps), 19. Rosie Galligan (Harlequins), 20. Sarah Beckett (Harlequins), 21. Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), 22 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), 23. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins)
Officials:
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Joy Neville (IRFU) and Maria Giovanna Pacifico (FIR) TMO: Lee Jeffrey (NZR)
with thanks to rugbyreferee.net
