The Red Roses achieved their sixteenth consecutive win over France in a strangely shaped match in Mont-de-Marsan.
For once les Bleues failed to score a single try. They depended on Morgane Bourgeois’ boot for their points.
More striking was England’s reversion to type: the style that caused so much dissension up to the last RWC final. In other words, the wingers hardly got a sniff of the ball. The back three’s total of 135 tries did not budge.
Was this John Mitchell’s express wish in the last run-out? It seemed to run counter to every statement of intent he had made. Perhaps the French defences were so good there was no alternative.
It took the visitors three minutes to post their first points: Morwenna Talling was credited with the touchdown on the end of the first successful rolling maul. There were to be many more.
Maud Muir was already distinguishing herself with deadly drives. Time and again England forwards made valuable ground on contact.
The game advanced at great pace, but both sides were vulnerable to faulty handling.
Amy Cokayne made the second breakthrough with her 35th try; this one from another unstoppable drive. (0-12)
France’s first threatening move was halted by a jackal from Meg Jones, the all-round player.
It was time to start counting up French penalties: they were coming thick and fast. Call it opposition pressure, but it undid all the hard work being put in, especially by the pack. Rose Bernadou was one to suffer; the game was halted to check a leg injury. She played on; but finally had to limp off. Her return after a long lay-off was an important bonus. The absence of both Pauline Bourdon-Sansus and Gabrielle Vernier became more telling as the game progressed.
At the water-break it was striking how a French coach barked out advice, including the word ‘discipline’. Straight after, Aimee Barrett-Theron issued a first warning about that very topic. Four minutes later Manae Feleu received her marching orders – for the same offence.
After England won an easy penalty, it was strange seeing Hannah Botterman getting very upset and throwing her arms around. The pack aimed for the line again; but when the ball came back, it fell loose at Bourgeois’ feet. She hacked ahead and France were on the rampage. Sadly for her, her second hoof was less successful and England stemmed the tide. But the balance of play was shifting. The crowd recovered its voice. The band played louder.
But les Bleues couldn’t profit. The England centres indulged in some fine interplay, but no more scores accrued before the interval.
Half-time: 3-19
It was a worry that the French still looked disorganised as they went into contact.
Individuals seemed unsure of their roles: go in and support or stand off for the next charge? Not what you expect from a side aiming for the top spot.
In view of what was to happen after the break, it would have been fascinating to know what Mitchell’s wishes were. If they were “Faster!”, they were carried out to an extent, but the ball still failed to zoom around the backs as all true fans had expected.
Indeed for much of the remaining 40 it looked like becoming a rare low-scoring game. I can remember one in Pau⁴, where a magical off-load from Amber Reed to Emily Scarratt finally brought a narrow victory. But here the cupboard remained bare for a long period.
England did seem to make the game safe with a neat link from Mo Hunt to Jones, who went over.
But the next moment the French nearly responded. Joanne Grisez couldn’t quite haul in a difficult pass. She showed her talent later as she ran far and fast to cause momentary panic in English lines. But the latter part of her raid was rather lateral. Neither she nor her support could finish the job.
That remains another concern for the co-coaches to ponder over. Just like the English, the French wingers – Kelly Arbey the other – were observers rather than activists.
The difference was up front; the English went on pounding away. It was the same old sequence we knew in the Middleton age: penalty-kick to the corner, immaculate line-out and DRIVE!
It brought two tries to Lark Atkin-Davies, and they brought the final total close to what many optimistic fans had expected. But not; surely, the methods.
As they looked on at home, most Kiwis will have been shaking their heads: still the same old boring tactics. The Black Ferns will roast them.
Maybe that’s what another Kiwi wants them to think.
Result: France 6 England 40
Player of the Match: Maud Muir
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
Teams
France:
1 DESHAYE 2 BIGOT 3 BERNADOU 4 M. FELEU (co-captain) 4 FALL RACLOT 6 ESCUDERO 7 CHAMPON 8 T. FELEU 8 CHAMBON 10 ARBEZ 11 ARBEY 12 NEISEN 13 M. MENAGER (co-captain) 14 GRISEZ 15 BOURGEOIS
16 RIFFONNEAU 17 BROSSEAU 18 KHALFAOUI 19 IKAHEHEGI 2O CISSOCKHO 22 QUEYROI 23 TUY
England:
1 BOTTERMAN 2 COKAYNE 3 MUIR 4 TALLING 5 WARD 6 ALDCROFT (captain) 7 KABEYA 8 MATTHEWS 9 HUNT 10 HARRISON 11 BREACH 12 HEARD 13 JONES 14 DOW 15 KILDUNNE
16 ATKIN-DAVIES 17 CLIFFORD 18 BERN 19 GALLIGAN 20 FEAUNATI 21 L. PACKER 22 ROWLAND 23 SING
