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Key occasions
68 min: Chambon additionally on for France now, for Bourdon Sansus.
68 min: Extra super offloading from France, carrying into the England 22 and committing defenders left, proper and centre. But it surely’s misplaced ahead finally and England can clear.
66 min: Arbey has a style for this now and makes one other keep it up the French left wing. She is dragged into contact amid some comprehensible nervousness among the many England defenders.
65 min: Galligan will get concerned instantly however produces a ahead cross, somewhat popped effort in the course of the park. Good concept although. France scrum.
63 min: Galligan and Aitchison come on for England. The official attendance at this time is 37,573. No scarcity of leisure, and it seems to be like they’re going to see an England win.
63 min: Menager makes a dart down the French proper however she has a foot in contact. They’re nonetheless seeking to run the ball, nonetheless.
60 min: Into the ultimate quarter. Can France trigger somewhat extra havoc on this England defence, or will Mitchell’s aspect make their superior energy (and in principle, precision) rely?
Strive! 58 min: England 43-28 France (Dow)
Is that the sport? Is that the grand slam? England batter near the France try-line with a group of crushing carries. With loads of defenders sucked into the center, Harrison chucks a booming cross to the suitable wing, the place Dow is lurking. Conversion missed however 15 factors in it now.
56 min: A scrum, England ball, for these recent entrance rows. England muck up their possession however they get a scrum penalty courtesy of Bern.
54 min: Cokayne, Clifford and Bern all on for England. Packer and Rowland too. Riffoneau, Mwayembe and Bernadou are additionally on for France – so recent entrance rows for either side – and Berthoumieu can also be on for the guests.
Strive! 51 min: England 38-28 France (Arbey)
Recreation over? No. Recreation on. What a end from Toulouse’s Kelly Arbey! The 19-year-old wing takes a cross out broad and shrugs off poor challenges from Sing and Dow. Sheer tempo and energy. The attempt is transformed, and we have now 10 factors in it once more. Honest to say that each England defenders will likely be disillusioned with their efforts but it surely was nonetheless a sensational end.
Strive! 49 min: England 36-21 France (Aldcroft)
That’s one other fantastically athletic rating from the England captain after her spectacular interception effort final week. She takes a sympathetic offload from Harrison and crashes over after an incisive England assault. That’s an essential rating given how threatening France had been trying, earlier than the break and for the primary 10 minutes of this half.
47 min: France come once more. That is trying more and more worrying for England as a result of the guests are making nearly all of the operating in assault. Grisez is stuffed with beans and makes a superb jinking run deep into dwelling territory. England handle to scramble, finally, and clear the hazard. MacDonald comes off which, in fact, ought to have occurred 5 minutes in the past.
46 min: Leicester have hammered Quins 40-7 within the Gallagher Premiership. Right here is Michael Aylwin’s report:
45 min: A break in play as a result of Claudia MacDonald has gone down with a twisted knee. On replay it seems to be a painful one: Vernier attemped a jazzy one-handed offload after which went to floor, by accident falling on MacDonald’s proper knee. Anyway, the England wing is having it strapped, and it seems to be like she desires to play on.
44 min: It’s not been the beginning France wished to the second half however on the plus aspect for them they’re solely 10 factors down. A transformed rating and it’s recreation on. Now they storm down the suitable wing however Matthews does excellently to win the penalty with one other breakdown steal. There are hints that France are dragging England into the sport they don’t wish to play, although – earlier than half repeatedly now they’re discovering house to get the offloading recreation going.
42 min: Grisez, the wing, smashes right into a sort out after which snaffles some turnover ball after England transfer into the France 22. Appears to be like like France have gotten away with that early penalty.
41 min: Escudero embarks on a strong run from the kick-off however France are penalised for obstruction. An ideal attacking platform for England early doorways.
Second half kick-off
Go!
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Half time studying from Andy Bull:
Half time! England 31-21 France
The half ends with France on the assault once more. Menager knocks on after a clean French lineout … and the guests will carry loads of hope into the second half after a significantly better 20 minutes. England have missed 13 tackles, France 14, whereas England have made 277 attacking metres to France’s 275. Curiously, 42 carries for England and 64 for France, which demonstrates how harmful the offloading got here might be from Les Bleues.
Strive! 38 min: England 31-21 France (Menager)
An attacking lintout for France, who’ve definitely steadied le bateau within the final 10 or quarter-hour. Escudero makes certainly one of a number of excellent carries after which it’s labored out to Menager to run in France’s third attempt! Bourgeois converts with aplomb and it’s all of a sudden a 10-point recreation. They couldn’t, may they? The guests are bringing tonnes of attacking menace but it surely seems to be like they’ll concede too many on the different finish to significantly bother England. Thoughts you, this French resurgence could spark some English nerves.
37 min: England, because it stands, will end prime of the desk on 28 factors, 9 above France in second.
35 min: Les Bleues are again as much as 15, Khalfaoui having served her 10 minutes within the sin bin.
34 min: Higher from France. They transfer powerfully into England’s half with that acquainted mix of energy and silky offloading. Harrison is fortunate to not be penalised earlier than it’s taken again for a French scrum.
Strive! England 31-14 France (Bourdon Sansus)
Oh no! England’s fly-half Harrison knocks on in-goal. Bourdon Sansus is alert to the chance, and jumps on the ball for France’s second attempt. Bourgeois smacks over a superb conversion. An embarrassing one for Harrison however we’ve all been there.
28 min: Arbez, within the England 22, is kicking for contact. For some cause she chooses to direct her effort to the far aspect of the pitch, to the French proper, and predictably maybe the ball is stored in by and England hand. Then it’s a knock-on by England and France have an attacking scrum.
26 min: France into the England 22 for maybe the third time. Once more they’re turned over, this time Ward pouncing. Khalfaoui’s yellow will keep yellow. On BBC commentary Brian Moore questions if it was even ought to have been yellow card.
Strive! 23 min: England 31-7 France (MacDonald)
I feel we will safely say that England’s grand slam is safe. There may be an indecent quantity of house for MacDonald to say a cross out on the left wing, jink round a half-hearted tried sort out and contact down.
23 min: Yellow card for France! (Khalfaoui)
A excessive shot by Khalfaoui on Maud Muir. She is proven a yellow card and it’ll be a bunker evaluation. Khalfaoui is in tears as she sits on the bench.
22 min: Jones flings an expansive cross off her proper hand to MacDonald on the left flank. MacDonald pins her ears again and sprints into house. France handle to scramble and arrest her progress (this time, anyway.)
20 min: Vernier is again having handed her HIA. England get the ball in hand once more and scorch downfield, straight down the center, with an amazing carry by Jones. She kicks forward but it surely squirts somewhat bit lengthy, out of play within the in-goal space.
Strive! 17 min: England 24-7 France (Sing)
England now surge down the left wing. MacDonald finds Sing who kicks forward. Bourdon Sansus clears for the guests and England have a useful attacking lineout. England assemble one other highly effective driving maul, sucking in defenders, then spin the ball left to proper and Sing has one other easy run-in. She touches down behind the posts and Harrison has a straightforward conversion.
15 min: France rumble into the England 22 with some extra progressive part play. They’re bringing loads of attacking menace. However Botterman, once more, is everywhere in the French possession: Bourgeois goes to floor about 5 metres out and Botterman is there, competing legally however frantically for the ball. An England penalty is the seemingly inevitable consequence, and the Bristol Bears prop celebrates passionately. That was class – once more.
Strive! 12min: England 17-7 England (Atkin-Davies)
That was nailed on as soon as they gained the lineout so near the French line. It’s a textbook driving maul, that Simon Middleton would respect, and Atkin-Davies flops over the road. Tough conversion missed.
11 min: Extra good work from Botterman, turning over French ball when the guests have been constructing a momentum once more. Abruptly England win a penalty and have a lineout in the suitable nook.
Strive! 8 min: England 12-7 France (Sing)
Beautiful rating. Meg Jones creates this with England pushing into the French 22. She darts proper to left and takes contact earlier than reaching to neatly offload to Sing. The total-back has a easy activity to complete with the defence hopelessly uncovered. Harrison converts. Panic over?
Strive! 6 min: England 5-7 France (Arbez)
That’s what they will do! There’s a few pretty offloads as France work by the phases straight down the center. The England defenders look a bit greatly surprised, and there appears to be loads of house for the fly-half to bop over from shut vary. Vernier is off for an HIA. Bourgeois converts.
Strive! 4 min: England 5-0 France (Dow)
That didn’t take lengthy. It’s nice work from Botterman to take the ball aggressively to the road earlier than offloading. That creates a little bit of house behind and Harrison sends a grubber diagonally for the right-hand nook. Dow snaffles the wonderful kick, skips across the defensive cowl and that’s 5-0. Conversion missed.
2 min: Aldcroft claims the kick-off with customary authority. Teani Feleu then knocks on a excessive England kick round midway. England have the put-in on the first scrum. The ball is moved proper and Sing chucks a poor cross within the route of Dow. But it surely’s taken again for one more scrum.
First half kick-off!
Allez!
Sadly, we additionally want a fast blast of the comparatively plodding “God Save the King.” C’est comme ça.
The groups are out on the Twickenham pitch! Rugby is about to occur, however let’s have a stirring rendition of the La Marseillaise first. There are a couple of emotional expressions among the many French gamers.
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“Plenty of the choices got here right down to who’s most constant within the talent units that we want,” John Mitchell tells the BBC of at this time’s choice.
“[Number] seven has clearly received to comply with the ball … You’ll see us tighten up France a bit at lineout time within the attacking half … we’ll try to get there fast, and go to the sting.
“It’s fairly sure who’s going to be round [for the World Cup]. We’ve created wholesome competitors. It’s simply creating a requirement on everybody to be constant on what they ship … I’ve to make some onerous choices, however these women will proceed to battle.”
Then he indicators off with: “Attacking defence wins titles. We’ll see what we get.”
(I assume he stated “attacking defence” and never “assault and defence”. Is sensible to me anyway.)
1 / 4 of an hour or so till kick-off. Why not learn Sarah Rendell’s report from England’s crushing win towards Scotland final week?
The BBC’s Sonja McLaughlan tells us that France’s XV have 373 caps amongst them, whereas England have 682.
Katy Daley-McLean, on pundit obligation, believes an England victory isn’t doubtful at this time. Confidence.
Andy Bull
There are two video games to consider at Twickenham on Saturday, the one the Purple Roses will play in, and the one they wish to play in. The primary is their grand slam decider towards France, which kicks off at 4.45pm. The second – on the identical venue, 5 months and in the future later – is the World Cup closing which, if all the pieces goes because the workforce hopes on the Stadium of Gentle, Franklin’s Gardens, Ashton Gate and the opposite grounds they may go to between every now and then, would be the subsequent recreation they play on the dwelling of English rugby.
Mitchell makes 9 adjustments. The ladies’s world participant of the yr, Ellie Kildunne, is dominated out by harm so Gloucester-Hartpury’s Emma Sing will begin at full-back.
Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir come again into the entrance row and Morwenna Talling returns at lock. Maddie Feaunati switches to No 7 with Alex Matthews slotting again in at No 8.
Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison are the half-backs, at No 9 and No 10 respectively, with Tatyana Heard additionally again within the centres.
France make two adjustments from the aspect that (comparatively talking) edged previous Italy final weekend. Lea Champon begins for the primary time on this championship, at No 7, whereas Charlotte Escudero returns on the blindside.
England: Sing; Dow, Jones, Heard, MacDonald; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt.), Feaunati, Matthews. Replacements: Cokayne, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Burton, Packer, Aitchison, Rowland.
France: Bourgeois; Grisez, Menager (co-capt.), Vernier, Arbey; Arbez, Bourdon Sansus; Teani Feleu, Champon, Escudero, Fall Raclot, Manaé Feleu (co-capt.), Khalfaoui, Bigot, Brosseau. Replacements: Riffoneau, Mwayembe, Bernadou, Zago, Berthoumieu, Maka, Chambon, Queyroi.
On Thursday, Mitchell insisted that Kildunne’s harm presents to considerations for the World Cup:
Sarah Rendell’s large match preview:
“England are on the hunt for his or her seventh consecutive Girls’s Six Nations title on Saturday however their hardest opponent but in France stand of their method, who’re additionally concentrating on their very own grand slam success.
“France have been the runner-up to England prior to now 5 Six Nations and the Purple Roses have overwhelmed their rivals of their final 14 conferences throughout all competitions. Twickenham will witness one thing particular whoever wins.”
Preamble
Stress is a privilege, so they are saying, and there may be strain on England at Twickenham at this time regardless of how dominant they appear to be. The Purple Roses could have gained 24 matches in a row, and 33 consecutively within the Girls’s Six Nations, however France have gained 4 out of 4 on this marketing campaign and Les Bleues now stand in the way in which of a seventh straight title, plus a grand slam, for John Mitchell’s aspect.
England ran in 9 tries final weekend as they brushed Scotland apart – the wing Claudia MacDonald had a very spectacular day with two tries, and collectively all the pieces fell into place for this richly proficient squad. However Mitchell has closely rotated the lineup by the event and never all the pieces has come simply in England’s 4 wins. Italy and Eire offered issues and now France will likely be anticipated to supply the hardest examination but.
It’s World Cup yr too, so there is a chance for people to cement their place in Mitchell’s event plans – or play their method out of competition if issues don’t go as easily as dwelling followers will hope. Staff information and extra developing.
Kick-off at 4.45pm UK time.
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