England stormed to a 16th consecutive win over France in their final warmup match before the World Cup kicks off in two weeks. After a close-run Six Nations finale in April England’s 6-40 win in Mont-de-Marsan was a reminder of the physical gulf between the cross-Channel rivals, with the visitors’ pack instrumental in all six of their tries.
It was fitting that the game, a friendly only in name, was scheduled amid the street festival season in south-west France – matches against Les Bleues are rarely dull affairs, even if the Red Roses have dominated Le Crunch for the last seven years.
Both teams fielded relatively full-strength sides at the Stade André-et-Guy Boniface, home to the men’s Pro D2 side Stade Montois. For John Mitchell’s team, Marlie Packer’s suspension and the head injury absence of Emily Scarratt were compensated for by the returns of Ellie Kildunne and the captain, Zoe Aldcroft.
For Les Bleues, the scrum-half Pauline Bourdon-Sansus was the major absentee, as she serves a two-match suspension for criticism of the refereeing in the French domestic final.
The hosts were keen to avoid the kind of lethargic start that has often cost them dear against elite teams. England, though, picked up where they left off in the 97-7 win over Spain, with a physically dominant start, spending most of the first 40 minutes in France’s half.
Quick Guide
France 6-40 England: teams and scorers
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France Bourgeois; Grisez, Ménager (Cissokho 59), Neisen, Arbey; Arbez (Tuy 66), Chambon; T Feleu, Champon (Queyroi 66), Escudero, Fall, Raclot (Ikahehegi 70), M Feleu (Maka 59), Bernadou (Khalfaoui h/t), Bigot (Riffoneau 50), Deshaye (Brosseau 50). Sin-bin M Feleu 29. Pen Bourgeois (2).
England Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach (Sing 72); Harrison, Hunt; Matthews, Kabeya (Ward 63), Aldcroft, Ward (Galligan 56), Talling (Feunati 56), Muir (Bern 56), Cokayne (Atkin-Davies 56), Botterman (Clifford 56). Tries Talling, Cokayne, Muir, Jones, Atkin-Davies (2). Cons Harrison (5)
Referee Aimée Barrett-Theron (SA).
The visitors were ahead within four minutes, Morwenna Talling scoring from a driving maul on the left after a lineout five metres out. The Red Roses’ second try 10 minutes later came from the same routine, this time from the right and scored by Amy Cokayne.
While Les Bleues did admirably to withstand the barrage of England attacks over the next 15 minutes, they were dealt another blow when their captain, Manaé Feleu, was shown a yellow card on the half-hour mark.
France managed their first foray into England’s 22 a few minutes later, yielding a penalty converted by Morgane Bourgeois. The Six Nations champions eventually made the most of their numerical advantage, though, with another driving maul seeing Maud Muir…
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