England 43-42 France: Women’s Six Nations grand slam decider – as it happened
Sarah Rendell’s report is here:“It was a little bit nervy,” says Mitchell on the BBC.“Defence wins titles and that wasn’t really great today from us … but I thought our start was pretty good.“They got us through the middle, which we had planned for, but I don’t think we delivered.I thought we were poor in edge defence, to be honest.I’d rather get this kind of feedback any day of the week … we’ll have a little bit of a celebration and get ready for the World Cup.
”That’s the lot from me.Well done England, well played France.That was close.See you at the World Cup …“It’s an amazing feeling,” says Sarah Bern.“It’s different every single time.
Cannot thank the crowd enough, they make it so special for us,It’s an amazing group of girls who work so hard every day to come out with those awards,“France are an incredible team,They were phenomenal team,It came down to the last bite, which is amazing.
It’s what viewers want to watch and it’s how we want to play.”“Massive.I think that’s a Test match, innit?” says Megan Jones.“All going at each other.Full 80 minutes.
I hope it was a good spectacle for the fans.Yeah, we work hard and it’s nice to get the reward.”England’s players are now taking their championship medals and are assembling on a hastily-assembled podium in the middle of the pitch.Aldcroft then drops the base of the trophy before the all-important lift … and there it is! Metallic ticker-tape and red “Red Roses” cowboy hats all round.A richly deserved title for England, but far from a perfect performance today, which is rather in keeping with their whole tournament.
It’s tough at the top, of course, and expectations are sometimes too high: but England will be disappointed they ultimately stumbled over the line rather than close out a dominant win.“Can you imagine trying to review that game?” says Simon Middleton, Mitchell’s predecessor.“I’m glad I don’t coach anymore.”Italy v Wales takes place tomorrow due to the Pope’s funeral.But England are grand slam champions regardless.
“It was a proper Test match,” says Maggie Alphonsi on the BBC.“England should be proud of that, they had to dig deep to get that win.And they entertained 37,000 people in the stadium.It was a tough match, and that’s what you want before a World Cup.You have to grind it out.
”England captain Aldcroft speaks: “Honestly, I am so proud of all the girls’ efforts today.All the girls in the week who helped up prepare.Just so proud of the whole squad effort today.I think we really battled it out.Credit to France, they absolutely came at us.
The speed they were playing at.But yeah, credit to the girls for hanging on.”What was she thinking when France came back at the end? “Just giving clear direction and next job.That’s the most clear thing you can do in those moments.Everyone buying into that one thing we really want to go after.
That’s the most clear thing that you can do in those moments.”What have England learned? “I think just building that pressure.We need to keep our foot on the throttle and keep on going and going.The pressure is the main thing.I think a couple of drinks later.
We will enjoy tonight.”Zoe Aldcroft, England captain, is named player of the match.She doesn’t look deliriously happy which is understandable given the way that ended for England.It was a nervous finish and no mistake.But hats off to France for the way they fought back.
They certainly forced England into the kind of match you absolutely want to avoid against Les Bleues.France knock the restart on! England win the grand slam! What a phenomenal comeback by the visitors: they have one final chance to run the ball back but Lina Queyroi knocks the ball on and England have a seventh Women’s Six Nations title in succession!Whoah! What a stunning finish by Grisez, charging down the French left! Bourgeois converts! France have a chance! We will have a restart, and one final chance for the visitors.Incredible scenes.77 min: A hint of a deliberate knock on by Arbey with England on the front foot? The officials decide the ball went backwards, and she’s off the hook.77 min: England chase on to a grubber kick deep into the French 22! France grab the ball and look to run it from under their own posts, more or less … You have to admire the ambition.
76 min: A cross-kick by England looking for Dow.Arbey is there too though and that could easily have gone wrong … anyway it’s an England lineout, somewhat fortuitously.74 min: England’s Harrison now looks ponderous and is nearly charged down before sending a big garryowen up from the back field.There is more of a hint of England stumbling over the line here, but they are being put under concerted pressure by that famous French offloading game.73 min: Menager is nearly in on the right wing! Sing makes a stunning tackle and forces her into touch! Lineout for England in their own 22.
Aldcroft claims it and then a penalty arrives,Still, nervous moments for England …The full-back touches down in the corner, after another strong multi-phase attack, and immediately spanks over a wonderful conversion! Eight points in it with eight or so minutes to go … This is dangerous for England if France can get ball in hand with a bit of space again,68 min: Chambon also on for France now, for Bourdon Sansus,68 min: More tremendous offloading from France, carrying into the England 22 and committing defenders left, right and centre,But it’s lost forward eventually and England can clear.
66 min: Arbey has a taste for this now and makes another carry on the French left wing.She is dragged into touch amid some understandable nervousness among the England defenders.65 min: Galligan gets involved immediately but produces a forward pass, a little popped effort in the middle of the park.Nice idea though.France scrum.
63 min: Galligan and Aitchison come on for England.The official attendance today is 37,573.No shortage of entertainment, and it looks like they’re going to see an England win.63 min: Menager makes a dart down the French right but she has a foot in touch.They are still looking to run the ball, however.
60 min: Into the final quarter.Can France cause a little more havoc in this England defence, or will Mitchell’s side make their superior power (and in theory, precision) count?Is that the game? Is that the grand slam? England batter close to the France try-line with a collection of crushing carries.With plenty of defenders sucked into the middle, Harrison chucks a booming pass to the right wing, where Dow is lurking.Conversion missed but 15 points in it now.56 min: A scrum, England ball, for those fresh front rows.
England muck up their possession but 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 also on for France – so fresh front rows for both sides – and Berthoumieu is also on for the visitors.Game over? No.
Game on.What a finish from Toulouse’s Kelly Arbey! The 19-year-old wing takes a pass out wide and shrugs off poor challenges from Sing and Dow.Sheer pace and power.The try is converted, and we have 10 points in it again.Fair to say that both England defenders will be disappointed with their efforts but it was still a sensational finish.
That’s another superbly athletic score from the England captain after her spectacular interception effort last week.She takes a sympathetic offload from Harrison and crashes over after an incisive England attack.That’s an important score given how threatening France had been looking, before the break and for the first 10 minutes of this half.47 min: France come again.This is looking increasingly worrying for England because the visitors are making virtually all the running in attack.
Grisez is full of beans and makes an excellent jinking run deep into home territory.England manage to scramble, eventually, and clear the danger.MacDonald comes off which, in truth, should have happened five minutes ago.46 min: Leicester have hammered Quins 40-7 in the Gallagher Premiership.Here is Michael Aylwin’s report:45 min: A break in play because Claudia MacDonald has gone down with a twisted knee.
On replay it looks a painful one: Vernier attemped a jazzy one-handed offload and then went to ground, accidentally falling on MacDonald’s right knee.Anyway, the England wing is having it strapped, and it looks like she wants to play on.44 min: It’s not been the start France wanted to the second half but on the plus side for them they are only 10 points down.A converted score and it’s game on.Now they storm down the right wing but Matthews does excellently to win the penalty with another breakdown steal.
There are hints that France are dragging England into the game they don’t want to play, though – before half time and again now they are finding space to get the offloading game going.42 min: Grisez, the wing, smashes into a tackle and then snaffles some turnover ball after England move into the France 22.Looks like France have got away with that early penalty.41 min: Escudero embarks on a powerful run from the kick-off but France are penalised for obstruction.A perfect attacking platform for England early doors.
Go!Thoughts? Email me.Half time reading from Andy Bull:The half ends with France on the attack again.Menager knocks on after a smooth French lineout … and the visitors will carry plenty of hope into the second half after a much better 20 minutes.England have missed 13 tackles, France 14, while England have made 277 attacking metres to France’s 275.Interestingly, 42 carries for England and 64 for France, which demonstrates how dangerous the offloading came can be from Les Bleues
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Breakfast normally means porridge, but what are the alternatives in spring?It’s a truth universally acknowledged that most breakfast binds can be solved with oats. But when porridge doesn’t float your boat, it’s got to be bircher muesli or overnight oats. “I have always been a bit rude about overnight oats,” says Will Bowlby, co-founder of Kricket, whose Shoreditch arm recently launched a breakfast menu. “But when the weather is warm, soaking oats in coconut water, mixing them with jaggery, then throwing in things like fresh coconut, rhubarb or raspberries is a really nice alternative to porridge.”And it’s those extras that will set your oats apart, says Nia Burr of Esters in north London
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