Lark Atkin-davies Doubles Up In Red Roses’ Power-packed Win Over France

England stormed to a 16th consecutive triumph complete France successful their last warmup lucifer earlier nan World Cup kicks disconnected successful 2 weeks. After a close-run Six Nations finale successful April England’s 6-40 triumph successful Mont-de-Marsan was a reminder of nan beingness gulf betwixt nan cross-Channel rivals, pinch nan visitors’ battalion instrumental successful each six of their tries.

It was fitting that nan game, a friends only successful name, was scheduled amid nan thoroughfare show play successful south-west France – matches against Les Bleues are seldom dull affairs, moreover if nan Red Roses person dominated Le Crunch for nan past 7 years.

Both teams fielded comparatively full-strength sides astatine nan Stade André-et-Guy Boniface, location to nan men’s Pro D2 broadside Stade Montois. For John Mitchell’s team, Marlie Packer’s suspension and nan caput wounded absence of Emily Scarratt were compensated for by nan returns of Ellie Kildunne and nan captain, Zoe Aldcroft.

For Les Bleues, nan scrum-half Pauline Bourdon-Sansus was nan awesome absentee, arsenic she serves a two-match suspension for disapproval of nan refereeing successful nan French home final.

The hosts were keen to debar nan benignant of lethargic commencement that has often costs them beloved against elite teams. England, though, picked up wherever they near disconnected successful nan 97-7 triumph complete Spain, pinch a physically ascendant start, spending astir of nan first 40 minutes successful France’s half.

The visitors were up wrong 4 minutes, Morwenna Talling scoring from a driving maul connected nan near aft a lineout 5 metres out. The Red Roses’ 2nd effort 10 minutes later came from nan aforesaid routine, this clip from nan correct and scored by Amy Cokayne.

Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews and coach John Mitchell of England celebrate. Photograph: Lionel Hahn/RFU/The RFU Collection/Getty Images

While Les Bleues did admirably to withstand nan barrage of England attacks complete nan adjacent 15 minutes, they were dealt different rustle erstwhile their captain, Manaé Feleu, was shown a yellowish paper connected nan half-hour mark.

France managed their first foray into England’s 22 a fewer minutes later, yielding a punishment converted by Morgane Bourgeois. The Six Nations champions yet made nan astir of their numerical advantage, though, pinch different driving maul seeing Maud Muir complete nan line.

As has often been nan lawsuit caller Le Crunch clashes, France emerged for nan 2nd half pinch a newfound urgency. Bourgeois added different 3 points wrong minutes of nan restart, aft an awesome thrust done nan bosom of nan England defence by Teani Feleu.

England soon added a 4th effort to dash immoderate hopes of a comeback, though, pinch Megan Jones moving successful aft a speedy punishment from a five-metre scrum. The last half-hour was nevertheless a much balanced affair, pinch France stretching nan guidance defence respective times but undermining their efforts pinch repeated handling errors and mediocre discipline.

Momentum swung backmost successful England’s guidance successful nan last 10 minutes. After being held up by fantabulous France defence a mates of times, Atkin-Davies yet went complete for nan visitors’ 5th effort 5 minutes from time. The Bristol front-rower soon scored her second.

A precocious break from Joanna Grisez, appeared to committedness a consolation try, taking Les Bleues to wrong 5 metres of nan try-line. The resulting punishment was taken quickly, but a agelong footwear consecutive into touch dashed immoderate hopes of a people to get nan 7,500-strong crowd backmost connected their feet.

While some sets of coaches had insisted earlier nan lucifer that nan last consequence would not beryllium their superior concern, a 16th consecutive triumph for England complete France (and their biggest successful 15 years) will supply vindication of nan activity done complete their summer-long training camp. For nan hosts, their lone warm-up lucifer offered thing of a reality cheque arsenic to nan beingness and method domination of nan teams they person been aiming to rival.

The 2 sides are expected to meet again successful 5 weeks’ time, this clip successful Bristol for a blockbuster World Cup semi-final. Before then, England look nan USA successful Sunderland connected 22 August successful nan tournament’s curtain-raiser, while Les Bleues return connected Italy successful Exeter nan pursuing day.