England won the women’s Sixth Nations title for the sixth time in a row; Maud Muir, Alex Matthews, Meg Jones, Marlie Packer and Amy Cokayne scored a goal in the first half, with Matthews adding a second in the second half; Assia Khalfaoui was shown a red card in the 45th minute for a dangerous tackle
Last updated: 04/27/24 7:09 p.m
The Red Roses celebrated their third Grand Slam in a row with a 41:21 away win over France
England secured a sixth straight women’s Six Nations title and completed a hat-trick of Grand Slams with a 42-21 win over 14-man France in Bordeaux.
The first 40 minutes of action were breathtaking as the Red Roses secured the bonus point before half-time, tries from Maud Muir, Alex Matthews, Meg Jones, Marlie Packer and Amy Cokayne and perfection from the boot of Holly Aitchison , which earned them 35 points.
France hit back with converted shots from Gabrielle Vernier and Marine Menager, but trailed 35-14 at halftime.
After Assia Khalfaoui received a red card for a dangerous tackle, the hosts were forced to play outnumbered for most of the second half, but they didn’t give in and Menager went over for the second time.
However, Matthews’ second goal canceled out any progress and secured England a 42-21 victory.
The win gives the Red Roses a third straight Grand Slam and their sixth straight Six Nations title, leaving France looking for their first victory over their old opponents since 2018.
The blitz in the first half helped England win the Six Nations
The Red Roses were ready to play with intensity from the start and were rewarded in the first five minutes when Muir bombed from close range off the line and Aitchison converted for a 7-0 lead.
As the hosts wasted chances, the English organization put them on top again and this time it was Matthews who headed over after a rolling stick, giving them a 14-0 lead within the first 15 minutes.
Alex Matthews was on his way to a big win for England
France then finally found a way through the game after putting the phases together, with Vernier playing the sweetest lines and Lina Queyroi converting to take the score to 14-7.
Pauline Bourdon Sansus runs with the ball as France try to find some crucial points
Out of nowhere, Jones then hit back for England, recovering the ball through an interception to dive into the corner, but just a few minutes later Menager went down at the other end of the field, leveling the score with just over 10 minutes left 21-14 of the first 40.
Megan Jones of England scores her team’s third try with an interception
Packer was then awarded a controversial try as she pushed her way forward. The crowd was not happy about what they thought was a try that landed just short of the line, giving the Red Roses a 28-14 lead and the bonus point before halftime.
France: Tries: Gabrielle Vernier (18), Marine Menager (28, 70); Conversions: Lina Queyroi (19, 29, 71)
England: Tries: Maud Muir (5), Alex Matthews (12, 72), Meg Jones, Marlie Packer (33), Amy Cokayne (40); Conversions: Holly Aitchison (6, 13, 26, 40+1, 73)
Then things got worse for France when Cokayne went over the ball after an attack attempt in her side’s fifth try and Aitchison converted again to take a 35-14 lead at half-time.
There was drama just four minutes into the second half when Khalfaoui was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Morwenna Talling, the bunker review upgraded it to a red card for high danger.
Then there was a struggle for momentum as emotions ran high. France committed unforced errors in their search for more points and their best chance, as they put the phases together right on England’s line, ended abruptly with a follow-up kick.
They finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute when Menager went over for the second time, but it only took a few minutes for the Red Roses to respond when Matthews went over again to take the score to 42-21, whereupon The cheers followed Aitchison kicked the ball into the goal, confirming the Red Roses’ hat trick at the Grand Slams.
Maddie Feaunati from England celebrates the victory with her teammate Emily Scarratt
What They Said: Packer – We can crank it up whenever we want
Marlie Packer celebrated her second Grand Slam victory as captain of the Red Roses
England captain Marlie Packer via BBC Sport: “I’m super proud of the girls. We have built ourselves up as a group and are well into the John Mitchell era with the way we want to play.”
“We just won a Grand Slam and what a great atmosphere, it was pretty hostile but that means we can turn it up if we need to.”
“I’m just super proud of the girls. We have smiles on our faces but don’t really celebrate, and that shows the toll this campaign has taken. I’m just proud of the girls.”
“It means everything, but I’m not just lifting the trophy, I’m doing it with the girls, not me alone, it’s about every player, it took a real team effort.”
“There’s a lot behind the scenes too, how much the physiotherapist and everyone else does.”
“That’s why we can perform on the pitch.”
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