The last time England lost in the women’s six Nations, Theresa May was Prime Minister, Chelsea were defending the Premier League champions and The Shape of Water had just won Best Picture at the Oscars. Since that defeat, the red roses have won 28 consecutive games, scoring 1,440 points and conceding 185 goals, winning five consecutive women’s Six Nations titles. And the winners on this fateful day France.
On Saturday in Bordeaux, France has the last chance to end England’s reign in a Grand Slam decider. But the French will have to overcome a dominant beast in John Mitchell’s team, which is aiming not only for a sixth consecutive title, but also for a third consecutive Slam.
France will be aiming for a cinematic performance, but they haven’t smacken England in any competition for six years. The red roses have also been arguably more impressive in this tournament, especially last time out against Ireland. A 14-try record at Twickenham has opened the door to another title.
The hosts are competing for their first Six Nations title and their first Grand Slam. in addition to their defeats against the old enemy, England, France has a good record in the competition. The last time they couldn’t smack a team that wasn’t England was their 13-13 draw with Scotland. the pressure is on the French shoulders to banish their losing streak against England, but the team is relatively calm, according to flying half Lina Queyroi.
“We feel our own internal stress, but we are good with nerves and we rarely get nervous,” says the 22-year-old. “We will work on it before the game so that we can manage the moments of high pressure and stay calm.
“We have to be competitive in this game if we want to win the Grand Slam. The collisions will be great. We know they are strong in midfield, but we also have our strengths.”
One of these strengths is the center Gabrielle Vernier, known for her crunching tackles. She is in power – along with her central partner Nassira Konde, Queyroi and the rest of the defensive line – of breaking the link in the middle of the English half-back partnership of Holly Aitchison and Natasha Hunt and the last three places.
Breaking the actionstartinging chain will be the key to overcoming the red roses, especially since the back line has good connections in its game after Mitchell named unchanged backs for the fourth consecutive year in his starting XV.
Another strength of France is the home crowd, but England captain Marlie Packer is not impressed by what awaits her at the Chaban-Delmas Stadium. “I think I’m keeping The excitement going,” Packer says, reflecting on the Twickenham game last weekend. “We know what the French public will bring and [we must] face the opportunity again.
“Let’s make it our fortress there. Twickenham was a great day for us, but at the end of the day it’s in the past and we have to stay in the present. If we put on the Rugby brand, as we did last Saturday, I think the French crowd will start cheering us on.”