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France 7-13 England: Red Roses postpone late fight back to extend their incredible winning streak to 27 games… as Emily Scarratt scores all their points to take second World Cup win
- England players will breathe a sigh of relief after their victory over France
- The Red Roses had taken a 13-0 lead, only for France to fight back
- Simon Middleton’s squad held out and secured two wins for two in New Zealand
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Sarah Hunter breathed a huge sigh of relief and Simon Middleton admitted his team had undergone a reality check when England’s World Cup dream nearly turned into a nightmare in Whangarei.
This encounter with France would always be the toughest of the group stages for the Red Roses and it showed. At one point in the second half, England was upset.
Captain Hunter and her players tried and tried again to tear down a relentless blue wall that stood firm and left England frustrated. France’s defense was as physical as it was excellent.
England took two wins out of two at the Women’s World Cup with a hard-fought win
Emily Scarratt scored all 13 England points as they had to work much harder for their win than in their 84-19 dominating win over Fiji in New Zealand last week
It was a momentous occasion for Sarah Hunter (left) to equal Rocky Clark’s cap record
They made a whopping 214 tackles. It wasn’t enough to stop England extending their winning streak to 27 games, but it showed that Middleton’s side can be fallible. They weren’t at their best here.
“I understand where the favorites label comes from, but I think too many people make us more favorites than we are,” said England head coach Middleton.
“If that had been a knockout match, we could have been on the plane home. That’s how it’s going to be.’
Hunter equaled Rocky Clark’s England cap record of 137 and was all smiles in the tunnel before kick-off. At the full-time whistle, the No. 8 veteran was just happy the job was done.
Make no mistake, this was a very real scare for England. The way France has physically derailed the Red Roses and dealt with the breakdown will give hope to other teams, most notably host New Zealand.
“When the horn went off at the end, there was definitely a sigh of relief,” Hunter said. “The game was very tight and we couldn’t afford to get complacent or distracted.”
England were certainly tested and if France hadn’t lost star players Laure Sansus and Romane Menager to brutal injuries in the first half, the game could have been even tighter.
Scarratt impressed for England, even though France’s defense was as organized as it was physical
French players congratulate Gaelle Hermet whose attempt gave them hope of a fight back
All of England’s points came from Emily Scarratt who scored a try and a conversion and two penalties. Middleton’s side failed to convert their possession and territory into points.
Some of that was due to their own debauchery, but the impressive nature of France’s rearguard action in light of the loss of Sansus and Menager should not be downplayed.
In the second half, their never-say-die approach got England into serious trouble. Gaelle Hermet scored a try for France and if their attacking play had clicked they could have won it.
The celebrations of those wearing white at the final whistle showed that this was a match England were relieved to have won.
Middleton will make changes for the final pool match with South Africa ahead of the quarter-finals.
“We could have made it easier on ourselves, but we’re at a World Cup and we don’t have to be the finished article now,” said Hunter. “What you don’t want is to get to the knockout stage and feel like you haven’t been tested. I don’t mind having such a tight game.’
Alex Matthews in the picture with the Player of the Match award after a great performance
France’s Assia Khalfaoui comforts Hermet after their hard-fought defeat to England