England celebrate Six Nations Grand Slam with victory in France
England claimed their sixth successive Guinness Women’s Six Nations title and completed a hat-trick of Grand Slams after toppling France 42-21 in Bordeaux.
The Red Roses led from the moment prop Maud Muir charged over in the fourth minute and they went on to score six tries, with number eight Alex Matthews crossing twice in front of a 28,000 full house.
France touched down three times but they suffered the setback of losing Assia Khalfaoui to a yellow card for a dangerous clear-out of Morwenna Talling, with the offence upgraded to red on review.
WHAT A FEELING
— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) April 27, 2024
The Red Roses are Grand Slam champions for a third-consecutive year ❤️#RedRoses | #GuinnessW6N 🌹 pic.twitter.com/laHHAU2fO1
It meant they had to complete the last 37 minutes of the Stade Chaban-Delmas showdown with only 14 players, yet they still played their best rugby in a second half that finished 7-7.
England have now won the Grand Slam for the last three years and their winning run in the tournament stands at 29 games, with their last defeat coming against France in 2018.
As expected, France provided the toughest test of the Six Nations, forcing the Red Roses to grind it out at times having blazed their way through the competition until this point.
England had to work far harder for their tries than in the previous four rounds – they ran in 14 against Ireland alone – but there were also flashes of the attacking enterprise introduced by head coach John Mitchell.