The bare facts are a big deal in themselves. England are the Six Nations grand-slam champions and sealed the deal with a thunderous first-half performance their players will remember with pride and satisfaction. From a pure rugby perspective the game fully justified its high-profile billing.
But as you gazed around the buzzing stadium and listened to the ear-splitting roars of the excited congregation there could be no missing the wider significance of this occasion. Never has a bigger crowd watched a game of women’s rugby in history and from every conceivable point of view it felt like another huge tipping point for female sport.
You could sense it on the trains to Twickenham and in the queues of bright-eyed schoolgirls snaking up the road to the ground. Not only was it clear that many were first-time visitors but the vibe was entirely different too. When they tot up the match day takings they will find that alcohol sales were appreciably down: but less corporate might just be a blueprint that the Rugby Football Union should consider following across the board.
Better still, perhaps, was that this ‘new normal’ felt so natural, as if it should have happened years ago, had anyone bothered to arrange it. Credit clearly needs to go to those at the modern forefront of the women’s rugby revolution but this, in many ways, was a day to recognise and applaud all those who paved the way in front of a handful of spectators for decades with barely a shred of publicity.
It added up to an afternoon of such sun-soaked resonance that even the half-time show by the Sugababes – a popular music combo, m’lud – had to settle for second billing behind the percussive power of the Red Roses pack and the shrieking excitement of the record 58,498 crowd for whom the rugby was clearly hitting the spot. France were strong at the start and towards the end, scoring 33 points in second-half comeback, but this was primarily England’s day.
Once the Red Roses finally got hold of the ball they were beyond relentless. It helped that France had two players sent to the sin bin in the first half but the hosts’ 33-0 interval lead underlined why the Red Roses have become all but unbeatable in Europe in recent times.
While they will forever regret their agonising late defeat by the Black Ferns in the World Cup final in Auckland last November, it has clearly focused a few minds and a desire to give their departing head coach Simon Middleton a good send-off was also evident in a devastating 23-minute period towards the end of the first half when they scored five unanswered tries.
The first two, in particular, demonstrated that this England side do not merely ask unanswerable questions at close quarters. Give Abby Dow half a yard, as Ellie Kildunne did wide on the right after 17 minutes, and the rapid winger will burn off anyone. Similarly there is no question that Tatyana Heard adds direction and strength to the English midfield and the centre’s delightful inside offload duly allowed the outstanding Marlie Packer to weave over next to the posts for her seventh try of the tournament.
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Even before they lost their fly-half Jessy Trémoulière to the sin-bin for a deliberate knockdown France were wobbling. The unselfish Alex Matthews crashed unstoppably over and a penalty try was then awarded when the French prop Rose Bernadou made a desperate try-saving tackle from a clearly offside position. With France now down to 13, it was no surprise when the ever-influential Zoe Aldcroft also forced her way over with Helena Rowland further extending the huge home advantage.
Perhaps it was inevitable that England would take their foot momentarily off the gas. And that France, unbeaten coming into the game, would eventually make an impact. Full-back Émilie Boulard went over on the left and the nimble inside centre Gabrielle Vernier also helped to give France some respectability before replacement Émeline Gros and winger Cyrielle Banet added two further tries.
Overall, though, the truth of the matter is that the Red Roses have seldom been in such rude health. Maybe there is an inherent problem there for the women’s Six Nations to worry about down the track, because England have blown away almost everything in their path. In the short term, though, the heroines in white have another Six Nations grand slam and, for the women’s game as a whole, the sky is now the limit.
