England met France at the Stade de André et Guy Boniface in Mont-de-Marsan last night and put on an impressive performance in front of 7,000 spectators, coming away with a 40 - 6 win.
This was the final warm-up match for the Red Roses before the World Cup commences on August 22, having previously thrashed Spain 97 - 7 in their other warm up match. This game was the only warm up match of their opponents before the group stage of the World Cup begins, and established England’s dominance from the beginning.
The Red Roses vs. Les Bleues
The Red Roses crossed the try line three times before half time, through forwards Morwenna Talling, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir, consistently controlling and overpowering the mauls.
However, the standout try of the game was an opportunistic break from scrum-half Natasha Hunt after France gave away a penalty, which allowed Megan Jones to barrel through without an issue. Replacement Lark Atkin-Davies completed the score with two tries late in the game.
Les Bleues, who are currently ranked fourth in the world and have expressed their intentions to win the upcoming World Cup, were unable to claw back the score like they did in their 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations face off with England where they emerged with a painfully close 43 - 42 score at fulltime.
England were far more ruthless this time around, recording their biggest win over France since 2009 and extending their winning streak against France to 16 matches in a row. Jess Harrison was a reliable presence at flyhalf, continuing her performance from the Red Roses’ warm up match against Spain last weekend.
Whilst some of the passes were a bit loose from the backs, England dominated in the mauls and line outs in a performance that should bolster their confidence of earning a third World Cup win.
When is England’s next appearance?
The Red Roses’ next appearance will be against the USA in Sunderland on August 22, kicking off the 2025 Women’s World Cup with a bang.