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England (19) 38
Tries: M Packer, Breach 2, Rowland, Talling, L Packer Cons: Aitchison 4
France (0) 19
Tries: Sochat, Menager, Bourdon Sansus Cons: Tuy 2
England began their preparations for WXV1 with a convincing friendly win over Six Nations rivals France at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium.
The Red Roses scored six tries in their first outing since beating France in April to claim a third Six Nations Grand Slam in a row.
Captain Marlie Packer opened the scoring before Jess Breach and Helena Rowland handed England a 19-0 lead at the interval.
The hosts added to their advantage three minutes after the break as Morwenna Talling scored from the driving maul but France hit back with their first points of the game from the same method through Agathe Sochat.
Breach doubled her tally and Lucy Packer went over to add further gloss to the scoreline for England but Romane Menager and Pauline Bourdon Sansus both scored late consolations for the visitors.
England face world champions New Zealand in their next friendly at Twickenham on Saturday as John Mitchell’s side gear up for WXV1 in Canada and launch into a year which will culminate with a home World Cup next summer.
England building for the big prize
England against France is rarely just a friendly, but the Roses have dominated this fixture in recent history. Victory in Gloucester stretched their winning run over Les Bleus to 14 games.
France are their closest rivals in the northern hemisphere but Mitchell has been brought in to conquer the rest of the world and steal New Zealand’s crown.
Marlie Packer will be influential if England are to deliver the World Cup next year and the captain kickstarted the win over France with a powerful finish from close range to register her 47th Test try.
Ellie Kildunne, back from Olympic Sevens duty with Team GB, was pivotal in England’s second as she made the initial break before the ball was recycled for Breach to score out wide.
Rowland added the third after bouncing through the tackle and dotting down under the posts despite taking the pass from centre partner Tatyana Heard behind her.
After three first-half tries from open play, the Roses flexed their set-piece muscle after the interval as Talling was the beneficiary of their supreme rolling maul.
France had barely laid a glove before they followed England’s lead and executed a driving maul from a line-out of their own as Sochat opened their account.
Holly Aitchison’s clever chip caused panic in the French ranks as they failed to gather the loose ball before England manoeuvred space for Breach to double her tally and finish off her 42nd Test try.
Menager hit back with a powerful surge but as England charged down the other end, replacement scrum-half Lucy Packer showed her guile to reach out and ground the ball against the traffic of white shirts.
France landed the final blow as Bourdon Sansus emulated Lucy Packer from the bench to score her side’s third try but England will be pleased with their ruthless display inside the opposition 22 as they move on to Twickenham for the visit of Mitchell’s native New Zealand.
Line-ups
England: Kildunne; Dow, Rowland, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Aldcroft, Talling, Feaunati, M Packer, Matthews.
Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Carson, Bern, Campion, Cleall, L Packer, Harrison, Scarratt.
France: Jacquet; Banet, Konde, M Menager, Boulard; Tuy, Chambon; Brosseau, Sochat, Khalfaoui, M Feleu (capt), Fall, Escudero, Gros, R Menager.
Replacements: Bigot, Mwayembe, Bernadou, Ikahehegi, Okemba, T Feleu, Bourdon Sansus, Vernier.