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 plenty of satisfaction. From a pure rugby perspective the game fully justified its high-profile billing, assisted by a stirring French renaissance in the final half hour.
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 before has a bigger crowd attended a game of women’s rugby and from every conceivable point of view it felt like another huge tipping point for female sport generally.
