When it comes to England v France there is no such thing as a friendly. The tense nature of the rivalry was on full display throughout, including a crunching collision between Ellie Kildunne and the France fly-half Lina Tuy, rips in tackles from the prop Hannah Botterman and a Kingsholm crowd in a feet-rumbling mood.
It was an atmosphere and physicality to reignite the history between the two foes and England’s head coach John Mitchell noted post-match that his team’s defensive work hurt France “mentally” and that the encounter was not “very friendly”. If the hostility alone was not enough to light a spark in this match, then the added backdrop of the first game of a season which will end with the Rugby World Cup, being held in England, certainly was.
