England have been bathed in Women’s Six Nations glory since 2019 and the winning sunlight warmed their skin once again as Marlie Packer lifted the trophy aloft for the Red Roses’ third successive grand slam and sixth consecutive title. England were convincing and lethal in their win over France but they did show weaknesses in defence in the second half, giving the head coach, John Mitchell, the arm wrestle he had wanted.
In the buildup Mitchell was keen to pick up some lessons from Le Crunch, especially with a home Rugby World Cup on the horizon. England were most definitely dealt them by a ferocious France team, who went down to 14 players in the 43rd minute after Assia Khalfaoui was given a red card, but they managed to weather the storm.
