The 58,498 in attendance were treated to a free-flowing affair as a five-try blitz in the firsthalf from the Red Roses was met by the threat of a monumental second-half comeback by the French.
But, as England held on to win, they secured their fifth Grand Slam in eight years and provided the perfect swansong for departing coach Simon Middleton.
“The girls put everything out there today, I’m super proud. Every player in the squad has played a part. It’s amazing,” said winning captain Marlie Packer.
“France came at us. We knew we would have a tough game. They’ve grown over the tournament and played the full 80 minutes.”
Back row Sadia Kabeya added: “It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s been an amazing tournament and today it all came together.
“It was definitely a game of two halves. They gave it to us but we stuck to it and kept to the game plan.”
The record crowd provided a magnet of tension early on as both sides participated in a nervy game of kick tennis to open, wary not to give the other any opportunities.
The visitors then began to command proceedings and piled the pressure on England as they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.
This story is from the April 30, 2023 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the April 30, 2023 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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