England win over France - Canada next
September 12th, 2006
A windy Friday afternoon saw England dispatch the French due to a combination of systematic driving power from the pack, and back play which left France looking flat-footed.
France seemed to be having an off-day in a way any fan of the men’s game would recognise; 
England gave an all-round demonstration of how it should be done, and richly deserved their 27-8 win. There were a couple of phases at the very beginning and end of the game where Les Bleus shone in a manner which warns us that we need to be even closer to perfection if we are to go all the way.
In the first few minutes, France had the ball over the our try line, but the ball was held up by a dogged English pack. That wake-up call worked, and France did not get a look-in until the very end of the second half, when some astute kicking put the ball behind the England defence on several occasions, leading to a try, and a penalty in the dying seconds of the game. This booked France the fourth-ranked semi-final slot against the Black Ferns. Good luck to them. They’ll need it. With the sun setting, England had cause to feel satisfied. 
We play Canada at midnight tonight UK time. The host team have performed well thus far, and will have the advantage of a large home crowd. We should make it through, probably to play New Zealand in the Final.
Spare a thought for Scotland, who came close to causing a major upset against favourites New Zealand. They held the Black Ferns to a 6-0 lead at half time in their final pool game, but were overcome in the end by southern hemisphere genius 21-0. This free download gives a taste of the open play we must overcome if we make it to the final.
RFUW editorial is here and here.
The IRB writeup of the France match is here, a piece about our prospects (no, I’m not counting my chickens before they’ve hatched) with a great title is here.
Top Image: Danielle Waterman celebrates one of her two tries Photo: Dale MacMillan. From IRB Site
Lower Image: The England players leave the pitch after their pool stage win over France
Photo: Getty Images. From IRB Site
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