On the walk through the crowd into Ashton Gate, Ellie Kildunne pulled out a disposable camera and took photos of supporters in cowboy hats.
Sadia Kabeya danced to the beat of the steel drum band as England looked like a team without a care in the world.
Pressure has done funny things to English rugby teams in home World Cups. Just ask Stuart Lancaster what happened in 2015.
Smiling in the face of danger was England’s way of dealing with it and now they will dance their way into next week’s final against Canada.
Yet there were times here when the pressure seeped through. This was not the catwalk many had expected.
Meg Jones needed to be at her snarling best as the match turned into a scrap and Hannah Botterman’s turnovers got the English out of jail.
Ellie Kildunne (left) and Megan Jones (right) starred as England got the better of France
Kildunne scored twice as England set-up a Women’s World Cup final clash with Canada
England beat France 40-6 last month but here they were clinging onto a two-point at the hour mark. Their inaccuracies will not have gone unnoticed by Canada’s head coach, Kevin Rouet, who was sat in the stands.
It was an error-prone performance which will give the Canadians belief of an upset.
The power of England’s bench, combined with the majesty of Kildunne, proved the difference. They busted their way through tackles and wrestled back control, allowing the full-back to finish the job that she started with her try in the fifth minute.
No one can stop Kildunne when she gets the ball in space, although there were concerning scenes as she limped her way through the final minutes.
‘We’ll go through the medical process,’ said England coach John Mitchell on Kildunne’s injury.
‘It’s pretty early so fingers crossed. She’s special, isn’t she? She deserves her accolades as world player of the year. She’s still very young.
‘She’s a very humble girl, into photography, loves being creative and isn’t a girl that you put into box. She only needs a little bit of structure.’
Kildunne produced two moments of brilliance in what was a tough game for England
England’s players celebrate reaching a second consecutive Women’s Rugby World Cup final
England are a powerful machine yet there were times when they lacked artistry.
They struggled to feel their way through attacking positions in the red zone, losing the ball in contact when they should have looked up to see overlaps crying out to be exploited.
‘Carry! Carry! Carry!’ blasted Jones at her players.
England have invested more money into the women’s game than any other team in the world. They are fitter and faster, chasing kicks at a greater speed than the opposition can retreat.
They are bigger and stronger, too, dominating one-on-one collision zones. Strength in depth is England’s weapon and eventually they broke the French resistance.
‘France were building pressure on us and we needed to change that around,’ said Mitchell. ‘A lot of that cumulative error was our own doing. We needed to solve that very quickly.
‘No one will remember how we won today, over time. We’ve earned the right to contest the final. It’s a new game. We’ll switch off and get back together on Monday.
‘We’ve got a short week, we’ve got to recover well, have some fun and really enjoy the week, with it being in our country.’
A strong crowd at Bristol’s Ashton Gate enjoyed a competitive game with France in fine form
Kildunne (left) and England are now just one game away from global glory on home soil
Now England are hoping to do what no other English team has done and win the World Cup on home soil. The title has felt like their destiny from the very start. The carnival feel will continue but the pressure will grow.
Mitchell has won every Test since he took over as head coach in 2023 but his legacy will be determined in the next seven days.
Some say the gulf in funding between England and Canada is around £10million. The Canadians do not have a full-time programme and launched a million-dollar crowdfunding campaign to get here.
The pressure is not just on Mitchell, but on the entire RFU to see a return on their investment. If they do, it promises to be a glorious crowning moment.
