And so England, just about, march on, the Red Roses winning machine and the 82,000 that will accompany them rolling into Twickenham next week. How hard they had to work, though, to book their ticket to their own party; how deep they had to go to overcome a French wave that threatened to sweep away their World Cup dreams.
Forget the final scoreline, an 18-point margin not reflecting how close a contest this had felt. If the first semi-final between Canada and New Zealand had produced a performance to remember, this was a final-four clash of old school charm – niggly, nervy, and contested with hellacious physicality in spaces open and tight.
Crucially, though, the Red Roses do go on – the thought of a dispiriting final week with the hosts’ competition over dismissed in two flashes of Ellie Kildunne’s bright white boots.
This was not a performance to leave Canada quaking yet England’s World Cup chances remain very much alive. Kildunne will get the kudos but credit to their forwards, who came through in the final quarter to tilt it their way. This was a proper, proper battle of the kind that the Red Roses had been yet to face at this tournament. By the end, they had made 200 tackles to France’s 88, the underdogs swelling significantly having so nearly exited to Ireland to threaten to upset the established world order at a tournament that many feel the hosts have to win.
They missed their co-captain Manae Feleu, who is suspended and concussed starting fly half Lina Queyroi, but for some red-zone profligacy France might have powered out of sight of their fancied opponents; as it was, a 17th win on the spin against their fiercest foes advanced England into a final that promises to be some contest and occasion.
No doubt, John Mitchell’s side will have to be much, much better against a cohesive collective of the kind that Canada possess. They were grateful here for their red-zone defence, stingy in the first half as France piled the pressure on, the individual gifts of Kildunne and a couple of fortunate bounces of the ball. A combination of pluck and luck can carry a side a long way but they will be under no illusions that there will need to be another step up come next week’s final.
The impact of the returning Kildunne was instantly obvious, the full-back making 20 improbable metres on when counterattacking from inside her own 22 before scoring the first try a few minutes later. If there was a degree of fortune about the manner in which the ball popped free from a ruck on the left, there was no luck involved in the execution of the scoring move, the hands excellent from Alex Matthews, Abbie Ward and Hannah Botterman to give Kildunne a sliver of space – all she usually needs, a sprint and a shimmy giving England a dazzling start.
Thoughts immediately flashed back to the opening 24 minutes at Twickenham in the Women’s Six Nations and England’s surge to a 33-7 lead, but there was to be nothing of the sort this time. Not stung by that early score, France dominated most of the first 25 minutes and received deserved reward courtesy of centre Nassira Konde in the right corner, capitalising after breaks from each of the wings with England’s edge defence exploited.
It was a very un-Red Roses-like starts, the errors strewn across a soggy Ashton Gate surface and plenty of bodies, too, with France bringing a physical edge. Young No 8 Teani Feleu, taking on new importance in the absence of sister and co-captain Manae, was a tireless terror, while tighthead Rose Bernadou put herself about with reckless abandon even with the scrum battle largely edged by England.
The hosts had their chances, thrice squandering set-piece opportunities inside the French 22, and were rather fortunate to escape to the sheds with a two-point advantage intact – the jackal threat of Botterman and Meg Jones bailing them out on more than one occasion. A Bristol crowd ready to continue the festival feel that has accompanied England at this World Cup were shredding fingernails instead.
France’s own red-zone inefficiency was keeping their opponents afloat, eight entries into the English 22 bringing just those five Konde points. In their hour of need, the Red Roses went back to what they knew – a mighty maul spanning the entire Clifton Suspension Bridge as Amy Cokayne piloted it to the line.
Yet still the errors came. Jess Breach made a hash of the restart; their fringe defence a mess of the offside line. With Kildunne and the rest of the edge tacklers condensed in, wing Kelly Arbey made the most of her forwards’ hard work. The battles within the battle intensified: Kildunne and Pauline Bourdon Sansus sparked one scrap, France giving nary an inch as they had promised.
Into the fray came the benches, an area of presumed advantage for England with such tight-five depth particularly. Bristol’s Sarah Bern made her presence known with a thumping tackle moments after coming on and it was a fellow Bear that roared to the line thereafter, Abbie Ward with the requisite punch to cross from close-range after a thunderous, adventurous move involving backs and forwards.
The nervous energy did not really dissipate but lady luck came to England’s aid. Zoe Harrison’s somewhat aimless kick appeared misdirected yet tumbled awkwardly at the feet of Marine Menager, who could only succeed in spooning it forwards with a centre-half’s errant touch. Into the grasp of an onrushing Kildunne it fell, before the full-back did the rest, eschewing three or four chances to pass on a trademark circuitous weave to the line.
The 26-year-old was sporting brand new boots she had helped design, white daps with cheetah print accents flashing as she showed France a clean pair of heels. Konde’s second ensured England could not cruise to a finish, with their edge defence under scrutiny again, but a second fortunate ricochet – this time off the left-hand post to Jones after an Aitchison grubber – had them home and dry. To Twickenham they head in search of history.
