England 38-19 France: Red Roses Dominate in Gloucester
England’s Red Roses delivered a commanding performance, defeating Six Nations rivals France 38-19 at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium in a warm-up match for WXV1. The hosts, led by captain Marlie Packer, secured six tries in their first outing since clinching the Six Nations Grand Slam in April.
Packer opened the scoring before tries from Jess Breach and Helena Rowland pushed England to a 19-0 halftime lead. Morwenna Talling extended the advantage shortly after the break, though France responded with a try from Agathe Sochat. Breach’s second try and Lucy Packer’s score put the game beyond France’s reach, despite late efforts from Romane Menager and Pauline Bourdon Sansus.
England now turn their focus to their next fixture against world champions New Zealand at Twickenham, as John Mitchell’s squad builds momentum for the WXV1 in Canada and next year’s home World Cup.
Key Moments:
- Marlie Packer’s opening try
- Jess Breach’s double, taking her tally to 42 Test tries
- France’s late tries from Menager and Bourdon Sansus
