Prepared for another clash: England's Matthews geared up for World Cup semi-final against France
The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is shaping up to be a thrilling event, with the highly-anticipated match between England and France promising to be a standout fixture.
John Mitchell, England's coach, has highlighted the close nature of these matches as a reason to guard against complacency. The Red Roses, the tournament favourites, have won their last 16 matches against France, but their recent encounters at Twickenham have been anything but one-sided. In their two most recent Six Nations meetings, England built commanding leads, only for France to mount thrilling recoveries.
Louis Deacon, the forwards coach, echoes this sentiment, predicting that the game will likely go down to the wire and that England is prepared for a close contest. Deacon expects that it will take 80 minutes to establish superiority over France, a testament to the physical and emotional nature of their matches, as stated by Matthews, a veteran No.8 and a member of the last England side to win the Women's World Cup.
Matthews enjoys playing against France, whether it's their first cap or 50th, and has addressed the need to maintain focus and not get bored with what is going well. The suspensions and injuries affecting France, with Axelle Berthoumieu and Manae Feleu suspended for biting and a dangerous tackle respectively, add to the anticipation of a potentially close and hard-fought match.
Unfortunately, France's coach's name is not mentioned in the provided search results. However, England's coach believes that their team is ready to fight and hunt down France. The absence of key players, with Lina Queyroi sidelined due to concussion and Joanna Grisez withdrawing due to a hamstring injury, will undoubtedly impact France's performance.
England is potentially well-placed to achieve a record-extending 32nd consecutive win against all opponents on Saturday. The final scores of their two most recent meetings were 38-33 in 2023 and 43-42 in 2025, indicating that even in defeat, France have consistently pushed England to the limit.
As the Women's Rugby World Cup approaches, the England vs France match promises to be a brilliant battle, filled with intensity and drama. Fans can expect a close, physical, and emotional contest, making it a must-watch event in the rugby calendar.
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