One thousand and one days. That’s the staggering length of time since England’s women last tasted defeat—a painful loss in the 2022 World Cup final to New Zealand. Since then, the Red Roses have been unstoppable, notching up an extraordinary 27-match winning streak. Their latest triumph, a commanding 40-6 away win over France on August 9, 2025, wasn’t just another tick in the victory column—it was a statement of intent as the home World Cup looms just around the corner.
England’s performance at Stade Andre et Guy Boniface in Mont-de-Marsan was nothing short of emphatic. Facing a French side ranked fourth in the world and who had pushed them to the brink in a 43-42 Six Nations thriller just a few months prior, England delivered their biggest winning margin over Les Bleues in 30 meetings—stretching all the way back to 2009. That’s not just a win; that’s a psychological blow to a potential World Cup semi-final rival.
Head coach John Mitchell, who has overseen this era of dominance, wasn’t shy in crediting his staff and players for the relentless drive. “Sarah’s a very good coach,” Mitchell said of defence coach Sarah Hunter, herself a former captain. “She understands our system very well. She understands the girls very well and they love her to bits as well, they respect her hugely. It’s very helpful that she’s been part of the system from day one.”
The victory in Mont-de-Marsan was built on forward power and tactical precision. England’s pack bullied their French counterparts, especially in the maul and line-out. The opening three tries all came from forwards—Morwenna Talling, Amy Cokayne, and Maud Muir—before scrum-half Natasha Hunt’s quick thinking set up Megan Jones for the only try by a back. Replacement hooker Lark Atkin-Davies then added two late scores to put the result beyond doubt and add a little shine to the scoreboard.
Fly-half Zoe Harrison was at the heart of England’s tactical execution. Retaining her spot after the 97-7 demolition of Spain, Harrison’s pinpoint kicking for the corner allowed England to dominate territory and unleash their maul. She converted five of the six tries, only missing out on a perfect night when her first attempt rebounded off the post. “Harrison’s kicking was pinpoint and lengthy, allowing the plan to function,” noted one observer, highlighting how her nerve and skill have put her in pole position for the number 10 shirt as the World Cup approaches.
Yet, for all the dominance, Mitchell’s side weren’t perfect. Loose passes and a few knock-ons offered reminders that there’s still work to do before the big kick-off. The backs, for all their talent, only contributed one try—a stat that might raise eyebrows given England’s wealth of attacking riches in those positions. “Given their wealth of riches in that area, they should produce more,” one analyst commented. It’s a fair point: when the likes of New Zealand or Canada are on the other side of the pitch, those missed opportunities could prove costly.
Selection headaches are mild but present. Wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Holly Aitchison, both contenders for starting roles, are nursing knocks, while veteran centre Emily Scarratt is recovering from a head injury ahead of what would be her fifth World Cup. Mitchell is likely checking in daily on their progress. Meanwhile, Marlie Packer, a stalwart of the back row, was absent due to suspension following a red card against Spain, but her absence hardly registered thanks to the outstanding performances of Sadia Kabeya and Maud Muir. Captain Zoe Aldcroft was effusive in her praise for Muir: “Maud is a fantastic player. She’s an absolute bulldozer in attack, and in the scrum as well she’s formidable. She’s very quick, deceptively quick, and very powerful.”
For France, this was a sobering dress rehearsal ahead of their own World Cup campaign. In front of a partisan crowd of around 7,000, they struggled to match England’s physicality and discipline. Captain Manae Feleu was sin-binned in the first half as the French pack tried, and failed, to stem the Red Roses’ rolling maul. Their only points came from two penalties by Bourgeois, and they never truly threatened the English try line.
The significance of this win goes beyond the scoreline. England have now won 16 successive matches against France, and their only defeat in the last 57 internationals remains that 2022 World Cup final heartbreak. The psychological edge is firmly with the Red Roses, who will begin their World Cup campaign on August 22, 2025, against the United States at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. If all goes to plan, they’ll be eyeing a return to Twickenham on September 27 for the final, hoping to stretch their unbeaten run to a jaw-dropping 1,050 days.
Mitchell, ever the pragmatist, is keeping his squad focused on the bigger picture. “We’re going to be thrown a lot of challenges when the tournament starts so we’ve just got to be ready for anything and to be able to adapt, and the girls have managed this particular week very, very well. It’s a privilege to have pressure. We’ve earnt it over the three-year cycle so it’s not something we are going to walk away from, we’re going to walk towards it.”
There’s a sense of destiny about this England side. They’re bursting with confidence, physicality, and a deep understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level. But the ghosts of past finals—especially those narrow losses to New Zealand—still linger. As Rachael Burford, part of the only previous England side to win the World Cup in 2014, told the BBC: “It wasn’t all perfect, but you always felt England were in total control. England had to be patient, they used their kicking game at times. But coming out on top against a good French side—they were really physically challenged today—it puts them in a good position for the start of their World Cup campaign.”
With 13 days to go until the World Cup curtain rises, England look every inch the favourites. But as Mitchell and his players know all too well, the real test is yet to come. For now, though, the Red Roses can savor a performance that sent shockwaves through the rugby world—and left their rivals with plenty to ponder.
