England XV Vs France XV

[sparky]

Lots of English fatties struggling in the heat.

Le Garrac's boot is excellent.

[Bones]

Has the ref been decent, or are we virtue signalling?

[sparky]

The French are taking a battering in the scrums.

[sparky]

@Bones I think she's done okay. Not international standard in terms of where she's standing and looking, but she's methodical and clear.

[sparky]

Some French magic and Le Garrac is in. He's certain to feature in the NZ series.

[sparky]

Try wiped out. Is Hollie about to card the wrong player? It was 20 Blue, not 21 Blue.

[sparky]

Woki walks, although Hollie Davison called out the wrong number.

[sparky]

England score after very poor French defence. 24-12.

[sparky]

And another lengthy water break. England up to 15 after the 20-minute red card. England should run out daily easy winners in the last 20 minutes.

[sparky]

Woki upgraded by The Bunker to a 20-minute Red. That might cost him a place on the NZ tour.

France to have 14 for most of the rest of the game.

[sparky]

France awarded a try. Good use of the TMO by Ref Hollie to confirm her on-field decision.

[sparky]

Kick good. England 24 France 19 with four minutes to go.

[sparky]

France back to 15. 90 seconds to go.

[sparky]

Time up. France with a lineout 5 out.

[sparky]

France steal it at the death!

[sparky]

All over. England 24 France 26.

[sparky]

Le Garrac rightly named MOM. The French half back is handful.

[sparky]

The big talking point post-match will be the ref. Not just because of her gender and her youth. Hollie Davison had a lot of decisions to make there.

I thought she did okay. She has not much choice with the first RC. It was at least a YC, then got upgraded on review. The second one was a bit of a captain's challenge by Jamie George after the French try. The TMO spotted it. She took her time and awarded a YC. It then got upgraded to a RC by the bunker.

Both those last two French tries looked fair to me. She was well sighted for both and used the TMO to check.

Unlike some refs, she knows the laws and she is methodical and clear. Well done her.

But would I want her officiating an All Blacks tests or a RWC game? No I'm afraid. She's too slow around the park to officiate a top men's competitive game. She was a long way behind some of the breaks and she ended up in some odd field positions, when the game went side to side quickly.

She's fine for a barbarians or festival game. And a great role model for young female (and male) refs. But please, World Rugby, don't give her a NZ-SA game any time soon.

[sparky]

England fell apart a bit there in the last ten minutes. Partly fatigue and lack of fitness but also they really lacked leadership once Jamie George went off.

England have some nice ball players. But yet again game management in the last ten minutes and getting the job done is the big work on for them.

Whatever the opposite of a bomb squad is then that's what England's bench is.

George Ford's goalkicking was not good again. Time for England to find a different 10.

[Daffy Jaffy]