England edge France in Lille after match abandoned due to floodlight failure

[ASFN Admin]

France 15 - 17 England England edged France for the second time in the space of the week after a floodlight failure at the Stade Lille-Metropole after 62 minutes brought an intense game to a bizarre end. Both teams were ordered back to their changing rooms and the game was later called off some 20 minutes later, with concerns over injuries if the match was to be resumed. The result - which will go down as an official win due to more than 60 minutes of the match completed - meant England preserved their No.1 world ranking and extended their winning streak over the French to nine matches. France will arguably feel more aggrieved by the premature end as they were chasing a two-point game in which England on occasions looked second-best for large periods. Despite finding themselves a woman down after Zoe Harriosn’s sin-binning, the Red Roses found themselves two points in front at the break in a first half that turned into The Abby Dow Show. The Wasps winger was England’s salvation against a French side hungry for revenge following their crunch defeat to lose the women’s championship at Twickenham Stoop last week. Dow twice showcased her scintillating speed and agility, wheeling down her flank to leave 2018 World Player of the Year Jessy Tremoulliere for dead for her first score. Her second was sublime, gathering the ball on the half way line and snakehipping her way through a sea of blue shirts who watched helplessly as the mechanical engineering graduate engineered her own bit of magic. Apart from that, there was not a lot for England to shout about in the first half. Their captain, Sarah Hunter, had warned before the game there would be no hangover from winning their third straight Six Nations last week, but judging by the ruthlessness with which England were shoved off the ball in their own scrum, you would have assumed so.

Continue reading...