Lydia Thompson produced a stunning last-gasp try to lift England to a dramatic win over France at Sandy Park.
A week on from the Red Roses’ superb win in Clermont against the same opponents, this time Les Bleues looked nailed on to secure a revenge victory.
Laure Sansus and Caroline Boujard scored the tries for France, who also lost to England in this year’s Women’s Six Nations.
But not for nothing are Simon Middleton’s side on a 15-Test winning run at home, and Emily Scarratt’s boot kept them in touch.
Then at the death, with Zoe Aldcroft and Romane Menager in the bin for each side, a loose clearance kick from Morgane Peyronnet allowed Scarratt to work Thompson over in the right corner.
England now finish off their autumn campaign next weekend, looking to make it a cleansweep against Italy at Goldington Road.
How it unfolded
France had opted for an all-new half-back pairing for this clash, and Sansus and Peyronnet caught the eye in the early exchanges.
The French scrum was also dominating, like last week, but a knock on from Agathe Sochat denied France when in a prime try-scoring positon.
Scarratt then did the same up the other end, a searing linebreak on an inside ball taking her up to the line before Boujard’s cover tackle dislodged the ball.
Jessy Tremouliere then kicked the game’s first points after Aldcroft jumped across at lineout time and Les Bleues were in a deserved lead.
And they stretched it soon soon after, centre Camille Boudaud made the initial break before Sansus chipped over the top, toed the ball ahead and dotted down to cap a fine individual showing.
Tremouliere could not find the extras this time, but at 8-0 England badly needed a foothold.
The tireless Marlie Packer, impressive Abi Dow and ever-present Scarratt carried the charge for the Red Roses.
And the latter trimmed the French gap before the break with two penalties, impressively recovering after pushing her first attempt of the afternoon horribly wide.
Second half
England’s first try of the afternoon still evaded them, but Scarratt’s third penalty of the afternoon soon after the resumption put them in front for the first time at 9-8.
France wasted a chance for an immediate response when Tremouliere dragged another penalty wide.
But Les Bleues’ impressive defensive linespeed continued to frustrate Simon Middleton’s side with ball in hand, before ill-discipline allowed Scarratt a fourth penalty on the hour mark for a 12-8 lead.
But in the final quarter, the dominant French scrum began to wield a serious influence again.
First they won ball against the head, then they milked another penalty with the line in sight and the third produced the score, the effervescent Sansus bursting from the base and putting Boujard over.
Caroline Boujard went over for the all-important second-half try at Sandy Park (Inpho)
England’s task got harder thereafter, Dow injured trying to prevent the Boujard score and Tremouliere drilling the simpler conversion to put them 15-12 ahead with less than 15 minutes left.
England emptied their bench in response, chasing a score to re-take the lead but Aldcroft saw yellow for a dangerous clearout.
But Menager then saw yellow for the French and England kept pushing as the clock ran out.
It was cruel on the otherwise impressive Peyronnet, but her clearance was horribly sliced and England struck, Scarratt delaying her pass to the perfect moment and Thompson went over for her 36th Test try.
Key moment
The French scrum had earned France a deserved lead with time expiring but in the end they gave Thompson too much time and space.
The winger needed no second invitation, and burst clear for the crucial score.
Star woman
Laure Sansus scored one try and made another for France, more than meriting her call-up to the No.9 jersey for this week.
While Emily Scarratt kicked all the points for England before laying on the final score for Lydia Thompson.
But the woman of the match was deservedly Marlie Packer, the flanker marking her 70th cap for her country with some huge carries, a gritty second-half turnover and eventually a win to mark her milestone in the west country.
What they said
Woman of the match Marlie Packer on the last-gasp victory: Â “Amazing, to get the win we needed to stick to our processes, carry hard and work hard and we got the win in the end.
“We had to keep the points ticking over. It was nerve-wracking but that’s the thing, we can get the points at any time.
“Credit to Lydia but also to the whole team, it was brilliant down here in Exeter.”
World Rugby player of the year Emily Scarratt: “You are going to get tough games, you have to find a way to win.
“We have done that quite a lot recently against the French but we have to find a way to win a bit better, to find a few more points and be more clinical. But we are building with 2021 a while away yet.”
France centre Gabrielle Vernier on the defeat: “Very tough to lose that game that way but it proves that we are so close to beating them.
“Each time we are closer and closer, we have to work harder and harder and we will be there for next year’s Six Nations to beat them.
“Last week we lost on details, today it is the same way but we are closer and closer, we match them in defence and in courage.
“With a bit more work we will be there next time.”
Key stats
- England have now won 16 home internationals in a row, a run stretching back three years
- Emily Scarratt took her career points tally for England beyond the 500-mark in this narrow victory
- England were forced into a late change before the game, with Heather Kerr coming in at hooker after Lark Davies was ruled out through injury.
- England flanker Marlie Packer was winning her 70th cap for the Red Roses
- A week on from England’s first win in France in seven years, England completed the treble over their perennial rivals in 2019.
- Sandy Park hosted the Red Roses’ 55-0 Six Nations win over Italy in March in front of 10,545 fans – a record for a non-World Cup women’s England home game
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Source: 6 Nations