Grand Slam glory for MacDonald

By Mark Stevens
29/4/23

Exeter Chiefs star Claudia MacDonald helped England seal a Six Nations Grand Slam in front of a record women's crowd of 58,498 at Twickenham, holding on for a 38-33 victory against France on a landmark day for the sport.

After a nervy start, Helena Rowland broke free in midfield and Abby Dow tore down the right wing to score and further fuel the already festival-like atmosphere in the London sun.

Four first half tries from Abby Dow, Marlie Packer, Alex Matthews, Zoe Aldcroft and one penalty try gave the hosts a commanding 33-0 lead at the break. France responded through Emilie Boulard, Gabrielle Vernier, Charlotte Escudero, Emeline Gros and Cyrielle Banet in the second half, but Lark Davies' try made the difference in a pulsating fixture at the home of England rugby.

That proved enough to secure a fifth Six Nations title in a row for Simon Middleton’s side who have bounced back from a heart-breaking World Cup final defeat by New Zealand less than six months ago.

The announcement of the attendance - surpassing the previous mark of 42,579 set at the 2022 World Cup final in New Zealand - breathed joy back into the air and Twickenham was on its feet dancing to celebrate at full-time.

"You want a good performance from your team because you know it will be at the root of the result," said Middleton, who was taking charge of the Red Roses for the final time. "But ultimately when you get to a finals day like this you have to find a way to win. We won with some fantastic rugby, but full credit to France, they were absolutely exceptional with the character they showed and the rugby they played."

Fans lined the streets in support of the team at Twickenham's rose and poppy gates ahead of the historic fixture, an experience Middleton described as 'phenomenal'.

"We drove through Twickenham on the way in and you could just sense the excitement. We got to the stadium to thousands of people waiting for us and you just think to yourself 'This is a stage. This is where the game needs to be".

The 57-year-old bows out after eight years at the helm of the England Senior Women's side. He has overseen 86 Tests during his tenure and was awarded World Rugby coach of the year in 2021.

"I think what everyone needs to understand is that the game has given me just as much as I've given the game, without a shadow of a doubt. It gave me a great opportunity to coach with England, work with some fantastic players and to develop myself as a coach and a person.

"We've had some great successes and we've had some failures, and that's sport. But when you look around the stadium to see 58,498 people you can just feel the energy. I couldn't be prouder and it's not a bad place to step out."