Try Scorer Vilimoni Waqatabu Delasau (Fiji)

Wales 34 Fiji 38

Rugby World Cup 2007

Stade de La Beaujoire Nantes

ITV Commentary Martin Gillingham

“These two teams have met on 8 previous occasions Wales have won all 8 but the last one was very tight indeed 11-10 it was a couple of years ago in Cardiff, and here’s another chance Fiji really on the ramapage Delasau there looked like a knock on but he’s got another crack at it  Delasau it’s a foot race does he get the bounce he does”.

I think I should explain the title.

Firstly declaring October as mid summer is stretching artistic license to its limits, also, sadly this was not a dream but more like a nightmare and one that occurs fairly regularly for us masochists that follow Welsh rugby.

The title came to me over an early morning coffee and I was so ridiculously pleased with myself that I couldn’t bear to change it.

There are two certainties in life, death and taxes, actually make that three, Wales drawing Fiji in any Rugby World Cup tournament pool is another cast-iron certainty.

If you are Welsh or of a nervous disposition, or even both, please look away now.

There are people in Llanelli still receiving counselling as a result of the affects of the match that took place on French Atlantic coast.

This game in Nantes was a riot of rampant rugby and the flying Fijian winger set it alight

In the final pool game, already having an early try under their belt, Fiji chose to attack from a scrum inside their own twenty-two.

Seru Rabeni produced a magical offload behind his back to midfield partner Seremaia Bai who in turn passed out of the tackle to Vilimoni Delasau, with the winger hacking on despite the ball going to ground.

Seemingly overcrowded out on the touchline, Delasau chipped forward before towering above the covering defenders to collect an impossibly high bounce and touch down to complete a remarkable solo effort.

Fiji would eventually go on to win a thrilling game 38-34 thanks to a last-minute pick and drive by second row Graham Dewes and earn a first quarter-final appearance since 1987.

However, it was Delasau’s sensational score for which one of the most entertaining games the World Cup has ever seen will always be remembered.

As Fiji headed to Marseille for a semi final showdown with South Africa Wales headed to the airport but not before sacking coach Gareth Jenkins in the hotel car park.

A late try from Graham Dewes saw Fiji dump Wales out of the World Cup and get a quarter-final against South Africa.

Wales’ open style played into Fiji’s hands, big hits and strong running leading to tries from Akapusi Qera, VilimoniDelasau and Kele Leawere.

Alix Popham, Shane Williams, Gareth Thomas and Mark Jones brought Wales back, and Martyn Williams’ 73rd-minute interception try looked the clincher.

But the islanders rallied, Dewes bullying over from short

It was Fiji’s first win in nine games against Wales and sees them advance to their first quarter-final since 1987.

With a record of six wins from 20 games in charge of Wales, coach Gareth Jenkins’ position will now come under serious question.

His side had aimed to banish their slow-starting blues at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, and in the first minute a superb Stephen Jones break deep in his own half should have led to a try.

Jones found the supporting Tom Shanklin, but he delayed his pass to a free Mark Jones, allowing the defence to rally.

Stephen Jones put Wales ahead with a penalty and Chris Horsman and Gethin Jenkins had Fiji under pressure at the scrum, but Jones missed with a straightforward kick and Wales continued to spurn overlaps.

Seru Rabeni had already made his mark on Shanklin and Thomas with trademark hits, and another on James Hook in midfield forced a turnover.

The islanders attacked quickly with a flowing move, the ball coming to Gloucester flanker Qera who stormed over from close range.

With confidence flying, Nicky Little and Rabeni attacked from their own 22.

The ball fell to Delasau, who chipped over the top of the defence, a wicked bounce flying over Mark Jones’ head and collected his own kick for the second try.

Little added two penalties, before a dynamic Qera break from his own 22 ended with Kele Leawere barging over for the third try from close range.

A panicked Wales spurned penalties in front of goal, and were finally rewarded in the 34th minute as a five-metre scrum was walked over for Popham’s try.

Fiji relished Wales’ desperate, expansive style, but their discipline fractured with a late hit from Leawere on Popham.

Qera was then yellow-carded for aiming a knee into Stephen Jones’ chest on the stroke of half-time, but Hook missed the resultant penalty from in front of the posts.

Wales pounced on 14-man Fiji after the break, and after a Martyn Williams turnover in his own 22 Shane Williams danced inside from the wing with a superbly balanced run, beating three defenders and crossing under the posts.

A fine three-quarter move from an attacking scrum saw Hook free Mark Jones with an inside pass.

The wing found Gareth Thomas, who celebrated becoming the first Welshman to 100 caps by taking his record try tally to 40.

Williams thought he had sealed the win for Wales

Dwayne Peel found acres of space from a line-out to spark the next try, accurate passing along the line sending Mark Jones in at the corner and regaining the lead for Wales, Stephen Jones’ conversion making it 29-25.

The outsiders found their second wind with some thrilling attacking rugby, two Little penalties putting them back in front going into the final quarter.

Wales wheeled on the replacements, but needed a desperate, brave tackle from Thomas on his own line to deny SeremaiaBai a try.

As Fiji went for the kill, Little floated out a needless pass – and Martyn Williams plucked the ball out of the air for a 65mrun-in.

But the islanders regrouped once more and, when Delasau was held out inches short, Dewes picked up to cross for a try awarded by the video referee, sealing the biggest upset of the 2007 World Cup.

It was Wales’ third south sea island embarrassment in World Cups following defeats to the Samoans in 1991 and 1999

Wales (10) 34 
Tries: Popham, S Williams, G Thomas, M Jones, M Williams
Cons: Hook, S Jones (2)
Pens: S Jones

Fiji (25) 38
Tries: Qera, Delasau, Leawere, Dewes
Cons: Little (3)
Pens: Little (4)

Wales: G. Thomas, M. Jones, Shanklin, Hook, S. Williams, S. Jones, Peel, Jenkins, Rees, Horsman, A. Jones, Evans, Charvis, M. Williams, Popham.

Replacements: Phillips for Peel (57), R. Thomas for Rees (47), D. Jones for Horsman (66), Gough for Evans (66), Owen for Popham (66). Not Used: Robinson, D. James.

Fiji: Ratuvou, Delasau, Rabeni, Bai, Neivua, Little, Rauluni, Dewes, Koto, Railomo, Leawere, Rawaqa, Naevo, Qera, Koyamaibole.

Replacements: Ligairi for Rabeni (67), Bobo for Neivua (52), Daunivucu for Little (80), Sauturaga for Koto (78), Qiodravu for Railomo (54), Ratuva for Qera (74). Not Used: Lewaravu.

Sin Bin: Qera (40).

Att: 34,000

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Delasau went on to score a try in Fiji’s semi final defeat to South Africa, he was regarded by many as the best right winger in the tournament. He played 17 times for Fiji between 1998 and 2005 and also scored 85 tries for Fiji sevens, but that sunny day in Nantes he lit up the Rugby World Cup.

King Midas famously requested that anything he touched would turn to gold, although when he discovered the peril of his wish, he begged Dionysusto to reverse the spell.

The god relented and told Midas to plunge his hands into the river Pactolus.

Antoine Dupont will not be repeating the same act in the River Seine this morning. The man with the Midas touch caresses his Olympic medal after France beat Fiji in the Rugby Sevens Final at Stade de France last night.

There are no unused superlative remaining to describe the talents of this wonderful rugby player.

Everything he touches turns to rugby gold. He had played rugby in one form or another virtually non-stop for the last two years and yet his standards have not dropped for a single moment, in fact he just appears to get better and better.

He entered the field at half-time in a damp, grey final and turned the game on its head.

Dupont grabbed hold of the match with both hands both feet and every other available part of his anatomy, Fiji didn’t get a look in throughout the whole of the second period.

75,000 serenaded the home team to victory against a Fiji side that had never lost an Olympic Sevens match in the history of their participation in the games.

Cliff Morgan once said of another pretty good scrum-half after he scored a try – ‘If the greatest writer of the written word would have written that story, no one would have believed it’. That player was Gareth Edwards.

Dupont’s impact and his two tries would have tested the literary skills of Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, Émile Zola, Marcel Proust, George Sand, and even Voltaire.

Nine months ago, the Toulouse scrum left the Stade de France distraught and in tears following Les Bleus defeat to South Africa in the quarter-final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

This time, for the man with the Midas touch, it was tears of joy that mingled with the Parisian drizzle.

In the old days my summer sport consisted of afternoons that lengthened with the Sun’s shadows, sat in a deck chair listening to the sound of seagulls and willow on leather on the south coast.

I’ve never bought the definition that cricket is just baseball on Valium, and as for watching it, well laziness is not just a physical phenomenon there is a huge mental side to it.

Many youthful summer afternoons were spent at Dean Park, Bournemouth, watching Hampshire play whilst drifting in and out of a relaxing snooze before a Gordon Greenidge Six would land in the tea tent, shattering the cups and saucers, and turning a county championship match in to the soundtrack of a Greek wedding.

You didn’t snooze for long with that Hampshire team, the West Indies star and South African genius Barry Richards opened the batting and there were no safe zones beyond the boundary.

Snoozes were equally limited when Hants were fielding, with the great Malcolm Marshall reigning down, his run up seemed to start somewhere near the pier and any wides or bouncers were likely to do more damage than anything Barnes-Wallace could have invented, they were a heck of a team.

These days the rugby and cricket seasons merge, there was a time when sportsman could play both games and at the top level.

The rugby season ended on May 1 and a new one started on September, and that was the natural order of things.

Keith Jarrett The Welsh wonder kid who beat England single handedly in 1967 as a teenager, also played cricket for Glamorgan.

Wilf Wooler, Vivian Jenkins and Jack and Billy Bancroft all played rugby for Wales and cricket for Glamorgan.

Dusty Hare the England full back played first class cricket for Notts, whilst another England full back, Alistair Hignell was an accomplished cricketer with Gloucestershire.

In the Southern Hempishere the legendary All Black Don Clarke turned out for Auckland, and Sir Graham Henry, yes that one, played cricket for Canterbury.

Brian McKechnie the full back who kicked Andy Haden’s line out dive penalty to beat Wales in 1978, played international cricket for New Zealand,

Heading to the land of Springbok, former captain Morne du Plessis wore the whites of Western Province with distinction.

Other notable names who have excelled at rugby and Cricket are Rob Andrew and Simon Halliday, who played rugby for England and first class cricket for Cambridge and Oxford university respectively.

The names of those that played top class rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer, are too numerous to mention, but sadly there will be no new ones to add to the list, I’m afraid that is the price of professionalism when seasons collide.

The real tragedy is that Malcolm Marshall was taken from us at such a ridiculously young age, those of us who had the privilege to see him play will never forget him.

Friday dawned to a beautiful hot sunny summer morning yet amidst the calm tranquillity a global event occurred that caused panic, consternation, chaos, and disbelief right across the world. 

Despite the assurances of experts, the unthinkable actually happened, Wales won a rugby match.

Sky Sports gave in to demands from Amnesty International and pulled the plug on television coverage of the match between Queensland Reds v Wales. 

The Red Cross has already been concerned about the welfare of Welsh rugby fans globally since the start of 2024. 

There were fears that a loss to a club side would have catastrophic consequences and put an end to an even greater strain on a beleaguered NHS.

With Wales leading 24-14 at half-time, Sky took the courageous step of plugging in the broadcast with the away side having established a healthy lead.

Given Wales recent record, this an extremely brave call, which looked to be bordering on the edge of foolishness when Queensland Reds clawed back the deficit to take the lead 35-31 with just six minutes remaining.

A 79th minute try from replacement scrum-half Kieran Hardy saved the day for Wales, the Red Cross and Amnesty International to give the tourists their first win of 2024.

Four first half tries from Archie Griffin, Regan Grace, Rio Dyer and Chris Tshiunza to two from Reds hooker Richie Asiata put Wales in front at the interval.

A try from Nick Tompkins seven minutes into the second half gave Wales a surely unassailable 31-14 lead, sadly in Wales we don’t do surely these days.

But just as Amnesty International were about to put on their out-of-office reply, Asiata completed his hat-trick with a try on 53 mins. A try by Mac Grealy seven minutes later narrowed Wales lead to a slender 31-28.

Grealy’s second score came on 70 mins and was the try of the match, an outstanding coast-to-coast effort converted by James O’Connor’s gave Queensland a 35-31 lead, before Hardy earned Wales the victory laurels.

Just a short drive from Inverness, lies the Black Isle, a magical part of the Scottish Highlands steeped in myths and legends, a land within a land.

The name “Black Isle” can be traced back to ancient times. The land was associated with darkness and mystery due to its murky bogs, rocky terrain and sparse vegetation. This view of the Black Isle continued throughout the Middle Ages, where it was believed to be a place of superstition and enchantment.

Over the course of hundreds of years, soothsayers, witches, healers, and mystics have gravitated here.

The Brahan Seer lived here in the 17th century. A self-styled mystic, prophet and psychic, held in high esteem due to the accuracy of many of his prophecies.

On a cold windy Saturday night as the mist rolls in and the rain clatters against the window panes of the Allangrange Arms in Munlochy, locals will gather around a roaring fire and recount tales of a chosen one, born and bred in the Black Isle then sent to England to show the sassenachs how back row forwards should really play. Her injuries would be plenty, but the healers of the Black Isle had touched her with the power of endless recovery.

It is just over 580 miles between Black Isle and Twickenham Stoop, but the healing powers are still working for the “Chose One” Harlequins and Scotland number eight Jade Konkel.

Injuries sadly are part and parcel of sport, some athletes are more affected than others over the course of their playing career.

This can be down to sheer luck, or in some cases by the sheer attritional nature of their style of play.

Of course, attrition does not come at the expense of style or skill, as I can testify in Jade’s case.

Her injury list would give BUPA shareholders palpitations, Jade Konkel must have her surgeon on speed dial, such is the catalogue of misfortune she has suffered in recent years.

They say everything comes in threes (including injuries and operations) as Syndesmosis in her ankle in February 2023 reoccurred followed by a fractured fibula. Triple surgeries and fifteen months out of the game tested her physically and mentally to a point where she questioned whether her body could cope with with the rigours of top class rugby again.

Some players need a good few games to get back in the groove when returning from injury, but not Jade. All of her comebacks appear to have been seamless, hitting the ground running as well as hitting anything else that gets in her way. Maybe the medics use WD40 during rehab because she never shows any sign of rustiness when she steps back on to the field of play.

Pagans on the Black Isle centuries ago based their religion on nature and its elements; Earth, air, fire, and water. Fire is a daily part of Jade’s other life as a member of G39 Feltham Red Watch, part of London’s fire and rescue service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world.

We all hope for an injury free run for the Tartan Tornado she is certainly due a break (of the non limb shattering variety) Harlequins and Scotland are all the poorer for her absences.

Meanwhile, over the border as another log is thrown on that crackling, roaring fire at the Allangrange Arms in Munlochy the locals raise a glass and a wee dram to their very own Black Isle legend Jade Konkel.

Summer has been very slow arriving upon these shores, but yesterday at Twickenham the sun finally shone, although for the Welsh the dark clouds of defeat continue to hover above their heads like the sword of Damocles.

60,000 converged to witness a day of rugby that also incorporated a match between the Barbarians and Fiji.

If South Africa have reached the summit of their rugby Everest with World Cup glory, then Wales are stuck at base camp wearing T-Shirts and flip-flops

At this moment, the summit is shrouded in mist as they try to find the physical requirements and the creativity to compete with the big boys.

On a muggy, airless oppressive afternoon a Springbok storm was forecast to hit Twickenham, and with Wales trailing 14-3 and down to thirteen players after just fifteen minutes, things looked ominous.

Two yellow cards to Rio Dyer and Aaron Wainwright in quick succession galvanised Wales, and to their immense credit they refused to buckle.

After half an hour, the sun broke through the clouds and immediately Dewi Lake scored a try for Wales, Costello kicked a penalty on 34 minutes and the men in red went into the break just one point adrift at 14-13.

The second half was a different story. Three South African tries gave them a 41-13 victory, the superior Springbok bench finally saw off a brave, spirited Welsh performance that lacked creativity but was full of heart.

Sadly, heart does not win international matches these days, and Wales seventh defeat in a row does not sit well with a proud rugby nation.

It is difficult to see where the next Welsh win will come from, a young inexperienced group have tasted nothing but defeat in their entire, admittedly short international career.

Wales now head to Australia for a two test series. The last time the two sides met was on 24 September 2023 at the Rugby World Cup when Eddie Jones Wallabies were thrashed 40-6 in Lyon, what Wales wouldn’t give for a victory of any margin this time around.

There are some things in life you just never want to end. That glorious summer holiday as the sun sets over the beach on your final evening under the stars, a wonderful meal when the bill arrives, or that memorable concert as your favourite band perform their last song of the evening.

Those feelings are a strange mixture of enjoyment, gratitude and sadness. Similar emotions will pervade as Rachael Burford exits the green grass of her Twickenham home for the final time on Sunday.

Burf has been a constant at Harlequins. She has been our lighthouse, a shining beacon to cling to when the rugby seas got rough. However bad things got on and off the field, you felt Rachael Burford had a metaphorical arm around your shoulder, you knew things would turn out okay.

Being the official Welsh cake provider to the Quins women’s squad, I got to see the England centre’s silky skills on a weekly basis. I also witnessed her modesty and kindness to those around her, and experienced it first hand when my parents passed away.

She straddled the bridge between old world rugby and the new order, managing to retain the old values, whilst embracing the hard edged professionalism that is an essential requirement at the top end of the game.

Rachael maybe a Red Rose legend but at Harlequins she is just one of the gang, taking and giving the banter in her own humble way

Revealed as one of the top 50 most influential rugby people In Rugby World magazine, Rachael has always set the standards on and off the field where her media skills are also superb looking supremely assured in front of the camera.

Her playing career has been nothing short of incredible. 81 England caps, four World Cups, two World Cup finals, two World Cup Sevens, a Six Nations Grand Slam, a Premiership Title and the RPA merit award in 2017 together with some bloke called Richie McCaw.

Burf’s floating passes are a thing of beauty, England World Cup winning coach Gary Street compared them to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, but for me, they have an operatic quality more akin to a Puccini aria. You know exactly what is coming, but it is still always a joy to behold.

Even award-winning Red Roses have to start somewhere, and those important roots were established at Medway RFC, which was virtually a family concern. Dad did everything from the bar to the books and the boots, whilst Rachael spent her formative years in the scarlet and gold shirt, the highlight being a season playing alongside mum Renata and sister Louise.

Everything that can be written about Rachael Burford has already been penned and in many forms and guises, but for me, it is her actions that separate her from the rest.

She has been a pioneer and pathfinder for the women’s game, quite a weight to carry when you are trying to focus on your own game. Those strong shoulders, the ones that rotate to provide a pass worthy of Beethoven or Puccini, carried that load with grace, poise, and in a light humble manner that made it appear effortless.

So the hour is upon us and it is nearly time when another one of those things in life that you never wanted to end actually does.

You can always go on another holiday, have another memorable meal or hear your favourite band on their next tour, but there will never be another Rachael Burford. We are sad, but we are also incredibly glad for what we’ve had.

Thanks for everything Burf, We will miss you.

Scrum halves have always been canny and shrewd characters, and the Saracens number nine Leanne Infante is no exception.

The fifty-seven capped England international has now become a financial adviser, having joined the Quilter Academy in 2023. The services she now provides off the field are as smooth and accurate as that delightful spin pass of hers from the base of the scrum.

Whether it be Scrums to Spreadsheets or Mauls to Microsoft, Red Rose number 189 manages to combine both demanding roles adroitly.

As well as catching tricky returns in her own twenty-two, she is now also more than aware of those dreaded HMRC returns, the self-assessment variety.

On the field, I wonder if the heated verbal exchanges that invariably take place as a scrum forms have now been replaced with gnarly props asking Leanne for advice about the lifetime allowance on their personal pension pots.

Six years have passed since I sat with Leanne to write a piece about her at a warm, sunny Surrey Sports Park. She had just returned to Harlequins pre-season training following a relaxing summer holiday spent cycling stages of the Tour de France, and I don’t mean freewheeling through Paris, sipping champagne. She chose the mountains of the Pyrenees, tackling three peaks in one day.

This involved a 96 kilometre ride at a vertical height of 3200 metres, cycling constantly uphill for periods of around two hours in thirty degree heat, on one of the peaks there was no shade whatsoever, and she ran out of water.

Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals back home could barely make it to the fridge it was so hot.

The temperatures we experienced that summer were brutal, Leanne’s relaxation techniques are not for the feint-hearted.

The opening line of that article entitled “Leanne Riley, Stand Out Scrum Half” was as true then as it is now.

“Scrum halves are a unique group of people, they have to develop the art of doing twice the work in half the time” although in Leanne’s case that has now been upgraded to three times the work in a quarter of the time.

It has been a joy and a privilege to see Leanne develop and mature, both on and off the field. Despite constantly providing her with the nutritional handicap of Welsh Cakes during those Harlequins days, it doesn’t seem to have impaired her progress in any way.

The effervescent number nine has always been the heartbeat of whichever team she is playing for, leading by example, setting the pace and tone of the attack, plus she is not afraid to give the forwards a bit of advice and gentle motivation when required.

A playing career that has spanned Saracens, Harlequins, Bristol Bears and back again to Sarries is still very much alive and kicking. However, she is well aware that post rugby playing days need to be planned for and has taken steps to build and establish a career alongside her Saracens duties.

Having achieved the CIl Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning, Leanne is fully qualified and authorised by the FCA, as well as a qualified member of the Personal Finance Society. So, you are in safe hands. What else would you expect from a world-class scrum-half?

Preparing for life after rugby is difficult. It is so easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore the day of reckoning. Just as she was a trailblazer in how to transition from the amateur to professional era, she is now showing the way in how to prepare for that inevitable day when the boots are hung up. This will ensure sound financial foundations are put in place for whatever the future may hold.

Outside of rugby, one of Leanne’s passions is to assist others in making that giant leap as painless as possible with sound financial planning.

But it’s not just rugby players that need expert financial advice. With the economic uncertainty, we all find ourselves in and the constant increasing of state pension entitlement age, financial planning, income protection, and preparing for our non-sporting retirement are essential.

There are all sorts of financial minefields to negotiate these days, too many to list here, but Leanne has got them all covered. She will be happy to chat to you, whether it’s for a free initial consultation or to discuss your current situation. So get in touch and I can guarantee you will get a quality service and in a delightful friendly manner.

One member of the Infante family who does not require financial nous is Tess, a gorgeous young lady with a beautiful smile who was extremely keen to join our chat. But it turns out Tess is more interested in unregistered nutritional matters and ‘Walkies’ as you would expect from any self-respecting Staffordshire bull terrier.

Leanne Infante is one of the best scrum halves it has ever been my privilege to watch, irrespective of gender. To me and many others, it is a mystery why she has not been included in any Red Roses squads since the last Rugby World Cup, despite being available for selection.

I take you back to that chat in the Guildford sunshine six years ago and in my subsequent article, I wrote at the time;

“If there was one act that sums up Leanne, it occurred at the end of Harlequins narrow defeat to Saracens in the inaugural Tyrrells Premier Final.

Whilst everyone was visibly hurting, none more so than Leanne, it was the Quins scrum-half herself who was doing the rounds, consoling all her fellow players, coaching staff and fans alike. This spoke volumes about her not only as a team player, but perhaps more importantly as a person.

“She corralled her team mates in front of the posts for a team photo, and that one act changed the mood, all of a sudden, the banter returned, and there was laughter amidst the sadness”.

“An act unseen by most and unnoticed by others, but these are the things that make the difference between a good and a great player”.

It is clear to see that the skills, values, and teamwork Leanne displays on the field have been replicated off the field in her business role.

She may not get your spin pass up to her level, but when it comes to financial matters she’s the perfect teammate, so get in touch with her for all your financial needs.

The varying interpretations of Brunch are almost as controversial as rugby’s breakdown area. Some say it is not a Monday to Friday event.

During the week, you’re either eating breakfast (if it’s before noon) or lunch (if it’s noon or later). But there are no dissenting voices when it come to Saturday and Sunday.

Once the weekend arrives you can officially refer to your midday meal as brunch if you’re eating between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re eating before 11am it’s breakfast. So the 1.15pm kick off between England and France at Twickenham yesterday can legitimately be referred to as Le brunch.

On the menu at Twickenham was a tasty Grand Slam decider between the Red Roses and France

Under blue sun drenched skies with a world record 58,498 in attendance the brunch turned into a wonderful two course banquet.

The first 40 minute course was a traditional English dish as the home defence soaked up the opening 15 minutes before scoring five tries, giving themselves a 33-0 half time lead. France’ two yellow cards assisting their dominance.

It looked like it was game over for France but the second course turned out to be a mouth-watering Cordon bleu classic as they decided they were hungry after all.

Five sumptuous second half tries brought France to within one score of England as the clock hit eighty minutes, but they ran out of time and the Red Roses hung on to gain a Grand Slam and the 2023 Tik Tok Womens Six Nations title.

As rugby occasions go this was a very special one. A joyous ear splitting carnival from start to finish. An hour after the final whistle England captain Marlie Packer was still signing autographs pitch side surrounded by hundreds of thrilled sun burnt smiling faces, it was that sort of day.