"Had the Red Roses slipped up in the semis the prospect of a finale likely to yield a record TV audience in Quebec was not quite the dream scenario they had been praying for. But, goodness, the Red Roses made their fans perspire at times. At no stage did France ever back down and, without two scintillating tries from their curly haired golden girl Ellie Kildunne, England might have had a far less enjoyable afternoon."
"Kildunne is certainly box office in anybody's language. From the opening minutes she was already dancing and skipping past a host of defenders, clearly keen to make up for lost time having been forced to sit out the Scotland game. And then, courtesy of a loose ruck ball which should have resulted in England being penalised for accidental offside, the recent world player of the year was handed another opportunity just on halfway."
England advanced to the Rugby World Cup final against Canada after a hard-fought semifinal win over France. The match remained tight for long periods, with France pressing and missing crucial chances. Ellie Kildunne scored two long-range, match-defining tries, one following a loose ruck that spared England a penalty, and another early in the second half that reignited the crowd. Kildunne had returned after missing the Scotland game and was instrumental in breaking opponents with individual brilliance. More than 80,000 fans will attend Twickenham, and England’s chances in the final improve if Kildunne can reproduce her spark, though the scrum and maul can look vulnerable without her influence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]