A nervy England side eventually overwhelmed France 35-17 at a rain-soaked Ashton Gate to secure their place in next Saturday’s Women’s World Cup final against Canada. The Red Roses extended their winning streak to 32 matches in front of 25,478 supporters but were made to work far harder than many expected by a spirited French performance that threatened to derail their home World Cup dreams.

Key moments:

5′ – Ellie Kildunne races clear down left wing after Hannah Botterman pass, Zoe Harrison converts (0-7)
23′ – Nassira Konde dives over in corner after sustained French pressure, Morgane Bourgeois misses conversion (5-7)
46′ – Amy Cokayne driven over from powerful England maul, Zoe Harrison converts (5-14)
52′ – Kelly Arbey finishes flowing French move in corner, Morgane Bourgeois converts from touchline (12-14)
58′ – Abbie Ward crashes over from close range after forward power, Zoe Harrison converts (12-21)
68′ – Ellie Kildunne intercepts loose kick and sprints 40 metres to score, Zoe Harrison converts (12-28)
73′ – Nassira Konde claims second try out wide for France, Morgane Bourgeois misses conversion (17-28)
79′ – Megan Jones picks up Holly Aitchison grubber off post protector, Zoe Harrison converts (17-35)

John Mitchell’s side were thoroughly outplayed in the opening 40 minutes, with France dominating possession (69 per cent) and territory (58 per cent) whilst making 86 carries to England’s 26. The visitors covered an impressive 1,009 metres compared to England’s 677, completing 225 passes and handling 400 balls, yet for all their superiority, Les Bleues managed just one try through Nassira Konde and trailed 7-5 at the interval.

WHAT A PERFORMANCE 🌹

The #RedRoses claim victory over France to advance through to the #RWC2025 final! pic.twitter.com/lRSD8rOKJK

— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) September 20, 2025

The world player of the year, returning from concussion that ruled her out of the quarter-final victory over Scotland, demonstrated precisely why she is so highly regarded with a performance that justified her player-of-the-match award. Making 208 metres and beating 12 defenders – more than any other player on the pitch – Ellie Kildunne’s impact was immediate and decisive.

Her opening try came after just five minutes following a moment of individual brilliance that had already seen her jink past three French defenders on a kick return. When England worked quick ball to the short side, Amy Cokayne’s hands, followed by contributions from Alex Matthews and Abbie Ward, created the space for Hannah Botterman to deliver the crucial pass. Kildunne needed no second invitation, stepping off her left foot to beat Kelly Arbey before cutting inside the covering defence to score between the posts. Zoe Harrison’s conversion made it 7-0, and it proved to be England’s 100th try of the calendar year.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Ellie Kildunne of England races clear to score her team’s first try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Semi Final match between France and England at Ashton Gate on September 20, 2025 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Morgan Harlow – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

However, the score was deceptive and potentially controversial. Video replays suggested that Natasha Hunt may have knocked the ball forward at the base of the preceding ruck, which should have rendered England’s players offside when they secured possession. The officials missed the incident, allowing the try to stand and giving England an advantage they perhaps didn’t deserve.

France’s response was immediate and sustained, with the visitors showing exactly why they had troubled England so much in their thrilling 43-42 defeat in the Six Nations finale. Carla Arbez, deputising admirably for the concussed Lina Queyroi at fly-half, orchestrated a series of attacks that repeatedly penetrated England’s 22-metre area. The breakthrough came on 23 minutes after a period of sustained pressure that epitomised France’s approach.

Following a magnificent break down the left touchline by Kelly Arbey, who showcased the pace and footwork that had earned her a place in the starting XV, France worked the ball through multiple phases. The forwards, led by the impressive Teani Feleu and Madoussou Fall Raclot, kept picking and driving at the English line. When the ball was eventually released to the backs, quick hands found Konde, who dived over in the corner despite the attentions of the covering defence. Morgane Bourgeois’s conversion attempt from a difficult angle drifted wide, leaving France trailing 7-5 but having served notice of their intent.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Nassira Konde of France scores her team’s first try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Semi Final match between France and England at Ashton Gate on September 20, 2025 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

England were forced into a defensive masterclass, making 107 tackles in the first half compared to France’s 28. The heroics were led by Megan Jones and Hannah Botterman, who between them secured at least six breakdown turnovers, most crucially in their own 22-metre area. Botterman, returning from the back spasms that had kept her out of the quarter-final, was particularly impressive, holding up three fingers to the crowd after one particularly athletic jackal in the first half.

The pattern continued throughout a frustrating opening period for England, with France creating several gilt-edged opportunities that they failed to convert. The most glaring came when Marine Menager, captaining the side in place of the suspended Manaé Feleu, gathered a perfectly weighted box kick from Pauline Bourdon Sansus but delayed her pass just long enough for the covering Kildunne to make the tackle. The chance for Léa Champon to score in the corner was lost.

An even clearer opportunity presented itself when Morgane Bourgeois found herself with a clear run to the line after brilliant build-up work. The full-back delayed her pass to Menager too long, allowing the English defence to close the gap and force a handling error under pressure. Video replays later showed that the pass had gone forward anyway, but France’s frustration was evident.

Perhaps the most contentious moment came when Menager appeared to cross the line after gathering a miss-three pass from Bourgeois. The French players celebrated, but referee Maggie Cogger-Orr ruled the final pass forward, much to the disgust of the travelling French support. From seven visits to England’s 22-metre area in the first half, France had managed just one try.

Mitchell’s half-time message clearly resonated as England emerged a transformed outfit. The hosts started the second period with renewed purpose, and within two minutes they had their second try. Maud Muir’s powerful carry, combined with Botterman’s support play, punched holes in the French defence before the ball was worked wide to Abby Dow, whose diving finish in the corner appeared to have extended England’s lead.

However, the television match official intervened, ruling that Kildunne’s pass to Dow had drifted forward. England were forced to revert to their trusted weapon – the lineout maul. From the resulting set-piece, 20 metres out from the French line, England assembled a devastating drive that France simply could not contain. Ten England players contributed to a maul that moved inexorably towards the line before Amy Cokayne, the hooker who had been crucial in the lineout, emerged from the bottom of the pile to claim the try. Harrison’s conversion made it 14-5.

France refused to buckle, however, and their response epitomised their never-say-die attitude. Kelly Arbey, the 20-year-old winger who had been promoted to the starting XV following Joanna Grisez’s late withdrawal through injury, proved to be a constant menace. After France had battered away at England’s line through a series of forward drives, the ball was eventually spun wide to Arbey, who showed impressive footwork to beat her marker and dive over in the corner. Bourgeois, under pressure from a difficult angle, produced a moment of magic to slot the conversion from the touchline, reducing the deficit to 14-12 and ensuring France remained very much in the contest.

The pivotal moment came six minutes later when England’s bench strength began to tell. The injection of fresh legs in the pack, including the dynamic Rosie Galligan and powerful Sarah Bern, gave England the platform they needed. After Natasha Hunt spotted an opportunity to tap a penalty quickly, injecting pace into England’s attack, the forwards carried with renewed vigour. Dow’s bulldozing run through Bourgeois created front-foot ball, and a couple of phases later, Ward crashed over from close range. The Bristol lock, playing at her home ground, celebrated with the crowd as Harrison’s conversion opened up a 21-12 lead.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Abbie Ward of England celebrates scoring her team’s third try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Semi Final match between France and England at Ashton Gate on September 20, 2025 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Any hopes of a French comeback were extinguished by Kildunne’s second try, a moment of individual brilliance that brought the house down. When Marine Menager attempted to control a speculative kick from Zoe Harrison with her foot, the ball rebounded kindly for Kildunne, who was alert to the opportunity. What followed was a masterclass in running rugby as the full-back stepped inside the first defender, wrong-footed the second, and then sprinted diagonally across the pitch for 40 metres, leaving four French defenders trailing in her wake before diving triumphantly over the line. Harrison’s conversion made it 28-12 and effectively sealed England’s passage to Twickenham.

Konde’s second try with seven minutes remaining, following another flowing French move that saw the ball travel through multiple pairs of hands, offered Les Bleues fleeting hope. The centre, who had been one of France’s most dangerous attacking threats throughout, showed great composure to finish in the corner despite the attention of two covering defenders. Bourgeois missed the conversion, leaving the score at 28-17.

The final act belonged to Megan Jones, whose outstanding defensive performance throughout deserved a try. When substitute Holly Aitchison produced a perfectly weighted grubber kick that bounced off the post protector, Jones was the quickest to react, gathering the rebound and diving over for England’s fifth try. Harrison’s conversion completed the scoring at 35-17, ensuring England reached their seventh successive World Cup final.

“We weren’t accurate in the first half but no one really remembers how you win in these tournaments. You just have to win,” reflected Mitchell afterwards. “I always said this game will take a long time and that it would be a lot harder to break this opposition, but it was a credit to the girls the way that they came out in the second half and broke them.”

The head coach paid particular tribute to Kildunne’s impact: “She was pretty special today, wasn’t she? If she gets a bit of space, she is phenomenal. She deserves her accolades as last year’s World Player of the Year. She’s not a woman that you box and she’s inspired by autonomy.”

Centre Megan Jones, whose breakdown work had been crucial throughout, summed up England’s relief: “I feel elation, I am super proud of the girls. Defensively we fronted up and that is what we want to show – there is a lot of passion in our defence and we are relentless.”

Prop Hannah Botterman, who had returned from injury to deliver arguably a career-best performance, remained focused on the task ahead despite the celebrations around her. “No celebrations yet – we haven’t won anything,” she insisted, holding up three fingers to show how many turnovers she had made in the first half alone.

For France, this was another case of what might have been in a semi-final they had dominated for long periods. Missing not only Feleu through suspension but also Axelle Berthoumieu (banned for biting an opponent in the quarter-final), they had shown remarkable spirit and tactical acumen. Co-head coach David Ortiz reflected on the disappointment: “We knew we could have a big fight against England, we knew we could have a big arm-wrestle against them. In the end they were very strong.”

Captain Marine Menager, who had shouldered the leadership burden admirably in Feleu’s absence, was gracious in defeat: “Every opportunity they had, they scored tries, so it’s very hard to play against them. Congratulations to them.”

The statistics told the story of France’s dominance and England’s clinical finishing. While France had made significantly more metres and completed far more passes, England’s superior breakdown work and set-piece accuracy proved decisive. Harrison’s flawless goal-kicking, converting all five tries, contrasted sharply with Bourgeois managing just one conversion from three attempts.

The Red Roses now face Canada in next Saturday’s final at a sold-out Twickenham, with the 82,000 attendance set to be a world record for a women’s rugby match. The North Americans shocked defending champions New Zealand 34-19 in Friday’s other semi-final, setting up a repeat of the 2014 final which England won 21-9 in Paris.

England’s quest for a first World Cup title since 2014 continues, but this performance suggested they may face a sterner test from Kevin Rouet’s impressive Canadian side, who demonstrated their quality by dismantling the previously unbeaten Black Ferns with a clinical first-half display.

“The two best teams in the world are in the final – number one and number two – and they both deserve to be there. It’s awesome for the game,” Mitchell acknowledged. “Canada are playing great rugby, we are playing very effective rugby, we have had to fight throughout this tournament and it will be a different game at the weekend.”

France will contest the bronze medal match against New Zealand, seeking to end their World Cup campaign on a positive note after falling at the semi-final stage for the ninth time in their history. Despite the disappointment, they can take immense pride in a performance that pushed the world’s best team harder than any opponent had managed in this tournament.

England captain Zoe Aldcroft and her players know they cannot afford another sluggish start if they are to lift the trophy on home soil. The stage is set for a memorable final at the home of rugby, with England seeking to complete their mission and Canada aiming for their first World Cup triumph in what promises to be a fitting climax to an outstanding tournament.