Women's Six Nations 2023: England v France preview and teams for Grand Slam decider

The magnitude of Saturday's Women's Six Nations Grand Slam decider is truthful large that adjacent England caput manager Simon Middleton admits to being nervous.

The largest women's rugby assemblage successful history awaits. England tin easiness World Cup heartbreak. France look to heal a five-year-old wound. Middleton hopes to motion disconnected an eight-year task in the close way.

It is simply a bully occupation the Sugababes are booked for half-time to diffuse immoderate of the tension.

After comparatively straightforward tournaments truthful far, a overmuch tighter scoreline volition beryllium seen successful beforehand of an expected grounds assemblage of much than 53,000.

The Red Roses are playing a archetypal standalone Test astatine Twickenham arsenic they question a 5th successive Women's Six Nations title.

France past won the tourney - and past bushed England - successful 2018.

England person won each 11 meetings since and 7 of those victories person been by six points oregon fewer.

Middleton, who volition measurement down arsenic England caput manager aft Saturday's game, says his broadside has done "a small bit" to hole for the sound of the assemblage but would not grow connected specifics.

"I volition beryllium truthful tense going into the game," helium said.

"You don't privation to not beryllium palmy successful beforehand of 53,000 people. The juncture is truthful huge."

Looking backmost connected an agonising 34-31 World Cup last decision by New Zealand successful November, Middleton says England "want to beryllium connected the close side" of the effect this time.

"We were connected the incorrect broadside of it not agelong agone and it's a acheronian spot to be," helium told BBC Sport.

• England v France cardinal battles
• Listen to Rugby Union Weekly: All eyes connected Twickenham

Packer's 'special' time with son

Marlie Packer took connected the England captaincy erstwhile Sarah Hunter retired successful March

Nobody would privation to miss this one.

England skipper Marlie Packer, who sprained her ankle playing against Ireland past weekend, said: "If determination was much clip connected my broadside I astir apt would person had this play off."

Instead, she volition pb retired her broadside connected a historical time with two-year-old lad Oliver successful her arms.

"Oliver's got my sanction and fig connected the backmost of his shirt," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I got sent that representation and it brought a small teardrop to my eye. To beryllium capable to stock this juncture with him successful specified an iconic Six Nations decider is precise special.

"One time helium volition look backmost and recognize wherefore mummy is not determination each the time."

Prop Hannah Botterman has besides travel done an wounded scare to start, with Helena Rowland returning successful the somewhat unfamiliar presumption of extracurricular centre to a formidable England backline.

Scrum-half Pauline Bourdon, who returns to France's starting XV, volition beryllium looking to supply speedy shot to the visitors' arsenic talented backs.

Both sides person entertained with free-flowing and unpredictable attacks this tournament, but whether they instrumentality with that attack remains to beryllium seen.

England rolled their mode to a World Cup last with a mighty maul and, though it has not been utilized arsenic overmuch this tournament, their 7 maul tries are inactive much than each different squad successful the Six Nations combined.

In the vigor and sound of a packed Twickenham, it whitethorn beryllium thing they request to autumn backmost connected again.

Either way, Packer wants chill heads and calm minds.

She said: "We talked arsenic a radical astir not making an emotionally-driven gameplan due to the fact that it is precise casual to autumn into that.

"We person to crook up and play for 80 minutes. You've got to parkland the affectional spot until that tin assistance you wrong the game."

• Packer acceptable to look France

'It's going to beryllium epic'

France volition privation to springiness legendary fly-half Jessy Tremouliere a fitting send-off successful her last planetary game.

Tremouliere volition lend to a astute kicking crippled and is 1 fractional of a unsafe concern with wrong centre Gabrielle Vernier.

While France were ruthless successful triumph against Wales past week, England could not unrecorded up to the committedness of a immense scoreline against Ireland and made a fig of unforced errors successful a escaped attacking performance.

"This France get their tails up," Packer acknowledges.

"We request to marque definite we don't fto that happen. In our Ireland crippled we tried to offload the shot excessively overmuch erstwhile it wasn't on.

"We request to marque definite this play we don't springiness opportunities to France similar that due to the fact that France volition instrumentality them.

"We don't privation to suffer the crowd. We don't privation to get successful our ain heads astir that."

There was nary assemblage past clip England and France met astatine Twickenham - but the players delivered each the same.

England won that behind-closed-doors Test successful November 2020 with the past footwear of the game, having travel from 13 points behind.

The assemblage - and a Grand Slam connected the enactment - mightiness marque this a cagier affair.

But Middleton thinks differently.

He said: "It's going to beryllium epic. Both teams are confident, successful signifier and person got immoderate exceptional players. It's each acceptable up."

Line-ups

England: Kildunne; Dow, Rowland, Heard, MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Botterman, Davies, Bern; Aldcroft, Beckett; Kabeya, M Packer (capt), Matthews.

Replacements: Powell, Carson, Muir, Cleall, Talling, Hunt, Reed, Breach.

France: Boulard; Banet, M Menager, Vernier, Llorens; Tremouliere, Bourdon; Brosseau, Sochat, Bernadou, Feleu, Forlani (capt), Berthoumieu, Hermet, Escudero.

Replacements: Riffonneau, Mwayembe, Khalfaoui, R Menager, Gros, Chambon, Arbez, Filopon.

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