England meets France in Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final as hosts seek to extend run

England will face France in the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final at Ashton Gate in Bristol on Saturday, with England aiming to extend their world-record winning run and retain top status in women’s rugby. The Red Roses, who are ranked world number one, have won 16 consecutive meetings with Les Bleues and enter the match as clear favourites, boosted by their most recent head-to-head result and by a perfect run through the pool and knockout stages.

England extended their unbeaten run to 31 matches in the quarter-finals by routing Scotland 40-8, while France edged past Ireland 18-13 to reach the last four. The semi-final kicks off at 15:30 BST and will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage also available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. The winner advances to a final against either defending champions New Zealand or Canada at Twickenham Stadium on 27 September.

From a World Cup form perspective, England have scored 248 points across four games and conceded 25, while France have accumulated 183 for and 28 against. England have crossed the line 38 times in the tournament, with 22 of those tries coming from their pack of forwards, although wing Jess Breach remains the team’s top scorer with six tries. For France, wings Joanna Grisez and Emilie Boulard have each crossed four times, contributing to a total of 28 tries for the squad.

The match will also test a longstanding trend in this fixture: England have won eight of nine semi-finals they have played, lifting the trophy in 1994 and 2014, while France has never reached a World Cup final and has lost eight previous semi-finals. The head-to-head dynamic is heavily weighted toward England, who have dominated in recent years, including a 43-42 Six Nations victory in April to clinch a seventh consecutive title and a Grand Slam, following a 40-6 win in the most recent World Cup warm-up match in August distant from the tournament proper.

England have made one notable selection change, with world player of the year Ellie Kildunne returning from concussion to start at full-back, replacing Helena Rowland. Prop Hannah Botterman has recovered from a back issue to reclaim a starting position over Kelsey Clifford, who scored a brace in the win over Scotland. Fly-half Zoe Harrison and second row Abbie Ward both begin the semi-final after coming off the bench in the quarter-final. The rest of the starting XV and the replacements reflect a mix of continuity and injury management as England look to balance forward power with back-line pace.

England’s starting XV was listed as follows: Ellie Kildunne at full-back; the back line includes Amy Dow, Shona Jones, Gabrielle Heard and Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison at fly-half and Fran Jones at scrum-half (with Harriet Hunt typically acting as the other half or back-up option); the forwards feature Hannah Botterman, Sarah Cokayne, Liz Muir, Poppy Talling, Abbie Ward (captain), Ellie Aldcroft, Saria Kabeya and Ama Matthews. The replacements include Holly Atkin-Davies, Kelsey Clifford, Holly Bern, Rosie Galligan, Emma Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Holly Aitchison, and Helena Rowland. England press staff have emphasised a game plan built around maintaining tempo and applying pressure through set-piece dominance and maul aggression when required.

France, by contrast, have had to adjust to disciplinary suspensions ahead of the semi-final. Axelle Berthoumieu misses the game after a nine-match ban for biting, while co-captain Manae Feleu is suspended following a dangerous-tackle sanction in the win over Ireland. Teani Feleu and Hina Ikahehegi come back into the pack, with Charlotte Escudero moving from number eight to blindside flanker. Carla Arbez starts at fly-half in place of Lina Queyroi, who has not recovered from concussion, and captain Marine Menager shifts from outside centre to left wing with Nassira Konde coming into the XV. Wing Joanna Grisez had to withdraw from the starting XV on Friday and was replaced by Kelly Arbey, with Boulard among the substitutes.

France’s starting XV was listed as Bourgeois at scrum, Arbey, Konde, Vernier, Marine Menager (captain) in the backline; Arbez and Bourdon Sansus in the half-backs; Brosseau, Gerin, Bernadou, Fall Raclot in the forwards with Ikahegi and Squire in the pack, L Champon and T Feleu completing the pack. Replacements included Riffonneau, Deshaye, Khalfaoui, Maka, Okemba, A Chambon, Tuy, and Boulard. France enter the match seeking to capitalize on a history of close semi-final exits and to break through a ceiling that has kept them from a World Cup final.

The head-to-head record underscores the challenge for France. Since their first test in 1991, England have claimed 43 wins to France’s 14 in 57 Tests, and their recent run—starting with a 41-26 win in the 2019 Women’s Six Nations—has further sharpened the contrast. England’s most recent trip to France produced a 40-6 victory in August, and their nerve-tested 43-42 win at Twickenham in April sealed the Six Nations title and a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. England’s World Cup pedigree includes a 20-3 win in Belfast in the 2017 semi-finals, while France’s best World Cup finish remains shy of the final despite several hopeful campaigns.

Beyond the stat line, officials for the match will also draw attention. Maggie Cogger-Orr of New Zealand will referee the game, with Clara Munarini of Italy and Kat Roche of the United States serving as assistants and Rachel Horton of Australia as the television match official.

For fans, the path to the title remains clear: the winner of this semi-final will meet either New Zealand or Canada in the final, with the Twickenham showdown scheduled for 16:00 BST on 27 September. Tickets for the final sold out ahead of the weekend’s events, underscoring the growing interest in women’s rugby and the significance of this clash as a marquee event of the World Cup.

As kick-off approaches, both teams will be focused on translating preparation into performance, understanding that the weight of history and current form both point toward a potential England victory. Still, France has shown in this tournament that it can disrupt a plan and shift momentum with skill, pace and tenacity. The world will be watching to see which pathway to glory plays out in Bristol on Saturday.