France squeeze past italy in women’s Six nations opener

PARMA: France struggled at times in their first match since last year’s World Cup, before coming through to beat Italy 22-12 in their women’s Six Nations opener in Parma on Sunday.

France won the bronze medal at the World Cup but have a new coaching team of Gaelle Mignot and David Ortiz and it took them time to setle into the match. Flanker Giada Franco scored a first half try for the Italians who also have a new coach in Giovanni Raineri.

Les Bleues responded quickly with centre Gabrielle Vernier and young fly-half Carla Arbez both touching down.

France led 15-7 at the break but their lead was cut to just three when let wing Alyssa D’inca crossed for the second Italian try.

Heavy rain made the ball-handling tricky and both sides had problems in an increasingly erratic game until France winger Caroline Boujard, back in the team, put the game to bed with their third try shortly before the end.

On Saturday, Wales kicked off the tournament with a 31-5 win over Ireland at Cardiff Arm’s Park while England’s emblematic captain Sarah Hunter bowed out of Rugby with a 58-7 thrashing of Scotland on her Newcastle home ground.

In the second round of games next weekend, France will face Ireland in Dublin while Scotland are at home to Wales on Saturday. Defending champions England then host Italy on Sunday.

England captain Sarah Hunter bowed out of Rugby as the reigning women’ s six nations champions launched their title defence with a 58-7 thrashing of Scotland on her Newcastle home ground.

England ran in 10 tries against an outclassed Scotland, with flanker Marlie Packer, co-skipper for the day, scoring a second-half hat-trick.

Saturday’s match brought down the curtain on a career that saw the retiring Hunter, 37, make 141 Test appearances as the No 8 became the most-capped player in women’s international Rugby union.

Hunter, who made her Test debut in 2007, was a member of the Red Roses’ 2014 World Cup-winning squad and led her team to finals in 2017 and 2022, with last year’s defeat by tournament hosts New Zealand ending England’s 30-match unbeaten run.

Saturday’s fixture was England’s first game since that agonising loss and they were rarely troubled by a Scotland side, who unlike their hosts, have only recently started to become a professional oufit.

A rampant England led 31-0 at half-time, having run in five tries, with let wing Claudia Macdonald and hooker Amy Cokayne both scoring twice, with Tatyana Heard scoring her first Test try.