Sluggish start, world-class kicking and hostile fans: talking points after England's important victory over France

England overcame a sluggish start in Clermont to celebrate their first victory on French soil since 2012 and start their autumn internationals on a high. The Six Nations champions now have a three-game winning streak over Les Bleues, who will be eager to make amends when the two sides meet for a rematch on Saturday at Exeter’s Sandy Park. We analyse areas where the Red Roses shone in France, what they need to improve and why this fixture was crucial for the ongoing development of the squad.

England must come out of the blocks faster

The Red Roses were on the back foot for the first 20 minutes and struggled to match the intensity brought by France, who attacked both flanks creatively. While England demonstrated their resilience when they were under pressure and capitalised on momentum swings, it was a good half an hour before they grasped control of the game. “We knew we had to ride that storm a little bit,” said Sarah Hunter. “We probably didn’t come out the blocks as we would want to but we managed to get points on the board and slowly get into our game. Moving forward, we have to do that a bit quicker.”

Emily Scarratt and Katy Daley-Mclean underline their world-class kicking credentials

England’s two tries came from quick-fire catch-and-drive lineouts, an area of the game Middleton has fine-tuned with his forwards coach and former Leicester Tigers lock Richard Blaze. Simon Middleton, England's head coach, was also full of praise for his side’s kicking game: Daly-Mclean effortlessly pinpointed the ball back into French territory, while Scarratt’s two penalties and two conversions saw her pass 500 points in her Test career. She remains only seven behind Mclean, England’s all-time top scorer.

Playing in intimidating stadia a valuable learning curve

England’s head coach Simon Middleton is gearing his squad towards the World Cup in 2021 in New Zealand, the first to be staged in the southern hemisphere. The Red Roses succeeded in defying a raucous atmosphere at the Stade Marcel Michelin which disrupted their usual fast-flowing rhythm and such exposure in hostile environments will form a key part of the squad’s World Cup preparations. “We did talk about having to win in environments like this and perform well enough to get a result,” said Middleton. “Because in two years’ time, we’re going right to the lion’s den and this is as close to the type of environment as we’re likely to experience.”