3 weeks ago
Alex Matthews says England will "thrive" disconnected nan expected fierce ambiance successful their Women's Six Nations Grand Slam decider successful France connected Saturday.
The Red Roses person not mislaid successful 28 Six Nations games since they were beaten by France successful Grenoble successful 2018.
England are chasing a 3rd consecutive Grand Slam aft 4 high-scoring bonus-point wins successful this year's tourney but are expecting to look their biggest trial against unbeaten France successful Bordeaux.
Number 8 Matthews says France, backed by their vociferous location support, will "always show up" against England.
"They [France] will decidedly show thing we haven't seen truthful acold successful nan past fewer weeks," said Matthews. "We will springiness it our champion and hopefully that is what we need.
"We emotion being booed. I ran retired for my 50th headdress pinch nan full crowd booing and I didn't want it immoderate different way.
"We want to beryllium a constituent and soundlessness nan crowd early, which nan girls will thrive off."
Leaders England person scored 38 tries successful their opening 4 games, double nan magnitude scored by second-place France (19).
Victory complete Les Bleus in beforehand of a grounds crowd astatine Twickenham past year delivered nan Grand Slam successful outgoing caput coach Simon Middleton's past game.
France produced a spirited second-half fightback but Matthews says England are an moreover amended broadside 12 months connected nether Middleton's successor John Mitchell.
"Everyone is playing pinch a grin connected their face," Matthews added.
"We each person state to play heads-up rugby and if thing is on, we play it.
"We haven’t spoken astir past year. We are a different squad now and we person truthful overmuch much extent pinch a different style of play.
"Going into nan weekend, we are conscionable focused connected us. We want to commencement beardown and past person a large 23-player squad effort."
Matthews' assurance is echoed by England adjunct coach Louis Deacon, who says Mitchell is "driving nan strategy" for nan Roses.
"The girls locomotion towards that situation and they relish nan challenge," said Deacon.
"It was my first acquisition [coaching] pinch nan Roses successful Bayonne 2 years agone and it was an awesome atmosphere, which nan girls are hoping for again.
"We do hole for it and we talk astir relishing it. We train pinch sound truthful nan girls are utilized to communicating pinch that sound level.
"We are blessed we person immense extent and we are capable to spell 15 players against 15 successful training and it's truthful competitive. It's tougher than nan games sometimes.
"That is really we get nan competitiveness among nan players and we person been capable to raise our level successful training measurement beyond thing we person before."
