England to meet France in another Women's Rugby World Cup semifinal

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England swamped Scotland and France edged Ireland to produce another Women's Rugby World Cup semifinal on Sunday.

England beat Scotland 40-8 in rainy Bristol after France won 18-13 from 13-0 down in its wet and windy quarterfinal in Exeter.

The English stay in Bristol for the semifinal next Saturday. New Zealand and Canada play the other semi there on Friday.

The Red Roses are the only team to reach the semifinals in all 10 World Cups. France has got there a ninth time but never beyond. England is on a 16-match winning streak against Les Bleues.

“We don't want to stop at the semis like so many times before,” France No. 8 Charlotte Escudero said. “We want to make history, and beating England at home would be huge.”

England’s 31st consecutive test victory eclipsed its own world record.

The rain put a premium on the England pack and their pressure on the Scottish set-piece and ruthless finishing put them out of sight by halftime at 26-3.

Four of their six tries went to forwards, one of them to lock Morwenna Talling, the player of the match.

Captain Zoe Aldcroft returned from a knee injury for her first game in three weeks, Holly Aitchison was England's third starting flyhalf in the tournament, Helena Rowland was at fullback for the injured Ellie Kildunne, and England still purred.

“It was a terrific performance in very difficult conditions,” England coach John Mitchell said. “We kept them in their own half and we built pressure frequently through our set-piece. That's where we thought we could break them.”

Prop Kelsey Clifford, playing after back spasms sidelined Hannah Botterman, crashed over for her second double in two matches, and Talling scored after Scotland failed to control a lineout tap down.

The fourth try of the first half was winger Abby Dow's 50th from a pass by Aitchison.

The game was untidy in the second half as England blew chances in front of a crowd of 25,295, but hooker Amy Cokayne scored her 11th World Cup try from a lineout maul and Aitchison touched down for a 14-point haul.

Scotland, in its first quarterfinal in 27 years, was consoled after the fulltime hooter by a breakout from Francesca McGhie that was finished by Rhona Lloyd.

But Scotland succumbed to a 28th straight loss to England since its last win in 1999.

France captain Manaé Feleu spoiled Ireland's last-chance lineout and sent her team into the semifinals.

Two last-minute penalties gave Ireland a throw-in five meters from the try-line with the French short a woman; Alexandra Chambon was in the sin-bin.

France gambled on lifting players instead of bracing for an Irish maul and Feleu, at the front, got finger-tips to the throw-in to knock on the ball and end the nerve-wracking finale.

The tenacious Irish playing their first knockout match in 11 years couldn't believe it.

“We're heartbroken,” Ireland captain Sam Monaghan said. “It went to the death. We took them to a dark place. It was in our hands.”

While the French defense prevailed at the end, their try-line stand to close the first half was even more incredible.

Ireland had first use of what Sandy Park veterans predicted was a 15-point wind and was 13-0 up but desperate for a possibly decisive third try.

Feleu was in the sin-bin for collapsing a 20-meter rolling maul and somehow her 14 teammates repelled 35 phases by the Irish that lasted for four edge-of-the-seat minutes.

“It was a match of character. We had to defend like our lives depended on it,” France winger Joanna Grisez said. “We’ve got guts. It felt like they could have attacked all afternoon and still wouldn’t have broken through.”

Ireland tries by prop Linda Djougang and fullback Stacey Flood — playing on a stitched right foot cut to the bone last weekend against New Zealand — and Dannah O'Brien’s only successful goalkick made it 13-0.

But it didn't appear enough in the conditions, especially having spent 80% of the half on French turf. France missed only four tackles in the first half.

Ireland star No. 8 Aoife Wafer, playing her first game since knee surgery in July, carried a game-high 26 times but her errors cost her team points, including the penalty kick by Morgane Bourgeois that began France's comeback.

Escudero added a converted try and her work rate made her player of the match. “A lot was said about Wafer before the match,” France co-coach Gaëlle Mignot said, “but Charlotte showed that we also have a back-row forward with a big reputation.”

Two huge turnovers by replacement hooker Manon Bigot, a 35-year-old firefighter, led to Grisez's go-ahead 12th try in 12 tests, and Bourgeois' second penalty kick for 18-13 with five tense minutes to go.

“If I can't finish that I've got no business being on the pitch," Grisez said. "I just felt relief, like we could finally play with a bit more calm.”

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