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Close call is ideal for us, says Mitchell
Western Daily Press
|April 28, 2025
JOHN Mitchell insisted England will benefit from being pushed to the brink of an upset after edging France 43-42 to complete a fourth successive Grand Slam, writes Duncan Bech.
The Red Roses saw a 31-7 lead after 23 minutes vanish amid a thrilling French fightback that eventually ran out of time, with Joanna Grisez’s marauding try with two minutes left their final score.
England are favourites to win this year’s World Cup, but their descent from being in complete control to scrambling to save the game will have given their title rivals encouragement.
“This is ideal for us. After a really good start we could have put them away, but they got energy through the middle and that's what French sides do. Once they get into you they feel success,” Mitchell said.
This story is from the April 28, 2025 edition of Western Daily Press.
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