Star Metro - World champions England see off France to clinch another Women's Six Nations

Victory extended England's nearly four-year record unbeaten run to 38 games.

Sunday's match was a Grand Slam-decider, with France -- like England -- having won all four of their previous matches this Championship.

But the title hopes of France, so long England's closest challengers in Europe, were dented in a first half that ended with England 26-7 ahead.

This was further evidence of England's strength in depth, with coach John Mitchell missing more than a dozen players due to pregnancy, injury or retirement following last year's World Cup triumph.

France opened the scoring on Sunday through a brilliant length-of-the field move that ended in a try for scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus, with Carla Arbez adding the conversion to make it 7-0.

But prop Sarah Bern powered over for a try converted by fly-half Zoe Harrison as England drew level in the 22nd minute.

Seven minutes later, England captain Meg Jones kicked a loose ball downfield and it bounced kindly for full-back Kildunne to score.

Four minutes before half-time England went further ahead when a cross-field move ended in a try for right wing Jess Breach.

And there was still time before the break for Kildunne to score a second try.

Harrison's penalty early in the second half left England 22 points ahead at 29-7.

But France then scored two tries to cut England's lead to 29-21.

Anais Grando, who spilled a similar chance moments earlier, went over in the right corner before Bourdon Sansus caught England napping on the hour mark with a sniping break off a close-range scrum before going between the posts.

Arbez converted and England were now just eight points in front heading into the final quarter.

But Breach checked French thoughts of a remarkable comeback by crossing for her second try in the 65th minute after being released by Kildunne's expertly-timed pass.

Harrison's conversion left England in command at 36-21.

France then had to play the final 10 minutes a woman down after replacement scrum-half Alexandra Chambon was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Claudia Moloney-MacDonald.

And with two minutes left, England had their sixth try when Amy Cokayne went over on the blindside following a close-range line-out.

Harrison again added the extras and by the time France's Rose Bernadou went over for a converted try with the last play of the game, it was too late to change the outcome.

- Ireland hammer Scotland -

Earlier, Ireland marked their first stand-alone match at Dublin's Lansdowne Road with a 54-5 rout of Scotland as they finished in third place.

The Irish overwhelmed the Scots in a remarkable first half where they scored seven tries, with No 8 Aoife Wafer crossing twice, to lead 47-0 at the break.

Scotland avoided being 'nilled' through Aicha Sutcliffe's try with the last play of the game but that was scant consolation as they suffered a fourth defeat in five games this Championship.

"The first half was the best version of us and we were excellent," Ireland coach Scott Bemand told the BBC.

Wales, meanwhile, went down to a record ninth successive defeat as Italy scored seven tries in a decisive 43-24 win in Cardiff.

Wales actually led 19-17 at half-time but Italy deservedly pulled clear after the break and for the second successive Six Nations the Welsh finished bottom of the table having lost all five games.

Defeat left Wales coach Sean Lynn with a record of just one win in 15 Tests since he took charge in January last year and he made no attempt to sugar-coact this latest loss, saying: "What I've just said to the players is that we've just got to be better."

L.Côte--SMC