France v England Women’s World Cup predictions and rugby union tips

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for France v England in the Women’s World Cup on Saturday.

Where to watch

ITV 4, 8am Saturday

Best bet

France +17
1pt 10-11 BoyleSports

Match preview

England’s World Cup bid got off to a record-breaking start with a 14-try demolition of Fiji but the 84-19 scoreline masked a slightly sloppy showing from the tournament favourites and there could be an opportunity for France to keep Saturday’s Group C decider close.

Debutants Fiji were very much in the game at the interval when trailing by only ten points, with England guilty of some basic errors.

The Red Roses appeared undercooked and although they impressed with a ten-try second-half showing, bookmakers might be asking a lot of them to cover a 17-point handicap.

Although England have won their last ten games against France, they tend to be closely fought encounters. England won the latest meeting in June 36-10, after which France underwent a coaching change, but the previous four matches had all been decided by 12 points or less.

France do a good job of keeping opponents at arm’s length, controlling the flow with a strong set-piece and kicking game, and they conceded only five points when defeating South Africa in their World Cup opener.

England will provide a much stiffer test but France have proven they can stand up to the challenge and should make the Red Roses work hard to extend their winning streak to 27 Tests.

Not got a Paddy Power account? Sign up and get up to £50 in free sports bets

Place a single £10 Sportsbook bet and get money back as a free bet if it loses. There are x5 Free Bets available. Max refund per qualifying bet is £10. Only deposits made via Credit/Debit Card will be eligible for the promotion. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply 18+ begambleaware.org

MORE FREE BETS

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport