France overcome a resilient Scotland with an impressive second-half performance to secure their second victory in the opening two games at the Women’s Six Nations.
MATCH REPORT: France dominate in second half to beat Scotland
Godwinson won the Lincoln Handicap by a nose in a thrilling finish at Doncaster on the opening day of the 2025 British flat racing season.
Ridden by Cieren Fallon for trainer William Haggas, Godwinson (17-2) made a late charge to pip two rivals – Oliver Show (22-1) and Orandi (13-2) – on the line.
In a packed field of 22 runners, Oliver Show and Orandi accelerated clear of the pack late on and looked set to battle it out for victory.
But Fallon timed his run to perfection aboard Godwinson to give Haggas his fifth career winner in the Lincoln and first since Addeybb in 2018.
“We’d have definitely been unlucky]if we didn’t win]”, winning jockey Fallon told ITV Racing.
“He is a horse that has been working well and he’s been unlucky. In the end, it went as well as we hoped…
” I always knew I was going to be very competitive. It was on the line, he got his head down. “
Mr Professor, who won this race in 2024, finished 13th.
Earlier at Doncaster, 50-1 shot Pearl Eye won the Spring Mile Handicap, ridden by Jason Watson for trainer Darryll Holland.
Godwinson won the Lincoln Handicap by a nose in a thrilling finish at Doncaster on the opening day of the 2025 British flat racing season.
Ridden by Cieren Fallon for trainer William Haggas, Godwinson (17-2) made a late charge to pip two rivals – Oliver Show (22-1) and Orandi (13-2) – on the line.
In a packed field of 22 runners, Oliver Show and Orandi accelerated clear of the pack late on and looked set to battle it out for victory.
But Fallon timed his run to perfection aboard Godwinson to give Haggas his fifth career winner in the Lincoln and first since Addeybb in 2018.
“We’d have definitely been unlucky]if we didn’t win]”, winning jockey Fallon told ITV Racing.
“He is a horse that has been working well and he’s been unlucky. In the end, it went as well as we hoped…
” I always knew I was going to be very competitive. It was on the line, he got his head down. “
Mr Professor, who won this race in 2024, finished 13th.
Earlier at Doncaster, 50-1 shot Pearl Eye won the Spring Mile Handicap, ridden by Jason Watson for trainer Darryll Holland.
Women’s Six Nations
France (13) 38
Tries: Arbez, Feleu, Okemba, Bourgeois Cons: Bourdon, Bourgeois 2 Pens: Bourgeois 3 Drop-goal: Bourdon
Scotland (7) 15
France produced a clinical second-half performance in La Rochelle to inflict a first defeat of this year’s Women’s Six Nations on Scotland.
The hosts took control of the first half to race into a 13-0 lead through a well-taken try by fly-half Carla Arbez and two penalties from Morgane Bourgeois.
But Emma Orr’s opportunistic score brought the visitors back within touching at half-time.
However, France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus was the star of a dominant second-half performance as she hit a sensational drop-goal before setting up Manae Feleu for a try.
Flanker Seraphine Okemba grabbed Les Bleus ‘ third try, with full-back Bourgeois picking up the all-important bonus-point score.
With the clock in the red, replacement hooker Elis Martin scored Scotland’s only try of a disappointing second period.
Bryan Easson’s side, who finished fourth in last year’s Six Nations, defeated Wales in their opening game.
Scotland next face Italy on 13 April, while France, who are seeking a first Six Nations title since 2018, host Wales on 12 April.
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Replacements: Riffonneau, Mwayembe, Joyeux, Zago, Berthoumieu, L Champon, A Champon, Queyroi
Scotland: Rollie, Lloyd, Orr, Thomson, McGhie, Nelson, Brebner-Holden, Young, Skeldon, Clarke, Cunningham, Bonar, Malcolm (capt), McLachlan, Konkel
Eoin Morgan says England could make a “left-field call” with their new white-ball captaincy and create an arrangement where Test skipper Ben Stokes is parachuted in to do the job for major tournaments.
England are looking for a new captain for the men’s one-day and T20 sides after Jos Buttler resigned following their early exit in the Champions Trophy.
Morgan, who skippered England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019, has suggested a scenario where a “lieutenant” of Stokes ‘ holds the reins for the vast majority of bilateral series with the red-ball skipper brought back for World Cups.
England director of men’s cricket Rob Key said earlier this month it would be “stupid” not to consider Stokes as a white-ball captain.
Stokes, 33, has been Test captain since 2022 but the all-rounder has not played white-ball cricket for England since the 2023 50-over World Cup.
“I think a bit of a left-field call would be to ask Ben Stokes to consider the role, not necessarily on a full-time basis”, Morgan told Sky Sports.
“You would have to create an environment where Ben would slip in and out seamlessly in preparation for big tournaments and then sit on the backburner and focus on Test match cricket until those big tournaments came up.
Morgan was impressed with the manner in which Brook skippered England’s white-ball side against Australia last summer while Buttler was absent because of injury.
Morgan, who played 225 ODIs and 115 T20 Internationals for England, said the” leadership role didn’t seem to weigh “on Brook and he was one of the” options “on the table depending on the” direction they want to take”.
” If you highlight something that’s in three years, four years, somebody like Harry Brook would do a magnificent job, “Morgan, 38, said.
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson deliver an impressive performance at the World Figure Sskating Championships, scoring 83.86 points to secure their highest position in a world championship segment to put them third heading into the free dance.
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