Now it is Claudia Moloney-MacDonald's turn to fumble, dropping a long pass from Holly Aitchison, but it didn't go forward.

Ellie Kildunne gets the ball for the first time, and the decibel level goes up a notch or five! But Ireland cope well and kick deep into England's half.

Here we go!

England's Holly Aitchison gets the game under way, chipping the kick off deep to Eve Higgins, but the centre drops it and England get an attacking scrum straight away.

Image source, Getty Images

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

England captain Megan Jones and Ellie Kildunne get the loudest cheers.

Kildunne's name just about edges it.

Jones will be delighted with that. Not many mix it with Kildunne.

Image source, Getty Images

England wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Ireland hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald are about to face off against each other for the first time since getting married last year.

The pair are Exeter Chiefs team-mates.

"I asked Claudia if they tell each other who is picked," England wing Jess Breach told BBC Sport.

"She said they only tell each other if they are both involved and not what the entire team is.

"She is excited, you are excited to play your mates and it is like that. It is nice that they don't come up against each other at club."

Image source, Getty Images

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

The crowd went mad when this appeared.

This is England's first game as the newly crowned world champions.

There's a huge ovation for both sides as they emerge, accompanied by smoke and flames.

Meg Jones looks understandably a bit emotional as she lines up with her team by her side ahead of the national anthems.

Image source, Getty Images

• England 38-5 Italy
• Wales 12-67 England
• Ireland 5-49 England
• England 54-7 Scotland
• England 43-42 France

Whether you are at the game, watching elsewhere or you have been inspired by the Women's Six Nations, let us know by clicking the 'Send us your views' at the side of this page to have your say.

The atmosphere is building to a crescendo, and a graphic of the England team has just been seen hanging for most of the height from the top of a stand to the pitch.

The teams are in the tunnel, as are the mascots, and we are nearly ready.

Image source, Getty Images

England Rugby

England head coach John Mitchell speaking on BBC One: "New team, new start and new learning. The freshness of the new girls has brought an enormous amount of energy.

"I think our preparation has served us well. I think we are unfinished, we want to play a style of rugby that will bring us to the top again."

On Emily Scarratt in her new role as a coach: "She has been fantastic. The way she created an unstructured element to a structured element is amazing. She has insane knowledge of the game."

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol Bears prop Hannah Botterman is a doubt for the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury that has required a scan - the same ankle she had surgery on after the World Cup.

The 26-year-old - one of the Red Roses' top performers at the World Cup - has been one of the most improved players under Mitchell, developing her scrummaging and establishing herself as one of England's best ball carriers.

Prop Kelsey Clifford is given the nod to start and proved an able replacement in the World Cup quarter-final win over Scotland - which Botterman missed through injury - scoring twice to show her power in the carry.

Botterman's outgoing personality off the pitch will also be a loss for squad morale in team training.

England full-back Ellie Kildunne has admitted feeling "really alone" after experiencing an emotional dip following the Red Roses' Rugby World Cup win.

Four weeks on from winning England's first World Cup in 11 years, Kildunne returned to club action for Harlequins in front of 2,929 fans at Twickenham Stoop against Loughborough Lightning.

"You are playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Allianz, you have just won a World Cup, and the next minute you are back playing over the road in front of a sliver of the amount of people," the 26-year-old has told BBC Sport.

"There was that little bit of a dip in 'why I am doing this?' I always say it is for the happiness and inspiring people and every room I walk into."

Image source, PA Media

Zoe Stratford
England's World Cup winning captain on BBC One

I think Meg Jones will fill this team with incredible energy. She brings the vibes all the time and makes you feel at ease. She is an incredible person and always puts her body on the line for the team.

Image source, Getty Images

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

Steve from Brighton wins my outfit of the day.

He has split loyalties as his dad is Irish but he grew up in England.

An early bird ticket was purchased for the game by Steve and he is proud of how far women’s sport has come.

“I enjoy the atmosphere at women’s sport more than the men’s - there is a family feel,” he told BBC Sport.

“I went to the World Cup games in Brighton and I was here two years ago for the Red Roses against Ireland.

“I love how I can turn up dressed like this and nobody cares.”

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

With England's continued dominance comes a struggle to attract casual viewers looking for sporting jeopardy.

John Mitchell wants to keep evolving his side's game and create a dynasty by winning back-to-back World Cups, but knows the winning run will come to an end eventually.

"There is a Lions tour in 2027 so there are a lot of factors that will distract our girls along the way," he said. "If we do have a hiccup here and there that is also good to learn from."

Captain Jones believes the team's ability to play exciting rugby will enable them to keep selling tickets.

"Our role is to be the entertainers and make sure that we provide a product that people want to come back and watch," said Jones.

An improved standard of play - evident across the World Cup - could bring more entertaining and competitive games throughout the tournament.

More eyes will help keep the sport accelerating forward, but the product on the pitch needs to deliver for the increased numbers in the stands and watching at home.

Image source, PA Media

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

Things were lively a long way ahead of kick-off.

A large crowd have gathered around these three, who are pulling people over to the stage and are asking for their dance moves.

I’ve kept my distance to not get lured in. Nobody wants to see that.

A very friendly atmosphere is bubbling with the Irish and English mingling.

Chappell Rae - a UK-based solo tribute act dedicated to American pop singer Chappell Roan - was also up to appear on stage.

Ireland Rugby

Ireland centre Aoife Dalton speaking to BBC Sport: "It was amazing arriving here today. We are deffo here to not play for the occasion, we are here to play for ourselves. We won't let any outside factors come in and affect our game today."

England Rugby

Red Roses captain Meg Jones speaking to BBC Sport: "I think it's going to be an amazing game for us. We know we will have to be patient and we will have to earn the right to win the game.

"We are playing for the badge on our chest, we love playing and getting ourselves in the trenches."

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

Esta, 12, started playing for her local girl’s team 18 months ago.

She made sure the family got World Cup tickets in Salford - where they live - to watch Wales, Fiji, Scotland and Australia all live.

The family all became hooked.

They purchased a season ticket at Sale Sharks Women for the 2025-26 campaign.

“Sale used to get a couple of hundred and straight after the World Cup it was into the thousands,” Esta’s father Tom told BBC Sport.

“Women’s rugby has grown massively.”

Having watched the Red Roses win the World Cup at Allianz Stadium on TV, Tom was straight onto the tickets for the Women’s Six Nations.

“We had to get to a Women’s Six Nations game after the World Cup,” Tom added.

“We thought about going to Edinburgh but instead opted for this one.

“This is our first Red Roses game.”