Key events
Well, that was quite the ride. See you all next year.
Here’s the full match report
Maro Itoje
“It was a tough couple of games an we’re disappointed to lose this one. I truly believe this team is going places and we will learn from this and take it forward. We knew we had to be better at converting our territory to points, and we did that. We need to attack the game, we will be better.”
The French players begin to assemble on the plinth of victory, some starting a tentative pogo as they await their captain with the trophy. Dupont arrives and throws it above his head as the pyrotechnics fire up along with the pumping music.
Steve Borthwick is offering thoughts
“Congrats to France, a great game and they are formidable opponents. Two very good sides going head to head and an outstanding game of rugby. [It’s taken until this game to perform like this because] we’ve needed time from a training perspective to get everything right, and relationships in the team. The yellow cards this tournament have hurt us; I think the one tonight was debatable, as was Arundell’s in the first game, but we’ve got to be better than that.
[On the future] I’m very clear on direction of the team. I’m disappointed with the performances, but we’ll keep moving forward.”
What a ride that last quarter must have been for all the Ireland fans out there. Quite a bookended day of emotion, I imagine.
A fitting end to a fabulous, incomparable, barely believable tournament.
England did more tonight than anyone expected, but what an attacking force France are, and this was enough to win a second Six Nations on the trot.
IT GOES OVER! FRANCE WIN IT AT THE DEATH WITH A RAMOS PENALTY!
80+2 mins. France are Six Nations champions in the most dramatic way possible!
80 mins. There’s a high tackle in midfield by England! There’s no advantage taken by France and so Ramos will tee this up to try to win the game from about 40 metres at the absolute death!
Itoje is not happy at where the ref has positioned the ball, but it’s happening regardless…
79 mins. England somehow steal the ball back, but Pollock spills it forward. The ball is back in French hands just in the English half.
78 mins. Jalibert breaks and runs 2o metres before finding Dupont, but England haul him down and reset their defence on the 22.
TRY! France 45 – 46 England (Tommy Freeman)
77 mins. The kick goes deep for Cunnigham-South to run it back and get the England attack moving again. They are soon back in the 22, forcing France to scramble desperately and ruining their shape, that Freeman takes advantage of to score under the posts.
M Smith converts.
75 mins. France have the novelty of defending a maul without conceding a penalty as England take it to ground themselves. Several short carries pull the blue defence in and with Roebuck screaming for it out wide they ignore him and go for the line again.
The force over, but there are enough French defenders to hold the ball up! France will clear their lines via a drop-out
YELLOW CARD! Demba Bamba (France)
73 mins. The ball is put back in the corner for another catch and drive, which almost immediately results in another penalty against France. It was Bamba, and he’s off.
72 mins. England have a lineout in the French 22, which is taken by the front jumper to set up a maul. France soon infringe and the Ref calls Dupont over to warn him the next penalty is a card.
68 mins. Dupont has clearly decided now is the time to assert himself, firstly with that kick for the try, and here with some dogged recovering of possession in his own 22. He then gets himself up and round-house kicks and incredible touchfinder forty metres to clear.
He looks knackered, mind.
TRY! France 45 – 39 England (Louis Bielle-Biarrey)
65 mins. A grubber from Fin Smith is lost to Ramos, who gets a counter attack going up the left. Two phases later Dupont spots a hectare of space behind and whips the ball off his left peg into it for Bielle-Biarrey to outrun everyone. He taps it forward with his foot, rides a sliding tackle from Van Poortvliet and scores.
Ramos converts.
64 mins. The intensity is not subsiding in any way, with every collision threatening to create a singularity such is the physical intensity. England have a scrum after Meafou fumbles forward in a ruck.
62 mins. Marcus Smith puts up a high one after England are awarded a free kick at the scrum. Possession is traded a couple of times, with Freeman running over the top of Ramos before he’s caught holding on the floor. Cue some pushing and shoving which the ref scolds both captains for. They appear about 12% arsed.
60 mins. An England scrum is taking a while to complete around halfway. Enjoy the respite, I say.
TRY! France 38 – 39 England (Marcus Smith)
57 mins. The phases eventually tell as M Smith, on for the Daly, calls for the ball and has enough nippiness and strength to get over the line.
He converts his own try.
ChampionshipWatch. Ireland are currently winning the whole thing
56 mins. It’s England’s turn to have some ball, and the pattern of France being unable to defend well sets in as the visitors drive into the 22. There is some better shape from the home side on the five metre line, however, and England are slowed up on 12 phases.
52 mins. Championship Situation Check. If it stays like this, France win the whole thing.
TRY! France 38 – 32 England (Ollie Chessum)
50 mins. France return to a good position in the England half, where Jalibert dallies on his pass enough to signpost to Chessum the interception is on. The big man rushes out of the line, yoinks it, and gallops sixty metres to score. A remarkable sight.
Conversion missed.
TRY! France 38 – 27 England (Theo Attissogbe)
48 mins. Jalibert breaks the line in the 22 and throws an offload to Ollivon who somehow grips it one-handed down by his boot while being tackled. Incredible. The carry from Guillard forces England offside and as soon the ref blows up Dupont taps it and flings and exocet pass to his winger to walk in.
Ramos adds the extras.
45 mins. France get similar shape, pattern and penetration rolling with their next possession. However it loses some precision in the 22 which isolates Guillard enough for Itoje to get over him and win a turnover penalty. A vital intervention, but France rather mangled that.
TRY! France 31 – 27 England (Louis Bielle-Biarrey)
42 mins. This is a brilliant try. France move the ball at pace, both in short and long passes, to finally get their big units moving. They work a full 60 metres, all interchanging pop-passes and offloads before a fizzing pass is fired out to the winger to dive in the corner.
Incredibly given his record, this is his first Test hat-trick.
Ramos slams an amazing conversion from the touchline
Second Half!
The circus has re-opened
“Imagine South Africa at the end of that half. 10 ahead, 90 seconds to go.” sighs a weary Tim Atkin. “England kick the ball. Give away a penalty. Then a yellow. Then a penalty try. Abysmal game management. Genge has given the French 14 points.”
Imagine if the second half is 3-0 or something. That would put the top hat on a game that’s flirting with high farce.
“Amazing what happens when you don’t have any pressure, Lee.” posits Guy Hornsby. “England like a different team, causing France so many problems all over the park. But once again, we have been terrible in the air and can’t keep our discipline. We really do have an incredible ability to punch ourselves in the face.”
HALF TIME!
PEEEEP! That’s the end of a very eventful half of rugby union football. Everyone take a minute.
YELLOW CARD! Ellis Genge (England)
And Genge is given his marching orders as a result.