What a bewildering, bonkers end to this most ludicrous of Six Nations campaigns. Just when we thought we had seen the last twist or turn, just when we felt we had seen that which would not be topped, just when a sense of calm seemed to have returned to the competition, France and England created up a contest that can only be characterised as an assault on one’s senses and sensibilities. If it ended with the expected outcome – France securing back-to-back titles – almost nothing about an 80 minutes of 94 points seemed formed of any sort of logic.
Where had this England been? If it felt fanciful that France had scored 40 points a week ago and lost, it felt even more improbable that they had to score eight more to hold on to their Six Nations crown. Eventually, thanks to Thomas Ramos’s nerveless penalty with the clock in the red, a team that had arrived in Paris in a state of crisis were finally put to bed; England valiant, but not victorious, somehow.
From start to finish, this was almost an out-of-body experience, and a few of the visiting players may say the same. The atmosphere, the occasion, the endijng the sheer daring and drama; it was epic in every sense. It may not have been the grand slam glory for which France once seemed destined but you cannot dispute that they are deserving champions of this competition. On a night for fast cars, they had the fastest: Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s four tries crucial in ensuring the trophy was theirs to lift.
They came out in credit tonight but the inquest is already underway for England after a history-making campaign. Never previously had they finished a Six Nations with a single win; never before had they been beaten by Italy; never before had they lost by so many to Ireland at Twickenham. This was, perhaps, a performance to show what might have been – Borthwick and his squad left counting the cost of ambition, accuracy and intensity long since overdue.
The extended fallout will be complex, yet one could see here a side still playing for one another and, more importantly, their head coach. For Borthwick, this would have been frustrating but perhaps vindicating, too – plenty had wondered if he could compel this short of showing.
Ireland, watching on in Dublin having beaten Scotland earlier to go top of the table, might have considered the prospects slim, too, though so nearly found England did them the unlikeliest of favours. Events earlier on “Super Saturday” had simplified the equation for France, a bonus point no longer required but always likely to be achieved anyway. They had fresh frocks in which to strut, a specially-designed pale blue shirt released to mark 120 years off this fixture. Woven within the finer details of a beautiful piece of cloth were threads through the decades: a badge from 1927, shoulder accents straight out of the 80s, and the many memories of a great rugby rivalry. A pre-match ceremony featuring horses, old English warriors and a band of French children set a slightly surreal, but spectacular, tone.
England and France had begun the night tied on 87 victories apiece in the Six Nations era; nip and tuck, by that metric at least. Much had been said about the perceived difference in disposition between these two but it was tough to tell which side was which in a rollicking opening quarter – and not just because of that lighter French blue hue creating something of a kit clash. While the hosts embarked with familiar attacking ambition, they were met by an intrepid England determined to disprove certain narratives that had formed.
Criticism of a kick-heavy strategy had come with fresh intensity in the wake of the performance against Italy but the first 20 minutes showed that putting boot to ball not always be boring. Four tries split evenly each came courtesy of a kick. The silken skills of Ramos twice put the phenom Bielle-Biarrey into space, while Ben Spencer matched the France full-back for contributions of his left peg, first finding Cadan Murley with a cute contestable chip in the run-up to Tom Roebuck’s try before the left wing capitalised on his scrum half’s grubber.
It felt like a case of identity theft. Where had this England been? They had begun with purpose in defeat against Ireland and Italy, but without the accuracy they found here. Not content to let the backs have all the fun, the forwards got involved. Having muscled up their maul by including Ollie Chessum in the No 6 shirt, the pack went to work with two mighty drives down deep into French territory – within range for a long-limbed lunge to the line from the blindside flanker.
Scorer soon turned provider. England’s scrum has been about their only consistently correct component in this championship, and earned a penalty from which came another advanced position. Granted quick ball, the reborn Spencer’s wide pass was tipped back inside neatly by Chessum to Alex Coles. When Fin Smith drop-kicked the conversion from the touchline, it felt like it might just be England’s night.
Three points from Smith’s right boot extended the visitors’ advantage to 10 points, but the ill-discipline that has plagued them throughout this campaign soon reared its ugly head. France advanced down the left touchline and Ellis Genge felt he had no choice to haul down a maul a metre out. After the drive’s formation was ruled licit after an extended video investigation, there was only one outcome – a ninth yellow card of the campaign.
Off to a well-warmed English naughty step he was sent, Borthwick’s side losing a man and seven points for the penalty try. They still had a lead, but not for long: Bielle-Biarrey again, a third on the night and an eighth of the campaign to match his own record from last year. Just 22, the jet-heeled member of the French jet-set will be a frequent flyer for a long while yet.
Opposite wing Theo Attissogbe joined the party but their invited guests were not yet ready to leave. The magnificent Chessum plucked an intercept and strode across the Stade in what felt like three big bounds. As if this madcap contest needed more energy, enter Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith together, the latter an immediate scorer and converter to put his side back in front.
Onwards and onwards it went. Bielle-Biarrey one-upped himself with a fourth score to break his own championship record; England found another riposte, Tommy Freeman under the posts after an extended effort in the home 22. Another skirmish, another scrap, and a France penalty. Only Ramos kept his head, and his kick between the posts.
