Match Centre: Six Nations: England 26-25 France

England 26-25 France, Allianz Stadium

England produced a stunning comeback to secure a thrilling 26-25 victory over France in a high-octane Six Nations encounter at Allianz Stadium.

In a match filled with drama, end-to-end action, and momentum swings, Steve Borthwick’s men clinched the win with a late try and crucial conversion, denying France a second consecutive triumph in the tournament.

The match began in a tense and cagey manner, with both sides struggling to find their rhythm.

France fullback Thomas Ramos, regarded as one of the game’s most reliable kickers, unexpectedly missed an early penalty attempt, setting the tone for an unpredictable encounter.

Despite their dominant display against Wales in the previous round, Les Bleus found themselves frustrated by England’s defensive resilience.

They had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 20th minute when Antoine Dupont broke out from inside his own half, but the scrum-half fumbled a pass from Ramos, letting England off the hook. Moments later, Damian Penaud also spilled a potential try-scoring opportunity close to the English try line.

France eventually broke the deadlock in the 30th minute when Gregory Alldritt pounced on a loose ball in England’s half. Dupont orchestrated an attacking move, offloading to Penaud, who placed a perfect grubber kick for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to chase down and score. Ramos added the extras to make it 7-0.

England responded just before halftime with a try of their own. After sustained pressure on the French line, Ollie Lawrence bulldozed past Ramos to touch down. Marcus Smith converted, sending the teams into the break level at 7-7.

The pace of the game intensified after the restart, with both teams determined to seize control. Ramos slotted two penalties in quick succession, punishing England’s errors to push France ahead 13-7.

However, England hit back as Fin Smith launched a high kick into the French 22, which Tommy Freeman expertly collected. Quick recycling of possession allowed Freeman to cross the try line, though Smith missed the conversion, leaving the score at 13-12 in France’s favor.

France responded almost immediately, as Bielle-Biarrey cut inside from the left wing to set up Penaud for his 37th international try. Ramos failed to convert, but France had extended their lead to 18-12.

With the game entering its final quarter, England had an opportunity to reduce the deficit from a penalty. However, Marcus Smith’s kick drifted wide, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

When England won another penalty moments later, Fin Smith opted to kick for the corner, a decision that paid off. Following the resulting lineout, prop Fin Baxter powered over the line to put England ahead for the first time in the match. Fin Smith converted to make it 19-18.

The lead was short-lived, as France produced a dazzling counter-attack from deep within their own half. Bielle-Biarrey exploited space on the left wing to score his second try of the match, and Ramos’ successful conversion restored France’s advantage at 25-19.

As the clock ticked down, England mounted one final attack. Fin Smith orchestrated a decisive play, feeding replacement Elliot Daly on the French 5m line. Daly dived over for a crucial try, leveling the score. With the game hanging in the balance, Smith stepped up to convert from in front of the posts, sealing a dramatic 26-25 victory for England.

Team line up:

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Martin, T Curry, Earl, Willis

Reserves: George, Baxter, Heyes, Chessum, Cunningham-South, B Curry, Randall, Daly

France: Ramos; Penaud, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Roumat, Meafou, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt.

Reserves: Marchand, Baille, Colombe, Auradou, Guillard, Jegou, Le Garrec, Gailleton.