Category: France Rugby

• Italy 24-73 France
• Visitors earn second-highest tally in Six Nations history

If there were questions over France’s ability to finish teams off after coughing up numerous chances against England a fortnight ago, they have been thoroughly put to bed. A ruthless 11-try demolition of a handy Italy side on their own patch served as a reminder that, on their day, there are few better outfits in rugby than a French team in full flow.

Fabien Galthié, the head coach, made some bold selection decisions, dropping his ace wing Damian Penaud and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert from the match-day 23. A seven-one bench split was a sign of the plan and France’s power game duly delivered. They stomped over the gainline with just about every carry, unloaded six heavies off the bench in one go on 48 minutes and pulverised the Italians, who sparkled on rare occasions but were totally outgunned.

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After an end-to-end start, France roared away from their hosts with 11 tries to bounce back from England defeat in style

Anthems done. Not long to go now.

Italy are looking to make it three straight home wins for the first time in the Six Nations.

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Elliot Daly’s try at the death delivered a crucial win for Steve Borthwick

4 mins. The first scrum of the game is a French one near halfway, which they win snappily and move it to the right. Dupont jabs a grubber towards the touchline but Penaud can’t reach it before it dribbles over the line.

2 mins. Ben Earl has a carry up towards halfway and the recycle Fin Smith dallies a bit and this allow Alldritt in to charge it down. The ball bobbles all over the place and mercifully back in English hands to kick clear.

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If England are blown away up front, Will Smith might as well be playing fly-half for all the difference it will make

Once upon a time France headed to London with a certain amount of trepidation. For 18 years they could not buy a Six Nations win at Twickenham, to the point where people muttered about mental blocks and psychological hang-ups. Until a couple of years ago, that is, when Steve Borthwick’s England were torn apart 53-10 in the heaviest home defeat the old cabbage patch has ever known.

At a stroke all that historical baggage was gloriously jettisoned. Which is precisely what England would now love to replicate on a chilly February day in their retitled concrete citadel. There is no sweeter feeling in sport than unexpected success, particularly when a home victory is widely viewed as up there, in terms of probability, with Donald Trump’s vision for a “Gaza Riviera”.

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• Ntamack’s three-match ban prompts team tweaks
• Penaud returns for role on the wing after toe injury

France’s Matthieu Jalibert will start at fly-half against England in the Six Nations on Saturday in place of the suspended Romain Ntamack, one of two changes from the team that beat Wales in the opening game.

Jalibert asked to be sent back to his club, Bordeaux-Begles, when he was left out of the 23 to face the All Blacks having been second in the pecking order at flyhalf to Thomas Ramos during last November’s autumn series but the France head coach, Fabien Galthié, said there was no grudge held against the 26-year-old.

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• Freeman urges team to put early pressure on France
• Murley injury rules wing out for France and Scotland

England have vowed not to put France’s superstar scrum-half Antoine Dupont on a pedestal as Steve Borthwick seeks to end his side’s miserable run of form against Les Bleus on Saturday.

Borthwick will be without Cadan Murley for the match after he picked up a foot injury in the 27-22 defeat by Ireland last weekend and has been ruled out until after the Scotland game but, while Dupont and co represent a daunting challenge, Tommy Freeman has insisted that France are “only human”.

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Steve Borthwick’s side still lack an effective Plan B while Warren Gatland’s aim is to avoid embarrassment in Rome

Few annual tournaments lay bare the truth as brutally or swiftly as the Six Nations. There are no play-yourself-in pool games, no one-off-the-mark half-volleys. The opposition want your guts from minute one and, particularly away from home, there is no hiding place. Even in boxing they allow you a pair of padded gloves and a breather every three minutes.

If you are not quite at the level of your opponent, even for a relatively short period of time, the scoreboard rarely lies. Until their late, late flurry in Dublin, England were 27-10 down and already pinned on the ropes. Over in Paris on Friday night there were moments when you almost wanted the referee, Paul Williams, to step in and save Wales from any more punishment.

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The tournament looks ferociously competitive and, with attacking verve back in fashion, it promises to be a vintage year

Every now and again it is useful to be reminded of rugby union’s place in the grand scheme of things. “So, what’s next for you?” a non‑sporty friend asked the other day. He must have spotted my raised eyebrow. “Oh, yes, um, it’s the Six Nations, isn’t it?” Even on Planet Zog, inhabited by people who think a cauliflower ear is a tasty veggie option, they have heard of the annual rugby equivalent of Glastonbury.

And, traditionally, that has been the sport’s saving grace. Millions with limited interest in club rugby gather to cheer on the lands of their fathers, grandmothers and wolfhounds. The technical intricacies matter less than pouring a Guinness 0.0 – seemingly the pint du jour – and announcing to no one in particular that England are coming in nicely under the radar.

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• France 37-23 Argentina
• Les Bleus run in four tries for third straight victory

France wrapped up their Autumn Nations Series in style with a 37-23 victory against Argentina for their third win in as many Tests at the Stade de France.

Six days after beating New Zealand 30-29, Fabien Galthié’s side were never in real trouble against the Pumas, with a penalty try and tries by Thibaud Flament, Gabin Villière and Louis Bielle-Biarrey while Thomas Ramos had another perfect kicking day with 15 points.

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• France 30-29 New Zealand
• Home side claw back half-time deficit in seesaw contest

Silky skills, crushing power and a ding-dong on the scoreboard lapped up by a sold-out Saturday-night crowd: this was a vintage instalment of a classic fixture that went right down to the wire.

The iconic scrum-half Antoine Dupont may have looked a little rusty on his second outing for France since his sevens sojourn at the Paris Olympics but Thomas Ramos, who kicked 15 points with six from six off the tee, was as dependable as ever.

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• England 21-13 France
• Set-piece superiority guides team to victory

England claimed a first under-20 world title since 2016 with a victory over France founded on their ruthlessly dominant scrum and a power-packed performance that will have Steve Borthwick licking his lips. Tries from the forwards Joe Bailey and Arthur Green sealed victory in Cape Town with England’s muscle up front proving too much for the defending champions.

England were unstoppable at scrum time, winning penalties at will less than a week after Borthwick had bemoaned the senior side’s set-piece problems. The props Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon may soon find themselves fast-tracked, such was their superiority in a pack that was missing its first-choice tighthead in Billy Sela. Others to burnish their reputations were the second-row Junior Kpoku and the flanker Henry Pollock in a performance that bodes well as Borthwick plots a course towards the 2027 World Cup.

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• Players currently on Les Bleus’ South America tour
• FFR president says an investigation is under way

Two France international rugby players have been arrested after an allegation of sexual assault was made against them during Les Bleus’ South America tour. The president of the the French rugby federation’ (FFR), Florian Grill, told reporters in Buenos Aires that if the facts are proven they are “incredibly serious”.

The two players – the 20-year-old Pau lock Hugo Auradou and the La Rochelle flanker Oscar Jégou, 21 – are set to be taken from the Argentinian capital to Mendoza, where the alleged incident happened. Mendoza staged the first Test between Argentina and France on Saturday, when Auradou and Jégou both started.

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Performance against France leads to new belief that Borthwick’s men have turned a corner with attacking tactics

For England the sense of deja vu was inescapable on Saturday night. As Thomas Ramos lined up the 80th-minute penalty to seal the narrowest of victories for France, minds spooled back to Paris and South Africa’s Handré Pollard doing precisely the same thing in the World Cup semi-final. If the fact that they emerged on the right side of a thrilling denouement just a week earlier demonstrates the fine margins of professional sport, England could be forgiven for getting that sinking feeling once again.

But this one will not hurt for as long or cut nearly as deep. Optimism abounds for Steve Borthwick’s side. The World Cup exit was greeted with a degree of respect that a limited team had scraped their way to the last four but, on the evidence of their valiant defeat in France and thrilling win against Ireland, England have rediscovered themselves. They have finally found an attacking edge that went missing in the second half of Eddie Jones’s reign and their supporters are swooning again.

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France needed a late Thomas Ramos penalty to win a nail-biter in Lyon

2 mins. England recycle the restart and boot it back to France who decide it’s the kind of night whereby they will go wide early, and have already had Fickou chucking the ball through his legs as an option. This move gets them outside the English blitz via a Depoortere run up the left touchline before England scramble and force him out.

At the second attempt (don’t ask), Thomas Ramos punts the ball deep to get us underway.

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Wales play their part in eight-try show, but France’s power game proves too much as Gatland’s charges remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Elliot Dee leads the team out on his 50th appearance. Applause for Lewis Jones, the former Wales and British & Irish Lion, who passed away this week. Some love too for Barry John, JPR Williams, Phil Bennett and John Dawes.

Minutes away. Both groups look tense. They know what’s on offer today. Redemption is maybe too strong a word, but yesterday proved that any side can win if their opponents aren’t on it.

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