Six Nations: France won the last match to beat England and take the title again
After the pre-match ceremony, which included riders on horseback, pyro and laser projection, the two teams put on a great, saw-worthy match that would have graced any period of their 120-year rivalry.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey, France’s warp-speed winger, fired England twice in the first 12 minutes with a trademark try.
The 22-year-old, who has scored in 10 consecutive Six Nations games, ran onto a well-weighted kick from Ramos and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert as England pulled forward and space opened up.
England went within two points, as Fin Smith and Elliot Daly, the duo who scored the winning try at Twickenham last year, set up Tom Roebuck in the corner.
It was clear early on that there was tension and deception in England’s running line, with the forwards meeting the heavyweight France pack on the front foot.
After Cadan Murley hit Theo Attissogbe on the backfield to cut the home lead to 14-10, Ollie Chessum crossed after a 13-man maul 20 meters down the field.
The Swing Low Sweet Chariot game went up from the England fan section as the scoreboard reached 17-17 and the two teams continued to trade close basketball points.
Alex Coles kicked the side to put England ahead, and Fin Smith’s penalty pushed the visitors 10 points clear at 27-17.
As the first half clock went red, two big calls came.
The athletes chose to kick a corner, and after the result, referee Nika Amashukeli decided that Ellis Genge pulled down the French mole, sent the prop into the sin bin and awarded a penalty try.
Indiscipline has plagued England’s campaign, with only the 2002 Italian side amassing more cards in a single Six Nations campaign.
England’s coaching staff used this decision when they returned to the dressing room and the start of the second half proved the reason.
With Genge off the field and England down to 14, France made hay.
Bielle-Biarrey completed his hat-trick 90 seconds after the restart, before the French side conceded a penalty at Genge-less’ first scrum. Attisogbe came on as the game went on and France went 38-27.
At the time it seemed that the competition was going away from England, but stability and opportunity brought it back.
Chessum intercepted Jalibert’s pass and slotted in from the area again, and with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack van Poortvliet coming off the bench, substitute Marcus Smith rounded Demba Bamba to put England 39-38 up with 25 minutes remaining.
Bielle-Biarrey added his fourth try of the game and ninth of the championship, but the twists kept coming.
Bamba was sent to the bin and Freeman came in and wandered over to silence the Stade de France.
With two minutes left, Chessum looked for a restart, Van Poortvliet kicked long, but Jalibert summoned another moment of magic, passing the chase to bring England back.
A high blow from the referee, highlighted by the absence of replays on the big screens, then allowed Ramos to step up and take credit for the final kick.
