Six Nations 2017

[Derm McCrum]

Superb phase and support approach play by France.

Great try. Slimani over next to the posts..

Eng 12-16 Fra

[Derm McCrum]

France need to not go inside themselves now.

[Derm McCrum]

The amount of chop tackles now flying in from the French. Clearly they've had their card marked on the head highs.

[Derm McCrum]

Ford with a superb O'Garaesque touch finder relieves the pressure and puts Eng back on the front foot.

[Derm McCrum]

Machineaud has great feet.

[infidel]

Picamoles is having a huge game

[Derm McCrum]

In contrast to his club form.

England win a penalty. Kick for posts??

No - lineout. 15m out.

[Derm McCrum]

Jack Nowell - the slippery eel comes on. Love watching him play and run.

[infidel]

Ref has been overly technical. Called two or three scrum penalties against the French for who knows what.

[rotated]

This is going to be a really interesting 10 minutes. If England start grinding out wins from positions like this I might have to start rating them.

[Derm McCrum]

France - two offsides in defending their line.

And Ben Te'o breaks through and over.

[Disgusted of TW]

@infidel yes, most odd. Similarly strange was his penalty against England for diving on a ball that he had literally just said was out of the ruck.

[Derm McCrum]

France running out of steam and ideas I think.

England just need to manage the remaining time and stay stuck in France's half.

[infidel]

@Disgusted-of-TW don't think anyone knew what that penalty was for, against Wood?

England with their tails up now for the first time in the match. Should win from here but have been underwhelming for me, notwithstanding the French have played well.

[Derm McCrum]

Picamoles Man of the Match - unsurprising.

[Derm McCrum]

Jeez - Jean Marc Doussain fucks up the penalty kick for touch after getting a last chance for France.

[Derm McCrum]

And there it is. England win.

15 in a row for the first time. Beat the 2003 gang.

Congrats England.

[Billy Tell]

Argh, France are so frustrating to watch. Create loads of chances, but blow just as many. Ran out of steam, and then headless chicken stuff like missing penalty touch with time up on the clock.

[cheetahsBO]

Ireland lost too many line-outs. And gave Stuart Hogg too much room.

England looked in danger but France probably just doesn't have that self-belief.

England would need all their injured players back when they face the All Blacks, one day.

[Crucial]

That Eng/France game was one of those ones where neither side showed themselves better than the other and there was only really a winner because the clock ran out (if that makes sense). You couldn't have argued either way as to who was best.
A draw would have also been an apt result and would have been better for the comp.