Six Nations Review - France 26 - 24 England

It seems that every year the build-up to the Six Nations gets bigger and bigger.  The more we see in previous seasons, the more we expect from the next.  Except, with an England side packed with newbies and a French side that looks great on paper but has failed to deliver for the last 18 months, nobody really knew what to expect as we approached this one.  Except that, this being Le Crunch, it would be a belter – and they weren't wrong, as the Parisian crowd was treated to one of the compelling opening games in memory.  A game that would, in a way, come down to one substitution call by the England management.  A call that would lead to a heartbreaking defeat for Les Rosbifs and leaving a certain head coach looking like a Yorkshire pudding.  Now, Stuart Lancaster, like any top player, is prone to the odd blunder no matter how competent he usually is, but we've seen it before – the Stade de France is not a forgiving atmosphere for mistakes.

And this was shown with immediate, and spectacular, effect.  Joe Launchbury misjudged the flight of the ball off the kick off and Jack Nowell, backing up, knocked on.  After two phases, France's debutant – Jules Plisson – threaded a grubber through the English defence, taking a slight deflection off Billy Twelvetrees, and into the path of Yuann Huget, who coasted in for the game's opening score.  Mike Brown, usually all-seeing in his full back role, had failed to pick up the onrushing right winger and found himself in no-man's land by the time the ball bounced into the Frenchman's hands.  Despite a missed conversion, it was the perfect start for the hosts.  37 seconds gone.  5 – 0 up.

If England were rattled, though, they didn't show it.  From the returning kick off they charged straight into the French defensive line, with Johnny May and Luther Burrell both making good yardage before the hosts were forced into conceding a penalty on the right.  Owen Farrell stepped up for the penalty – apparently after having a "There's something about Mary" moment in the changing room (I assume it was Vaseline, hanging off his ear and hair) – and smashed over the 3 points.  It had been a frantic start.

It had been an impressive attack from England, but their defence – especially out wide – was all over the place.  Time and again Nowell was being caught too narrow in defence and Plisson was exploiting this with some delightful cross field kicks, nearly creating another score for Huget in the process.  In light of this, England was grateful to concede just 3 points from the boot of Doussain, and were then dealt a further blow when May was forced off with a facial injury, leaving him watching the rest of the match with a Hannibal Lector mask on.

The visitors were trying to get a foothold in the game, and looked to have maybe turned a corner when Courtney Lawes pilfered a lineout and then Jack Nowell forced a turnover with a hammering-tackle on Dulin, but they were caught out by a sucker punch once again.  Yannick Nyanga snatched a quick turnover in the middle of the park and pushed the ball wide to Huget, who skinned Alex Goode – on for May – on the outside before offloading back to Dulin.  The full back chipped over Mike Brown and the ball cruelly bounced back over the backtracking Goode and Nowell and into the arms of that man Huget, who plunged over into the corner for his second.  It was a stark reminder of the potential of turnover ball, which had been kicked away by Twelvetrees for England just minutes earlier, and despite the missed conversion, Les Bleus were well and truly in command.  It felt like Cardiff all over again, especially when Doussain smashed over another 3 points to give the hosts a seemingly insurmountable 16 – 3 lead.

This England side are made of sterner stuff than in recent years, though.  Gradually they tried to force their way back into the game, with Goode and Brown combining well to go close, but the former knocked on when trying to free his hands for an offload.  One man with no offloading problems, however, was Louise Picamoles, a powerful bust down the left was followed by an outrageous back-door pass to Dulin, who – equally outrageously – volleyed it forward, only to see it bounce out into touch off the corner flag.  France were slugging, but somehow the men in white were still standing.  And they finally landed a left hook of their own when Danny Care executed a trademark tap-and-go from 25 metres out to take him within 5 metres of Les Bleus' line.  A hospital pass from Dylan Hartley didn't help, but Billy Vunipola – relatively quiet in the first half – delayed his pass just long enough to give Brown the room he needed to skip past Huget and touch down through a wall of French bodies.  It was a massive finish and a massive moment for England and for Brown, for whom it was a first test try.  Farrell missed the kick from out wide but, as the halftime whistle went, England felt surprisingly on top considering that they trailed by 16 – 8. 

They came out in the second half with the same vigour which they showed at the end of the first.  The men in white tore into their counterparts with a renewed ferocity, with Robshaw, Hartley, Vunipola and Goode all making powerful carries into the heart of the French defence.  It looked to have paid dividends when Danny Care ignored Vunipola outside of him and scampered underneath the fringe defence to dive for the line, but the TMO showed he had come up just short with his reach.  I have always said that Danny Care has abnormally small limbs, but now it has cost his country.  The men in white had to settle for another penalty from Farrell, but they were back in the game.

They were more than 'in the game' 5 minutes later, when they took the lead for the first time in the match.  Vunipola, who was weighing in with some colossal carries, took a sublimely delayed pass from Farrell to rampage through a gap and draw in 3 tacklers before offloading to the onrushing Burrell, who cruised over for a fantastic debut try.  It was magnificent stuff – with Farrell's conversion, England had the lead.  And they looked good value for it, too, even when the French finally roused themselves to life.  A breakout by Huget and Wesley Fofana looked to have created another score for the French centre, but a magnificent tackle by Billy Twelvetrees cut the dangerman down 10 metres from the line.  A superb Dan Cole turnover – the first of 2 for the Leicester man – claimed possession back for the English and then they were nearly scoring at the other end as Danny Care hacked a looseball ahead but just couldn't gather as the ball failed to kick up for him.

It was all England now as they looked to bury the game.  Good carries from substitute Mako Vunipola and Cole drove the visitors up to the French line and forced a penalty advantage after Nyanga failed to roll away at the tackle but Care, instead of seeking a try, snapped a cheeky drop goal.  Now don't get me wrong, it was a well-taken kick, but from that range Farrell would always knock over the 3 points, so why not use the advantage to go for a try?  As it was, England had now scored 18 unanswered points.

Still they surged forwards, with substitutes Tom Youngs and Ben Morgan crashing forwards and making huge yardage on the carries, whilst Nowell and Farrell both made big line-breaks which England failed to capitalise on.  It was the only downside for the visitors, who were enjoying all the territory and possession, but were failing to pick up the points they deserved.  Key moments were not quite going to plan – a Tom Youngs lineout throw was an inch too high for Lawes, Nowell didn't see Goode on his right when in space and Brown didn't stay on his wing when Farrell made his break, when doing so would surely have meant that the Harlequins man would have been in for his second.

As it were, substitute Maxime Machenaud clawed back 3 points for the hosts after a big scrum (although replays suggested that Forestier was driving in sideways into Cole), before Alex Goode knocked over a penalty in return, with Farrell off the pitch receiving treatment for a severe case of cramp.  Farrell should have been substituted – he was out on his feet – but Stuart Lancaster had made what, in my opinion, was the fateful decision of the game.  He had replaced Jack Nowell with Brad Barritt.  This is nothing against either player – Nowell had grown into the game and Barritt is a very solid centre – but, as a tactical decision, this was bizarre.  I could understand replacing a nervous debutant winger with a more experienced winger, but the introduction of a centre, Barritt, meant that another debutant, Burrell, was forced out onto the wing – a position he had never played before.  So not only did this pointless substitution deny the chance of replacing the injured Farrell, it also meant that instead of having an inexperienced winger on the right wing, England had an inexperienced, out-of-position centre on the right wing.  It would prove to be a critical moment, as France brought on their own centre, youngster Gael Fickou, in place of Matheiu Bastareaud. 

It led to a stunning final five minutes.  Spotting the weakened Farrell on the right, the magnificent Nyanga galloped past him to get his side on the front foot, before the ball was swung left and into the hands of substitute Dimitri Szarzewski.  The hooker found some space and, instead of staying wide and marking the quick men, Burrell instinctively stepped in to make the tackle, allowing Szarzewski to find Fickou in space.  I said before the tournament that he was Les Bleus' secret weapon, and he showed why as he glided down the wing, sold a dummy to Alex Goode – who surely should have targeted the carrier – and coasted round under the posts for a remarkable score.  Machenaud's conversion went over, and the French had a two point lead.

As Nigel Owens – who himself had had a splendid game – blew the final whistle at 26 – 24 to the hosts, there has rarely been a more obvious example of the agony and ecstasy of rugby.  The French, with their backs to the wall for so long, had somehow clawed their way back.  The English, for all their grit and inventiveness, had been left with nothing.  A strong, impressive performance from the visitors, but it was ultimately not enough, thanks to the bounce of a rugby ball and a seemingly innocuous substitution.  Small margins have big consequences in this game.

 

France Player Ratings

Bruce Dulin – 6 – Not involved a whole lot but a couple of sharp breaks reminded us of his talent with the ball in hand.  Put under a lot of pressure with the high ball.

Yoann Huget – 8 – Finally on the wing for France and showed his predatory instincts with two very well taken scores

Matheiu Bastereau – 6 – Kept quiet throughout the game in attack but seems to have picked up some breakdown tips from Toulon teammate Steffon Armitage, nicking the pill on several occasions

Wesley Fofana – 6 – Well marshalled by the England defence and starved of ball.  No chance to show off those dancing feet.

Maxime Medard – 5 – Pretty anonymous throughout.  You expect a player of his calibre to pop up all over the park.

Jules Plisson – 8 – A very handy debut indeed.  Dealt well with pressure and his intelligent kicks caused England all sorts of problems.  Made mistakes but played without fear.

Jean-Marc Doussain – 6 – Shackled well around the fringes but service was always reliable.

Thomas Domingo – 7 – Had the upper hand on Cole in the scrum and carried with some gusto, but wasn't involved as much as he would like.

Benjamin Kayser – 6 – Lineout was a bit of a mixed bag but otherwise a decent showing from the hard-working hooker

Nicolas Mas – 6 – Was part of a dominant scrummaging effort but couldn't offer anything of note elsewhere

Alexandre Flanquart – 5 – Unable to make yardage in the tackle and perhaps wasn't as physical around the fringes as Saint-Andre would have hoped

Pascal Pape – 6 – A solid display without being spectacular.  Willing to do the hard yards when the play started to get a little loose

Yannick Nyanga – 9 – A fantastic display.  Relentlessly physical and athletic, he forced turnovers and made 3 telling line-breaks – one of which set up the last try.

Bernard Le Roux – 6 – Was kept quiet throughout the game and was mostly outshone by his teammate flanker and Chris Robshaw

Louis Picamoles – 7 – Strong as always, often taking in 2 or 3 defenders to bring him down.  No 'hollywood' momoments but always a handful.

Subs Used

Dimiti Szarzewski – 7 – A very impressive cameo from the gloriously-haired hooker.  Wonderfully timed run and pass gave Fickou all the space he needed.

Yannick Forestier – 6 – Didn't enjoy the same level of scrum dominance as Domingo but was a presence in the loose

Rabah Slimani – 5 – Solid in the scrum without gaining the upper hand but was quiet elsewhere

Yoann Maestri – 7 – The big man made his claim for a starting spot by adding weight and punch to the French forward effort

Antoine Burban – 6 – Couldn't improve on Le Roux's showing and was mostly bettered at the breakdown by his opposite numbers

Damien Choully – Not enough time to have an impact

Maxime Machenaud – 7 – Kicked coolly under pressure and was a reassuring pressure as the French came under the cosh in the second half

Gael Fickou – 8 – A five minute cameo, and what an impact.  His raw pace and vision was too much for a tiring defence to handle and he took his try with aplomb.

 

England Player Ratings

Mike Brown – 7 – Always beat the first man, and finished superbly for his try, but was caught out positionally for France’s first score.

Jack Nowell – 6 – A real mixed bag, a nightmare start and some dodgy positioning was followed by some powerful runs and sharp breaks

Luther Burrell – 6 – A good, solid debut.  Finished well for his try and was a rock in defence until the odd decision to move him out onto the wing.

Billy Twelvetrees – 6 – After some suspect passes he kicked on well, dominating the midfield collisions and organising the defence and forward runners with authority

Johnny May – No time to make an impact.

Owen Farrell – 8 – After a mixed start he kicked well and attacked the gainline with a reassuring inventiveness, delightfully delaying a pass for Burrell’s try.  Can’t be blamed for missing Nyanga late on as he played on one leg.

Danny Care – 7 – Smart tap and go set up England’s first try and attacked the fringes well as well smashing a well-taken drop-goal, but his box-kicking was very average and often put his side under pressure.

Joe Marler – 6 – Didn’t have a great time in the scrum but his carrying was as impressive as always, as was his defence.

Dylan Hartley – 8 – Pretty good in the lineout but it was his aggression and eagerness in the loose that really impressed.  Is a renewed force this season.

Dan Cole – 6 – Like his fellow prop, was under the cosh in the scrum but his breakdown work was very impressive and made some decent carries too.

Joe Launchbury – 6 – Not the standard we’ve been used to of late, but not a bad display.  Mistake on the opening kickoff contributed to Huget’s first score.

Courtney Lawes – 8 – Another big display from the human missile.  Weighed in with some hits and strong carries.  Worked well in the lineout, too.

Tom Wood – 7 – Not all that conspicuous but more often than not appeared at a crucial time to do the dirty work, making big clearouts and covering tackles.

Chris Robshaw – 8 – As impressive as ever, the England skipper made plenty of carries and was everywhere at the ruck time.  Didn’t deserve to captain the losing side.

Billy Vunipola – 8 – Really grew into the game.  Quiet to begin with but one huge hit on Nyanga and a brilliant carry for Burrell’s try cemented his claim as England’s premier 8.

Subs Used

Tom Youngs – 7 – Missed one lineout but was otherwise solid, but his carrying was colossal, making a positive impact as England tried to shut down the second half

Mako Vunipola – 6 – Struggled in the scrum at times like Marler, but his work outside the set piece was excellent, making impressive yardage with the ball in hand.

Dave Attwood – No time to have an impact

Ben Morgan – 8 – Weighed in with some monumental carries to keep applying the pressure to Vunipola.  What a great battle we have there.

Lee Dickson – 5 – Didn’t dictate play as he would have liked, but to be fair was probably brought on at the wrong time.  Box-kicking needs work.

Brad Barritt – No time to have an impact, but shouldn’t have been brought on for Nowell

Alex Goode – 5 – Solid under the high ball on the whole, but was skinned in the build-up to France’s second try and didn’t provide much penetration in attack


What else happened in the opening round of the Six Nations?

Wales 23 - 15 Italy:  Wales stuttered to victory over a gutsy Italian side, despite taking a commanding first half lead through tries from Scott Williams and Alex Cuthburt.  The Azzuri struck back in the second half with young centre and man-of-the-match Michele Campagnaro grabbing a well-taken double to haul his team back into things.  The boot of Leigh Halfpenny though ensured that there was to be no shock result this weekend.

Ireland 28 - 6 Scotland:  The Irish cruised past a limp Scottish outfit on Sunday, scoring 3 tries in the process.  Trimble scored at the end of a tight first half to set his side on their way before Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney powered over in the second half to take the game away from the visitors.