Watch England Vs France highlights as England scored a last-minute try to snatch a 26-25 victory at Twickenham in a thrilling Guinness Six Nations clash.
England left it late to secure the win, thanks to Elliot Daly’s 79th-minute winner, which sent the home crowd into delirium.
In his first start in a test match, young fly-half Fin Smith nailed the crucial conversion with the seconds ticking down.
The hosts then secured the restart, and Smith fired the ball into the stands to end the game.
While the game ended dramatically, it had taken a while to get going. France let several big chances slip through their fingers as the greasy ball forced several uncharacteristic handling errors.
First, Antoine Dupont dropped a certain try before the returning Damian Penaud fumbled another one close to the England line.
Eventually, the visitors did make one stick, with Louis Bielle-Biarrey going over in the corner. England responded through Ollie Lawrence, with the score 7-7 at the break.
It was in the second half where the game came to life, though. France scored further tries through Penaud and Bielle-Biarrey, with England responding via Tommy Freeman and Fin Baxter.
The lead changed hands three times in the final ten minutes, with Baxter’s try looking to have won it, only for Bielle-Biarrey’s second cancelling it out and looking like it had won France the game.
But in the final moments, a strike move from an England lineout sent veteran Elliot Daly through a hole and under the posts.
England secured the restart – banishing memories of their Autumn defeat to Australia, where they coughed up a kick-off and were punished at the death – and booted the ball out for the win.
Watch: England Vs France Highlights
The victory felt like a turning point for Steve Borthwick’s England side. An opening round defeat to Ireland dented any title hopes, but they are still in the hunt with France and Ireland yet to play each other.
Next up, England host Scotland for the Calcutta Cup after the fallow week. The cup has been Scotland’s since 2020, with England losing their last four matches against the Scots.
For France, they must lick their wounds before travelling to Rome to face Italy in two weeks.
