A late Maro Itoje try has secured England a 23-20 victory over France in a Six Nations Championship match full of high-speed, enterprising rugby at Twickenham that leaves the championship open.
But Wales are still in pole position to win the title – and a grand slam – after crushing Italy 48-7 earlier on Saturday with a seven-try demolition job.
At Twickenham, England were trailing by four points heading towards fulltime but Itoje bundled over from a maul and was awarded the try by the TMO after the referee had initially ruled that it had been held up.
The first half was a wonderful display of high-skilled rugby with both sides committed to running the ball and keeping it alive.
France opened the scoring after two minutes with an Antoine Dupont try but England hit back with Anthony Watson’s fourth of the championship.
They then edged clear with Owen Farrell penalties before France fashioned a wonderful try for Damian Penaud to lead 17-13 at the break.
The second half was a tighter affair with a penalty apiece keeping it a four-point gap going into the final 25 minutes.
But just as France seemed set for their first championship win at Twickenham since 2005, England found a way over, with Farrell also landing the awkward conversion.
The result was ideal for Wales, who now top the standings on 19 points and will be crowned champions with a grand slam should they triumph in Paris next week, regardless of what France do if and when they play their rearranged game against Scotland.
France and England have ten points while Ireland, who visit Scotland on Sunday, have seven, with the Scots on five.
New Zealander Wayne Pivac’s Welsh side, fresh from sealing the triple crown against England, made short work of the error-plagued Azzurri in the Stadio Olimpico.
Tries from Josh Adams, Taulupe Faletau and two from hooker Ken Owens ensured that the bonus point was wrapped up inside 30 minutes.
George North, substitute Callum Sheedy and Louis Rees-Zammit then dotted down to compound the hosts’ misery in the second half, with Australian-born Monty Ioane’s try providing their only consolation.
Rees-Zammit’s 70-metre interception effort was the Gloucester speedster’s fifth touchdown in just his eighth Test.
Italy, who suffered their 31st consecutive Six Nations defeat, are in a familiar position, rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points, having conceded 187 points in their four defeats so far.
Homer Gain
Guest
Confident that Wales will get spanked by France. On the other hand, If that doesn't happen, it will confirm my suspicion a) that France (and Galthie) are massively over-rated and b) that Wales will be in possession of the feeblest Grand Slam in recorded history. I think that is called, "win-win".
Harry Jones
Expert
An all time great
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
Speaking of AWJ, there was a great meme on a Welsh Rugby FB page the other day......IF Wales beat France and win the Grand Slam, AWJ will have as many 6 Nations Grand Slams as England and Ireland combined :laughing:
Highlander
Roar Guru
17 tries for wales nick, 12 to the backs, a record with a game to go :stoked:
FunBus
Roar Rookie
You have to remember the Saracens players have played zero club rugby this season. Their only matches have been with England. They started the 6 Nations essentially with less playing time than you'd normally have beginning pre-season training.
Harry Jones
Expert
For sure. If you said to all the test coaches in the world: “You can have the fifth best lock from any country for your team,” I think most would select SA or ENG, and I doubt any would mind welcoming Franco Mostert and George Kruis into their setup.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
I think we can also say that both teams will have very good depth at lock.
Harry Jones
Expert
Honest Joe would stroll into MY team any time. I think he’s the best English lock-lock (no tricks, very Saffa, just grind at coalface).
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Yep look at Joe Launchbury, prob better than all the other SA seconds bar Eben!
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Nuts have to remain sacred, even to grinning Joe H :stoked:
Harry Jones
Expert
Lood always gets forgotten. Haha! When we discuss who would “walk into” who’s team, I think we venture into style and culture and tradition. But I will say that England produces a tonne of high quality locks, so if you keep the 4 or 5 jersey for England for 50 tests, you are definitely among the best in the world.
Harry Jones
Expert
NB, my feeling is DuPont will ascend to the top by correcting the technical release from his non-dominant side, and improving his defence. I’ll cite Shaun Edwards for the latter: "If I can get his defence anywhere near his attack, he's going to be some player.”
Harry Jones
Expert
AWJ has proven just about everything. Except that his nuts are sacred. Just to be clear, rating DuPont (as young as he is) in the top 4-5 of his position, awaiting further proof (more matchups against the other elite 9s in tests of consequence) is quite a testament to the lad. He still “walks around his backhand” and can sometimes misread a situation, but he’s definitely in position to rise and surpass. Love his game and his spirit.
Harry Jones
Expert
Amen. (Although Tom Curry would be a wonderful Stormer, Springbok). Speculations abound
Guess
Roar Rookie
Erm no thanks. NZ teams are able to play high speed attacking rugby without tweaking. Soccer is one of the most boring games even if it's popular.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
You wish. And I don't spose you'll be making an appearance on site if they don't!
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Wales will get lapped by the French
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
I feel this is about right JD. You have to give credit to the guys who have been at the top for the longest time. Aaron Smith is at the top, Dupont is rising (fast) towards it. There’s a difference. On the other hand, the same applies to this nonsense about there somehow being five or six world-class Springbok second rows. Pieter-Steph(playing anywhere) yes, Eben E yes. Beyond that, you have guys like R.G. Snyman who are great athletes but unproven, or Franco Mostert who always plays his heart out but is hardly a dominant force globally. Maro Itoje has proved his worth for England and with Lions, as has AWJ. Both should be given more credit for that.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
They may have gotten 7-10 points closer to Wales Tom? :laughing:
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
My point is, Itoje (and all the Saracens players bar Billy who had one second division fixture) hadn't even had a club game in those months between Tests (had any of the Argies?) as their division hadn't started due to Covid, and being the spine of the England team, it's hardly surprising England's performances got better (in part) the more game time these guys had this 6N, albeit in Tests only. To your other point, Argentina's already infamous victory over NZ, as creditable as that was, probably said as much about NZ rugby at this point under Foster as anything else, given NZ also lost to, and drew with, a pretty average Wallaby side in those same couple of months. I would agree speculating who would or could walk into another nation's team is exactly that. But I'd also raise the old adage, class is permanent, and from captaining a junior RWC winning side, through to his England and Lions performances, he's already proven any team today would love to have him available to them. It's just a given. There's really no need to bring current form to that conversation, especially given the circumstances.