England have been overwhelmed 53-10 by France at Twickenham in a record home defeat that removed them from Six Nations title contention and delivered an alarming reality check to coach Steve Borthwick’s rebuilding project.
Trailing 27-3 at halftime – also their highest interval deficit at Twickenham in any fixture – they were in the midst of full-blown crisis on Saturday, having been taken apart up front.
Thomas Ramos, Thibaud Flament and Charles Ollivon had crossed with alarming ease and England looked completely lost as fault lines opened in their defence, kicking, breakdown and discipline.
The arrival of Owen Farrell and Alex Mitchell off the bench early in the second half came amid a fightback that produced a try for Freddie Steward, but it was short-lived as Flament, Ollivon and Damian Penaud propelled France further in front.
The gulf between the rivals was embarrassing as the World Cup hosts registered their first Six Nations victory at Twickenham since 2005 in a glorious return to form after they’d laboured through much of the tournament.
And it only gets harder for Borthwick’s men as, having faced the team positioned second in the global rankings, they must travel to Dublin next Saturday to take on grand slam-chasing Ireland, who occupy the summit.
Marcus Smith did everything he could, having ousted Farrell at fly-half, but with his forwards dismantled at every turn he was powerless to halt the collapse.
“Certainly you have to give immense credit to France and they are clearly a world class team,” said Borthwick.
“We are really disappointed in that performance, there are lots of things we wanted to do but but we couldn’t execute.
“I think we lost collisions across both lines, attack and defence. We knew they have immense power and unfortunately we didn’t deal with it. When we attacked they were able to dominate. There is plenty of work on the collision areas
“We got exposed today. I thought we would get a measure of where we are at, there is a big gap between us and the top teams in the world. I don’t think it matters what I thought it [the gap] was before, I think we understand where we are and what we have to do.”
For all the talk of England playing with pace, it was France who raced out of the blocks and when lock Paul Willemse offloaded out of the tackle they were away, with Ethan Dumortier sending Ramos over in the left corner.
Ramos added a penalty to reward another Les Bleus attack and with only 10 minutes on the clock it was already looking bleak for the hosts.
England were hamstrung by their discipline at the breakdown and apart from a forceful run by Steward they were struggling to make any impression as rain began to fall.
Antoine Dupont grew in influence as he weaved his magic around the ruck but it was the power of forwards Francois Cros and Flament that did the damage for the next try.
Flament crossed in the 26th minute but it was too easy for the lock as passive England were overpowered in contact.
And their scrum defence was horribly exposed in first-half injury-time when Gregory Alldritt charged forward and seeing blue shirts lined up in support, sent Ollivon crashing over.
Damian Penaud of France celebrates as he runs away to score the fifth try. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
England needed to act quickly and hope appeared to have arrived when Smith delivered a terrific kick on the run for Max Malins but the wing knocked-on over the line.
It was now France’s defence that was disintegrating and after waves of attacks they were breached with Steward riding a tackle to slide over.
England quickly renewed their attack but the fightback faltered when a cruel bounce deceived their backfield defence, allowing Romain Ntamack to flick the ball to Flament who scored.
And there was more misfortune when Smith was driven over his line by Dupont as he covered for a kick and Ollivon touched down when he let go of the ball before two late tries by wing Penaud drove the final nail into England’s coffin.
French coach Fabien Galthie was in tears aftwards.
“Yes I realise what we have done. I’ve been coming here since I was 20,” he said. “We played the way we wanted to play. We didn’t know exactly how but we had that drive. And doing it here, in this context – it didn’t happen by chance. We’ve been working together with these players. It shows we’re on the right path.
“It’s tough for them when you know how important rugby is in England.”
Wales win battle of the spoon
Italy are headed for another familiar last-place finish in the Six Nations.
The Azzurri paid the price for yet another slow start and then losing two players to the sin-bin, sinking to a 29-17 defeat to Wales in a match billed as a wooden spoon decider on Saturday.
That’s a fourth straight loss in this championship for Italy, who need to win in Scotland next weekend in the final round to stand a chance of avoiding finishing bottom of the standings.
The likelihood is, however, the Italians will be last for an eighth straight year in the Six Nations and the 18th time in 24 editions since joining the northern hemisphere tournament in 2000.
Their 25th successive Six Nations home loss had its origins in another, now-trademark sloppy first half, with Wales — piloted by the excellent Rhys Webb at scrumhalf in his first Test start in three years — soaring ahead 10-0 after 10 minutes and a 22-3 lead by halftime.
Wales turned round with a man advantage, after Italy No. 8 Lorenzo Cannone pulled down a 34th-minute maul on the try line to give away a penalty try and earn a yellow card.
They then benefitted from the 46th-minute sin-binning of home winger Pierre Bruno for leading with his left forearm into the throat of Wales prop Wyn Jones.
Webb sent in No. 8 Taulupe Faletau for the bonus-point fourth try in the 50th, enough to give them their first points of the championship and a first win in the second reign of Warren Gatland after earlier losses to Ireland, Scotland and England.
“There’s still a massive amount of growth in this team, in terms of them going forward,” Gatland said of Wales after again rotating his line-up.
“A lot of players will have learned a lot about themselves today and it wasn’t a bad Italian side.”
Wales, who have to travel to Paris to face France in their last match, have five points and Italy are on one.
The Italians played some exciting stuff again, with second-half tries by flanker Sebastian Negri and centre Juan Ignacio Brex the least they deserved for matching Wales for large parts of the game at Stadio Olimpico.
Brex’s try in the 68th set up a frantic finale and Italy had enough possession and territory to grab two more tries and take the win. Poor handling cost them dear after a slew of line breaks.
Gatland reserved special praise for Webb, who — in his first Six Nations start since 2017 — controlled the game with his kicking and made some darting breaks around the fringes.
It was the his kick into the left corner that got a fortunate bounce and was collected by winger Rio Dyer for the opening try in the ninth minute.
“His decision-making was excellent,” Gatland said of Webb. “He didn’t force anything and kept us on the front foot.”
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
The comment is to the effect that the context of the results suggested something other than failure. The context includes Italy and all the other failures. You can’t cherry pick your context. No straw man - just a man who was unable to deliver after a few years.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ Nothing wrong with taking some hammerings with a young team, so long as the team achieves great things when they’re older!” JD, that is just silly talk. If a coach has a losing streak, and ends up with a win ratio below, oh let’s say below 39%, and loses to Italy! ffs, then he shall be beheaded without as much as face to face exit interview or a farewell kumbaya. It’s science. It’s Mabo. It’s the vibe. It’s Hamish and Eddie’s Australia. It’s time for my nap.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“these ridiculous suggestions that the DR Wallabies were just about to become world beaters” are “Not expressly there”. Thank you. The strawman comes, and the strawman goes away. He’s such a pesky little sledger. Spoils a lot of games. Deserves more binning.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
Initial comment And yet no one looks at last year’s AU results with any context? Needless to say it still pains me re what AU rugby did to Rennie (and Deans for that matter). Not expressly there but that is the inescapable inference.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Dr it was a flogging not by one point!!
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Yes Rennie much better coach and bloke than stats suggest .But it's now the Jones train and I'm on.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ These ridiculous suggestions that the DR Wallabies were just about to become world beaters is delusional” Not to mention not there. One day all the strawmen are going to arrive at the same pub at the same time and they won’t have a logical premise between them. They’ll probably just wait for a real argument to turn up and shout them drinks.
Faith
Roar Rookie
Thanks Kai, but if you look at the best forwards in World Rugby who are the same age of those I've mentioned in England i.e Furlong and Ryan as examples ... they are still going strong. Retallick. Th best example being the Boks. I'm just amazed at Eben - all these years and you cannot fault the man for his ticker.
SlytheeTove
Roar Rookie
The chariot was stolen by Asterix and Obelix
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Well France have been a bit underwhelming this season up until this game . Last won at Twickenham 12 years ago... England seemed to be tracking right so I thought the home crowd may lift them a notch ..Obviously not.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
In the 6 nations, Italy still have a 0 in the wins column. These ridiculous suggestions that the DR Wallabies were just about to become world beaters is delusional. We all love an optimist but … If my aunt … he’d be my uncle …
whistleblower (retired)
Roar Rookie
Tackled player must release 'immediately' but, as you can imagine, many things can slow 'immediately' such as the referee having a clear view with 2+ player potentially blocking his view. We see it through many tv cameras; the referee does not. The jackaler must support his own weight (sometimes difficult to judge) and must put his hand/s first on the ball. Cannot put his/her hands on the ground first (? for balance) and then go for the ball.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
But what is not conjecture, but is typical of the stuff spouted here is that he is a poor coach. That in my view is nonsense. It’s not a position held by coaches and administrators who know him and have worked with him all who have a lot more knowledge about these matters than you and I. It’s not a position held by the majority of players. There is a bit more to the picture than your simple view that the wallaby results weren’t there, but results are what matters and he has left the building, but here you are still calling him poor and pushing this idea that he left Aussie rugby in a mess and did nothing more than any other coach. Instead of preparing a defence for Eddie, promote him, sing his praises. He’s your guy now, until he’s not. What is also nonsense is that anyone else would have developed a first five from the stocks available to Australia. Explain that one to me. How a head coach of a national side takes players bereft if skills and converts them. Follow that logic EJ should have Lynagh up and going in another season… and he probably has a better base set of skills than Edmed or Donaldson. But to run them out in the national colours. Nobody in their right mind… but you imagine they would? Not even coach Eddie. What is also not conjecture is what every player who has commented (outside Sufi) and all the coaches who have worked in and alongside DR have acknowledged… that he had a vision and an approach which brings players on the journey that the players and assistants all bought into. What would be conjecture is the exact nature and details of those, which I cannot comment on. But because I can’t comment on the exact details, simply because that is not detail any rugby union around the world shares with the public, it didn’t happen. Ok. You win on that front too. Nobody else’s opinion matters either. The problem I have with comments like yours about him being a poor coach and leaving Australian rugby in a mess… is that it is simple to make such claims, but you have very little to back it up, except that the team has struggled in terms of results. You choose not to see anything else and say anything DR achieved could have been done by any coach. You know there is a lot more to it than that. Your disillusionment in the state of Australian rugby I get, but the rest… I on the other hand am not making any claims about either coach apart from acknowledging what is publicly known and not in dispute. The wallabies are struggling… yes. Beyond that every statement you make about DR being a poor coach is being made in a vacuum imho. He has made some poor selection choices at times. So do all coaches. He did not develop a 10.. you lose me.
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Prediction one complete!
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
Great response Faith….
PeterK
Roar Guru
So DR’s reputation of historical building foundations and structure (which is not concrete either) is your evidence that he did it with the wallabies. So it is conjecture and belief on your part. The fact is the wallabies performed poorly and declined year to year, with his last year his worst. Sure injuries but it is not public knowledge how much of those were attributable to DR and his training / conditioning program. However other teams had injuries as well as did previous coaches. EJ’s would have done the same as DR in using the best u20 players to fill the vaccuum. I don’t know how much development of these players he would have done, pure conjecture.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
Peter, you have had a bee in your bonnet, since DR didn’t develop Donaldson and Edmed, both worse significantly worse options than NL and would not be anywhere near any other national side. It is your opinion that the job of head coach is to develop all the players including 10 from the ground up. That is messed up. But let’s leave that aside as it detracts from the point at hand. FYI, I raise it because you acknowledge trialling others and failing to develop a 10 as grounds for your argument that he did nothing more than any other coach would do. I would love to know what you think EJ would have done… ( SFA imo, no matter what you or others on here may believe). As to exactly the structures and development he was first hand involved in developing. I can’t say, because as you know these things are kept close to the chest. I can only go off what every player and coach around him past and present have said. You may want to put it down to hearsay or whatever you wish, but the fact is he has been a highly successful head coach and is widely respected as such by people a lot more familiar with his methods and credible than you and I, but you think he is a poor coach who left rugby Australia in a mess. These are your words right, not me giving it any slant? But that is not really the crux of the matter either. I am merely asking where are all these DR supporters coming out saying Borthwick doesn’t own the loss to France. And why do you feel the need to say EJ has no responsibity, regardless of the mess that the English team has been left in and the fact that there has been zero turn around time, and deny the fact that EJ forever the opportunist has not been given a team in a much better state a lot further out in the Wallabies. The game was lost by the English team. None of it has anything to do with the previous coach who was in charge of them for 8 years? Ok, no legacy left by previous coach. I don’t personally subscribe to that view anymore than I think the team that EJ inherits has nothing to do with the previous coach. But in saying that it is Borthwicks team and the French result is his and theirs. You do know, we do hear from many detractors how bad someone like DR with a vision for the team and style (bought into by players and coaching staff even if denied by you) has left it and how a great saviour EJ forever the opportunist is only ever accountable for the next five minutes. Opportunists often ride on the coat tails of others and build nothing… you think that’s a motherhood statement. In my experience it is a fact that I have seen play out in many walks of life. I hope EJ does well as he can be good for Australian rugby, but if he fails, he is the one (along with HM) who walked in leading with his chin. I worry about what he will build versus what else Hamish and himself can further tear apart. Time will tell I guess. I guess on that front we both wish the same for the Wallabies and Australian rugby to succeed. I myself am not sure that EJ is much more than a clever politician. I do agree DR was an international coach in the making, but he is certainly not a poor coach regardless what you or I might think. He may not earn your respect, but he has the respect of people a lot more knowledgeable and respected in their own rights than you and I. But in saying all that, I do in truth understand your frustration at people’s inconsistency, but mate it’s the Roar right and nothing you or I say will ever change that.
Malo
Guest
England have the worst back row and centres in the six nations , too slow and cumbersome. France blew them off the park. France pack hunts in unison in attack and defence. England are a bunch of individuals. Itoji has dropped off from being the best second rower to a bludging slow hack. Was that Eddie’s work?
PeterK
Roar Guru
with DR's record he probably would have made the qf's with Wales in such a poor state. Then 50/50 if they played Argentina, 40% if against England, and 20% in the semi. So about a 7% chance to make the final under DR.
PeterK
Roar Guru
You intentionally want to misinterpret , to put slants you are intelligent enough to know that aren't there. Of course it includes DR, I said if you mean provide experience to young players (i.e implied that is what DR did use the u20's), also in addition ANY other coach would also do that. In other words he did what any coach would do in that situation and use the better u20 players to fill in the vacuum post rwc. Once again what did DR do that built foundations and structures? Is the sum total is provide experience to young players? What did he do in concrete terms. Fine have respect for him but it does little to bolster your argument that he built foundations, structures etc.