France beat England in an epic finale to both teams’ Six Nations campaign, with a 33-31 victory in Lyon.
In a topsy-turvy encounter where the two teams exchanged the advantage on several occasions, Thomas Ramos’ late penalty from mid-race snatched victory from the French.
There were seven tries scored between them in the draw, with Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence and Marcus Smith scoring in the second half for England.
This result means that France finishes second in the final rankings, while England are one point behind third place.
Mail Sport’s CHRIS FOY looks at some things you may have missed from Saturday’s Six Nations match.
Thomas Ramos’ late penalty at halfway snatched victory for the French
England’s Tommy Freeman shows his disappointment after the 33-31 defeat to the French
The match saw the teams score seven tries between them in a rollercoaster encounter.
It’s a match for Paris
Lyon has proven to be a popular venue for visiting supporters for Le Crunch, chosen as an alternative to Paris, where France’s Six Nations matches are normally held.
The Stade de France is preparing to host the Olympics, the French federation therefore had to organize a rotation of different arenas to host these matches and after Marseille and Lille, Lyon took its turn.
There was real passion from the locals present and palpable enthusiasm, which is not always evident in the capital. They were waving flags and singing well before kick-off and the city itself is a gastronomic, vibrant and elegant venue for such a grand occasion.
With the contract for the use of the Stade de France due to be renewed next summer, the FFR should perhaps consider expanding this roadshow format.
There are many major Gallic towns with the facilities and oval ball fervor to provide a fabulous temporary home for the Blues and the rotation would be in line with the southern hemisphere system.
Lyon has proven to be a popular venue for Six Nations games and could rival the Stade de France
Long Sing of Six Nations
It was nice to hear a crowd singing the anthem unaccompanied. There had already been a lot of noise in the crowded stands of the Groupama Stadium and when it came to La Marseillaise, there was a small musical introduction then the public sang without soprano or orchestra.
It worked. It was a thunderous rendition that really set the scene. Unfortunately, it seemed everyone on the pitch got too excited, as referee Angus Gardner had to supervise two kick-offs – the first seemed to have taken place before the broadcasters were ready.
The fans were in full voice singing the national anthems without any music.
Freddie keeps calm
Freddie Steward found himself innocently involved in a pre-match disagreement with a venue manager, who was annoyed that England’s non-playing reserves – including Steward – continued to run drills rather than to leave the field.
The official wanted to ensure the playing surface was clear to allow for a light show (impressive, it must be said), but this led to an angry exchange with England’s irritated fitness coach Tom Tombleson.
Steward appeared perplexed after being asked to leave the field, but the brilliant full-back did not lose his composure. He also featured a new, well-trimmed beard – one of many in an England team that has no shortage of facial hair.
Freddie Steward remained calm as officials lost their cool against England’s non-playing reserves.
Spidercam reaches the post
There was a bizarre incident during the first half when the Spidercam, which operates on wires above the pitch to provide those aerial clips that TV producers like to show, nearly brought down one of the poles.
Whoever had installed the cables had not left enough space, so when the cameraman moved it towards the English line during a period of French offensive pressure, the camera hit one of the posts.
It wobbled alarmingly for a significant distance before finally becoming still and stable again. Spidercams have caused problems in the past when high kicks hit them and interrupt matches.
The Spidercam almost brought down one of the posts in the first half in Lyon
The future stars of the Six Nations
Bars around Lyon screened the France-England Under-20 match in Pau on Friday night and when the French redeployed the huge Posolo Tuilagi to their junior team it was a clear sign of their determination to prevent a victory in English title.
The decision to strengthen the home team with such a massive addition from the senior ranks made it appear an onerous task for the visitors and they trailed 21-12 at half-time.
But the English youngsters ran wild in the second half, scoring another 33 points to win the trophy for the first time since 2021. Northampton flanker Henry Pollock was named man of the match for another try-scoring contribution to cap an exceptional campaign.