France take title with thrilling last-gasp win over England

France (24) 48

Tries: Bielle-Biarrey 4, Attisogbe, Penalty Try Cons: Ramos 5 Pens: Ramos 2

England (27) 46

Tries: Roebuck, Murley, Chessum 2, Coles, M Smith, Freeman Cons: F Smith 2, M Smith 2 Pens: F Smith

England came thrillingly close to derailing France’s Six Nations party in Paris, only for Thomas Ramos to land a long-range penalty with the clock in the red to clinch an extraordinary 48-46 win and the title.

Ireland, winners against Scotland earlier in the day, watched on in Dublin, seeing the title wrenched out of their grasp in the final act of an enthralling edition of the sport’s oldest international championship.

Tommy Freeman’s 77th-minute try appeared to have secured an upset win for England – and he and Northampton team-mate Henry Pollock both celebrated in front of France’s fans.

However, Les Bleus regained possession off the restart and – just as in this fixture in Lyon two years ago – Ramos had the final say.

England came into the game after listless losses against Scotland, Ireland and Italy, but were revived, performing with energy and invention that had gone missing for much of their campaign.

A gut-punch defeat, extending their losing run to four matches, was scarce reward, but their magnificent display represents the players’ own vote of confidence in coach Steve Borthwick.

However, there will be no avoiding a post-tournament inquest.

As France celebrated their third Six Nations triumph in the past five years, England’s players looked on in the knowledge their own title aspirations were over long ago.

Defeat completes England’s worst ever Six Nations campaign, with just one win from five matches. Even before the championship’s expansion in 2000, England had only lost four matches in a single edition twice previously – in 1972 and 1976.

Borthwick’s side finished fifth in the 2026 table, matching the historic lows of 2018 and 2021.

However, this performance – against one of the world’s most gifted teams – will be the first piece of evidence Borthwick cites in his discussions with his Rugby Football Union bosses.

A summer block of fixtures that could ultimately decide his future begins against world champions South Africa on 4 July, with games against Fiji and Argentina following on subsequent weeks.

After an elaborate pre-match ceremony, featuring riders on horseback, pyro and laser projections, the two teams served up a superb, see-sawing game which would have graced any era of their 120-year rivalry.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey, France’s warp-speed wing, burned England twice in the opening 12 minutes with trademark tries.

The 22-year-old, whose has now scored in 10 successive Six Nations matches, raced on to well-weighted kicks from Ramos and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert as England’s backline were lured forward and backfield space opened up.

England crossed between those twin scores, as Fin Smith and Elliot Daly, the pair who combined for the winning try at Twickenham last year, put Tom Roebuck away into the corner.

Even early on it was clear there was an intensity and guile to England’s running lines, while the forwards met a heavyweight France pack on the front foot.

After Cadan Murley had pounced on a backfield spill by Theo Attissogbe to reduce the hosts’ lead to 14-10, Ollie Chessum powered over after a 13-man 20-metre driving maul had rumbled downfield.

A rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot went up from a section of England fans as the scoreboard ticked level at 17-17 and the two teams continued to trade scores with near basketball frequency.

Alex Coles trundled over on the blind side to put England ahead, while a Fin Smith penalty pushed the visitors 10 points clear at 27-17.

Then, with the first-half clock in the red, came two big calls.

The hosts opted to kick for the corner and, from the resulting line-out, referee Nika Amashukeli ruled Ellis Genge had dragged down the French maul, dispatching the prop to the sin bin and awarding a penalty try.

Poor discipline has pockmarked England’s campaign, with only the Italy side of 2002 accumulating more cards in a single Six Nations campaign.

England’s coaching staff were exercised by the decision as they headed back to the dressing room and the start of the second half proved why.

With Genge off the pitch and England down to 14, France made hay.

Bielle-Biarrey completed his hat-trick 90 seconds after the restart, before France’s pack won a penalty at the first Genge-less scrum. Attisogbe cruised in as the powerplay continued and France went 38-27 clear.

It seemed then that the contest was heading away from England, but resilience and opportunism reeled it in.

Chessum intercepted a Jalibert pass and romped in from range and, with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack van Poortvliet bringing energy off the bench, fellow replacement Marcus Smith scooted around Demba Bamba to put England back in front at 39-38 up with 25 minutes left.

Bielle-Biarrey added his fourth try of the match and ninth of the championship, but the twists and turns kept coming.

Bamba was sent to the bin and Freeman strolled in to stun the Stade de France into silence.

With two minutes left, Chessum claimed the restart, Van Poortvliet kicked long, but Jalibert summoned one more moment of magic, slicing through the chase to pin England back.

A high tackle call from the referee, conspicuous by the absence of a replay on the big screens, then allowed Ramos to step up and take glory with the final kick.

France: Ramos; Attissogbe, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Marchand, Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Matiu, Ollivon.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Bamba, Auradou, Guillard, Brennan, Serin, Gailleton.

Sin-bin: Bamba (73)

England: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, S Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith

Sin-bin: Genge (40)

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland) and Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Television Match Official (TMO): Brett Cronan (Australia)