England 44-8 France RECAP: Jonny May hat-trick helps send England top of Six Nations table
ENGLAND soared atop the Six Nations table wth a dominant 44-8 win over France at Twickenham on Sunday afternoon.
- England go top of Six Nations table with two-point lead on Wales
- Jonny May first-half hat-trick gives England unassailable lead
- Owen Farrell bags 17 points and also gets in on act
- Second-half ruckus breaks out on touchline after Kyle Sinckler petulance
England
Tries: May (2,24,29), Slade (39), Farrell (54), Penalty (49)
Conversions: Farrell (30,40,56)
Penalties: Farrell (7,13)
France
Tries: Penaud (35)
Penalties: Parra (10)
Jonny May did not rest on the try he bagged last week against Ireland, taking just 66 seconds to find his way in behind the slow France backline.
Eddie Jones' side kept testing their opponents with kicks for their nippy wingers to latch onto, and Le Clash became Le Clattering such was France's submission.
Damian Penaud did provide some brief respite for Jacques Brunel's side but that was the last of their scoring, as Owen Farrell's reliable kicking and late try heaped misery on Les Tricolores after they conceded a penalty try five minutes prior.
Next weekend presents time off from the competition, but England travel to second-placed Wales next knowing a win puts them in prime position for their seventh Six Nations trophy.
FULL-TIME: England 44 France 8
79: The end is nigh, but this result is all part of a bigger problem for France. The camera zooms in on Jacques Brunel, whose job is increasingly under pressure.
75: Penalty for England and the corner is elected, much to the crowd's pleasure.
72: The kicks forward have caused trouble for France all afternoon. It was a clear tactic from Eddie Jones and his team, and it's worked a treat. This heavy French side have not been able to deal with England's pace and directness.
70: Dan Robson comes onto the field for his first cap! The scrum-half is highly thought of among Eddie Jones' coaches and is set for a memorable final 10 minutes here.
69: England have taken their foot off the gas somehwhat, while France look ragged out there. It is a far cry from the tense brawl which ensured 10 minutes ago... To discover more on that incident CLICK HERE.
63: France concede a penalty and England come forward but lose possession.
61: Lawes steams in with a challenge on the monstrous Mathieu Bastareaud which pleases the home crowd, England not letting France edge close to the try line despite their best efforts.
57: Another conversion for Farrell, taking his tally for the game to 17.
England 42 France 8
55: TRY FOR THE SKIPPER! The bouncing ball evades May, who is running for his fourth and then cleverly hooks his arm inside Antoine Dupont to stop him clawing the ball. That allowed Farrell to hurry in and plant the ball for a try. TMO approves.
England 37 France 8
53: Handbags! There is a scuffle on the touchline after Sinckler slams his hands on Arthur Itturia's head, grabbing his scrum cap. Penalty to France.
52: Chris Ashton exits the field after earning England the penalty try, with Jack Nowell filing in.
51: Farrell converts and England near a 30-point lead.
England 35 France 8
50: PENALTY TRY! Ashton was running through clear until he was fouled by Gael Fickou. Perhaps harsh on France, as the ball was underneath Ashton, who did not have real control of the ball.
⭐ Hat-trick hero Jonny May ⭐#ENGvFRA #CarryThemHome ������
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 10, 2019
[Credit: @SixNationsRugby] pic.twitter.com/B7SC5FFrLs
England 30 France 8
47: Couple changes for England, as Joe Launchbury and Nathan Hughes replace George Kruis and Tom Curry respectively.
44: Mako Vunipola comes off, limping, for Ben Moon to claim his fifth cap. It follows a period of possession where Tuilagi broke fiercely, only to be stopped on his rampage about 15 yards from the try line.
41: Farrell kicks into the French half to get the second 40 minutes underway.
HALF-TIME: England 30 France 8
A superb first half from England has already secured them one bonus point, meaning they could go two clear atop the table if they win. France, on the other hand, have looked bereft of ideas in possession and have a serious problem down that left side, where May has freely broken three times to score a hat-trick.
40: Farrell converts comfortably and England trot in for half-time - Jones doesn't give anything away in the stands, staring stoney-faced.
England 28 France 8
40: Slade extends the lead to 20! Great try from the fly-half, who picks up the ball after Ashton's industry and finds a hole in the France defence.
England 23 France 8
36: Lopez is unable to complete the conversion - both fly-halves have struggled with the tight angles today.
35: France strike back! Huget carries the ball forward on the right and slips a neat pass to Penaud, who bursts forward amid pressure from Ashton to get them back in the game.
England 23 France 3
31: Farrell converts comfortably this time from another acute angle and England have a 20-point lead.
England 21 France 3
29: May gets his hat-trick! Unbelievable stuff from the winger and, arguably, Parra, who lets the winger free once more. Ashton picks up the ball in the first phase and kicks neatly for May, who has the freedom of France's try line in front of him before sliding home.
England 16 France 3
26: Farrell misses the conversion once more, from a similarly tight angle. This time it rattles off the post and France come forward, not wasting any time.
24: MAY AGAIN! England have a sustained period of pressure and Farrell floats a ball along to the Leicester man on the left flank, who speeds quickly past Damian Penaud and plants the ball for five points.
England 11 France 3
21: May almost finds himself in another position to latch onto a kick upfield, but is thwarted before he gets there. France don't look like they've come to terms with the task at hand yet, wasting possession and conceding territory inside their own half.
15: Neither side has won a scrum penalty of conceded a scrum penalty so far this year in the Six Nations. France win this one, and attack from the left, but Parra's hopeful kick is picked up by Ashton.
13: That didn't last long! The captain restores England's eight-point lead with a long-distance penalty which comfortably sailed through. A bit stop-start since the try.
England 8 France 3
10: It does not take long for France to hit back, with Morgan Parra scoring a penalty to keep the visitors within one try from drawing level.
England 8 France 0
07: England are awarded a penalty and Farrell launches it through the posts from a central position.
England 5 France 0
05: France are finding it difficult to string passes together after the blitzing start to which they succumbed.
Henry Slade, buoyed from his brace last week, tried bursting through their backline but was halted in his charge.
02: Jonny May does it early on for England! It took only 66 seconds for England to make their way through the France defence with Elliot Daly picking up possession and ensuing on a rampaging run before kicking well for May, who latched onto the kick and put England ahead.
Owen Farrell takes the kick from a wide angle but but could not make the conversion.
01: We are underway! The 15 Frenchman belted out their national anthem while Laura Wright received ample backing in her typically wonderful rendition of God Save The Queen. Buckle in!
KICK-OFF: England 0 France 0
NATIONAL ANTHEMS
14.50: The teams are making their way onto the hallowed turf for the Le Clash. Hands on chests and all that incoming.
There's an infectious buzz around the stadium for this one - a game which could catapult England towards an unfancied Grand Slam, you feel.
With Tuilagi back in the side, as well as the divisive Chris Ashton, there is an edge to England. On the other hand, France can't afford to lose - we're in for a real treat.
And if you're into omens and the like, England's women defeated France 41-26 in Doncaster just now. Onto you, boys...
VIEWS FROM EITHER SIDE OF THE CHANNEL
14.40: Lawrence Dallaglio and Dimitri Yachvili were pitchside and speaking to ITV before kick-off.
Dallaglio believes French rugby is suffering systemically. "[French Rugby Federation] Bernard Laporte is trying to make changes because he doesn't think the domestic league creates the right environment for French rugby," the 2003 World Cup winner said.
"They've had a high turnover in players over recent years - every game they lose they change their full-backs.
"There are also too many guys there - you need to be more athletic and dynamic. I don't think French rugby has caught up with everyone else."
Former scrum-half Yachvili concurred that his nation is suffering saying: "We are very sad because we can't find the win again.
"Last weekend we should have won so we are disappointed. But we have to perform well here today - that's the best chance for revenge.
THIRTY MINUTES 'TIL KICK-OFF
14.30: Eddie Jones is not fussed about Bastareaud's return to the side.
"Bastareaud is a good player and we'll show him a lot of respect, but we'll be able to take care of him," he said.
"We've got to have a relentless attitude to stop them."
In the mood for some more pre-match hype? Feast your eyes on this tasty vid.
������������������������������������������������������ Rendez-vous à 16h avec le #XVdeFrance masculin pour #LeCrunch de Twickenham. #ANGFRA #NeFaisonsXV @SixNations_FR pic.twitter.com/AmhrV2lleC
— FF Rugby (@FFRugby) February 10, 2019
CROWDS FORM FOR LE CRUNCH
14.15: With less than 40 minutes before kick-off, people are swarming into a sell-out Twickenham in their Barbour jackets with pints in hand.
Even I'm A Celebrity chums Harry Redknapp and Nick Knowles are in attendance, though I'm not convinced 'Arry knows where he's looking with that selfie.
Back in the France side, Mathieu Bastareaud - who earned his 50th cap last weekend - was confident when speaking to the press.
"We’ve got nothing to lose," the 30-year-old centre said. "We can’t come across as nobodies. We’ll take off the handbrake, we have to.
"We have the ability to destabilise them and we have to go with the desire and the confidence that we can do something."
WHAT THEY SAID
14.10: Eddie Jones and Jacques Brunel both explained their team selection before the game, as well as complimenting the other's side.
Eddie Jones: "After the Ireland game we have had to refocus and reset. The French are always an interesting side to play against.
"They are full of talent, they have a lot of unpredictability so it's hard to prepare tactically against them so we have had a real focus on ourselves."
Jacques Brunel: "England stays true to herself. We know they always impose their power. Last year we won shortly after suffering ourselves. Then they had a difficult phase that lasted three to four months. Since then they have found their form, as the match against Ireland attests.
"I was very impressed with their performance. They dominated most of the game by putting constant pressure on Ireland. In my eyes, it was an English demonstration."
What a finish ������
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 10, 2019
Blockbusting @manutuilagi stuns France for @englandrugby back in 2012 #ENGvFRA #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/ycgnHz5Cir
STAT ATTACK
14.00: France's need for victory is a steep task given they have not won at Twickenham since 2007 - that game was a World Cup warm-up match.
In keeping with the theme of England's dominance, the Red and Whites have triumphed in nine of the nations' last 12 encounters.
France did, however, claim bragging rights last time out in a 22-16 victory at Stade de France in 2018.
England have never lost two consecutive home matches in the Six Nations (they lost 24-15 v Ireland in March).
France's tally of six tries conceded was the fewest in the 2018 Six Nations - but they conceded half that total in their opening game against Wales.
Six Nations: We can't get ahead of ourselves says Eddie Jones
AS IT STANDS
13.50: Wales currently top the table after their win in Rome yesterday, but England can usurp them with a win.
France, meanwhile, will be hoping to join keep themselves in the mix with a win.
No nation has ever won the Six Nations with three victories, so today represents a vital point in Les Tricolores' 2019 campaign.
TEAM NEWS
13.40: Eddie Jones has made two changes from the side who triumphed in Dublin last weekend, with Courtney Lawes and Chris Ashton replacing Maro Itoje and Jonny May.
Jacques Brunel, meanwhile, has taken no prisoners in his team selection, making six switches which see Mathieu Bastareaud, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Gael Fickou, Demba Bamba, Yacouba Camara and Felix Lambey starting.
England: 15-Elliot Daly, 14-Chris Ashton, 13-Henry Slade, 12-Manu Tuilagi, 11-Jonny May, 10-Owen Farrell (capt), 9-Ben Youngs; 1-Mako Vunipola, 2-Jamie George, 3-Kyle Sinckler, 4-Courtney Lawes, 5-George Kruis, 6-Mark Wilson, 7-Tom Curry, 8-Billy Vunipola
France: 15-Yoann Huget, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Geoffrey Doumayrou, 11-Gael Fickou, 10-Camille Lopez, 9-Morgan Parra; 1-Jefferson Poirot, 2-Guilhem Guirado (captain), 3-Demba Bamba, 4-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 5-Felix Lambey, 6-Yacouba Camara, 7-Arthur Iturria, 8-Louis Picamoles
Afternoon...
13.30: And welcome to live coverage of England's second Six Nations game against France. I'll be bringing you the pre-match build-up, in-game updates and post-match reaction over the next few glorious hours - all the hyphenated content you could ever wish for!
First up will be the team news, with France shuffling the pack after last week's disappointing home loss to Wales, who currently sit atop the table after their win over Italy on Saturday.
Eddie Jones, meanwhile, has been more conservative in his tweaking of the Red and Whites, but has selected Chris Ashton, who's starting his first game in the competition since 2013.