Six Nations 2018, France 22 - England 16: Ireland handed championship by abject England
ENGLAND did not even come close to matching Ireland's bonus-point performance from earlier in the day as they were beaten by France in Paris.
It was a relatively simple equation for England, who knew that failing to pick up a bonus point for score four tries would hand Ireland the title with a game to spare.
But after the early stages, it became clear that England were to take a pragmatic approach to the game in the wake of a chastening trip to Murrayfield.
Eddie Jones had reshuffled his backline after Jonathan Joseph was exposed defensively by Huw Jones, although the coach insisted it was an effort to match the bigger, more physical Ben Te’o up with Mathieu Bastareaud.
The other major change was an enforced one, as the injured Dylan Hartley had to give way to Jamie George.
It meant Owen Farrell had to take the captain’s armband and it was his boot that dominated the early stages as both sides struggled to find rhythm in attack.
The broken nature of the game made it difficult for either team to produce moments of real quality and Jonny May’s stabbed kick into the dead ball area was probably the closest either side came to a try in the first half - and Elliot Daly was a good few metres away from that.
The Wasps back did get himself on the scoresheet though, showing off his howitzer of a left boot to slot a penalty from 55 metres, although the choice to take points over a lineout in the French off was a curious one given the state of the table.
Farrell stopped his team before they went into the tunnel at half-time and administered a few words: many of them may have been short and four-lettered and a few of them probably focused on not giving away any more penalties.
But the first seven minutes after the break could hardly have been further from an improvement.
First, England were bullied off the ball in an attacking position, France awarded another penalty, and when France came down the other end, Watson was penalised for a high tackle on the try-line, with the result a penalty try and a yellow card.
As the Bath back jogged off, so England’s Six Nations hopes seemed to follow him.
Twice in the intervening period before his return France came within a few feet of scoring but England’s defence held strong. However, the opportunities to clear and create their own try-scoring chances were repeatedly spurned by a misfiring English attack.
Even after Watson returned, England conceded their 14th penalty of the day and Machenaud made the gap more than a single converted try.
The champions, in the dying minutes of their reign, did at least get one of the four tries required, Daly making a fine, immediate pass back inside to give May the simplest of finishes.
But France would have the last laugh, as England fluffed two opportunities in the corner at the end to find a late try.