:00:11. > :00:15.More off the field problems for the England rugby union squad...
:00:16. > :00:23.Completely unacceptable... There is trouble ahead. Stuart Lancaster
:00:24. > :00:28.begins his regime with a victory. This looks dangerous. England have
:00:29. > :00:42.won in Paris. He did say at the beginning he
:00:43. > :00:48.wanted to restore the pride. England's greatest ever day. The
:00:49. > :00:51.grand slam is still very much alive in England's mind. England are in
:00:52. > :02:03.disarray. Welcome to the madness. There are rituals that must be
:02:04. > :02:07.observed, the niceties of the game. But there is a limit to the
:02:08. > :02:16.pre-match rituals. You can have so much of all this. It is time for
:02:17. > :02:25.some bite. It is time for the crunch.
:02:26. > :02:48.A penny for Stuart Lancaster's thought at the start of his Six
:02:49. > :02:52.Nations championship, 18 months and 20 matches away from a World Cup on
:02:53. > :02:59.home soil. Still time to experiment but that time is running out. The
:03:00. > :03:02.same goes for France. A catastrophic 2013 leaves them craving a sense of
:03:03. > :03:07.direction and today, above all else, a victory. France against
:03:08. > :03:13.England is always special but as an opening salvo to this year's
:03:14. > :03:16.championship it has added bite, and does Philippe Saint-Andre said this
:03:17. > :03:24.week, this year we don't start with a starter but with the main course.
:03:25. > :03:38.The French persist in calling this Le Cruch. It is one of the great
:03:39. > :03:45.rivalries in sport and still a fascinating game in prospect. You
:03:46. > :03:49.would be hard to be convinced about it going one way or the other.
:03:50. > :03:54.Welcome to the Stade de France on what is a crisp springlike evening,
:03:55. > :03:58.in the company of Jeremy Guscott and Clive Woodward. Is there something
:03:59. > :04:05.extra special about the English for you? It is special. You've made us
:04:06. > :04:14.suffer during so many games. You won the World Cup so if we have leaders,
:04:15. > :04:17.we need to show it today. From an English perspective, does France
:04:18. > :04:25.pose an extra problem? It's changed over the years. They were attacking
:04:26. > :04:29.and we weren't sure what to expect but today French rugby is all about
:04:30. > :04:33.power so I'm sure the English know exactly what's coming this
:04:34. > :04:39.afternoon. When England won a couple of years ago, only four players from
:04:40. > :04:43.that time survive. I suppose for an international coach these days, one
:04:44. > :04:46.of the key things to factor in is that a third of your first choice
:04:47. > :04:52.line-up is not going to be available. You do factor it in but
:04:53. > :04:56.it's the same for all sides. There's probably only two players that would
:04:57. > :05:01.be in the team that are to the detriment of the starting 15. We've
:05:02. > :05:05.got to move away from worrying about the individual players and worry
:05:06. > :05:11.about how we're actually playing so that when new players coming, they
:05:12. > :05:17.come into a settled side. I'm looking forward to seeing how
:05:18. > :05:22.England take the game to France. The World Cup looms ever nearer on the
:05:23. > :05:26.horizon. When you were 18 months away from a World Cup, your side had
:05:27. > :05:31.500 caps between them. This is an inexperienced side. Where do you
:05:32. > :05:36.think Stuart Lancaster is in his thinking towards next year? I'm
:05:37. > :05:40.hoping that he's just thinking about beating France tonight. We did it
:05:41. > :05:44.one way but that's not the blueprint. There are many ways to
:05:45. > :05:49.win a World Cup. You can start in the Six Nations just before a World
:05:50. > :05:55.Cup and still win. It's about how you play, getting your players
:05:56. > :06:01.really fit, but it's the style of play the rest of the world is
:06:02. > :06:07.worried about. I hope people will go, "whoa! These people are
:06:08. > :06:11.serious" . It may be a factor of fatigue that in the professional
:06:12. > :06:16.era, after every Lions tour, the French have gone on to win a
:06:17. > :06:23.championship or win the grand slam. Which means... That the home sides
:06:24. > :06:29.are quite tired. After a Lions tour, it takes a lot out of you mentally,
:06:30. > :06:32.not just physically. It's hard to get back into not just international
:06:33. > :06:36.rugby but life itself. It takes on a whole different meaning. This is a
:06:37. > :06:39.great place to start your championship if you're feeling that
:06:40. > :06:45.you need a bit more noise or atmosphere. Just to show you you
:06:46. > :06:52.should have selected some French players in the line-up! From a
:06:53. > :06:57.French point of view, 2013 may have been great for the Lions but for the
:06:58. > :07:03.French it was a calamity, wasn't it? Terrible. Just two wins. We didn't
:07:04. > :07:04.have any consistency in selection. We changed many players in key
:07:05. > :07:16.positions. It's very important that we deserve
:07:17. > :07:21.more consideration today. Philippe Saint-Andre has made some big bets
:07:22. > :07:23.and he have to pay today. You can see there is nobody under more
:07:24. > :07:29.scrutiny in the stadium tonight than the French coach.
:07:30. > :07:43.Now it is time to ring my great friend, Mr Saint-Andre.
:07:44. > :07:51.Before we think that this year and the challenge ahead, can I take you
:07:52. > :07:57.back to last year? No, please, no! How would you sum it up? We didn't
:07:58. > :08:08.know how to manage to win a game and for us, the Six Nations is very
:08:09. > :08:12.important. The first game is a crunch against our great friends,
:08:13. > :08:16.England, so it will be a very interesting game. Last year you were
:08:17. > :08:20.beginning to find your feet as coach and maybe the French public will
:08:21. > :08:25.allow you one year to not perform. Is it now time for France... It is
:08:26. > :08:30.time to win for the players and also for me, that is sure. We took a lot
:08:31. > :08:34.of risks and have a lot of young players but it's that the French
:08:35. > :08:39.public are not very patient and they want to see the French team win. How
:08:40. > :08:46.close are you to knowing your final starting 15? You've had many
:08:47. > :08:55.injuries this year and you lost your cap in Dusautoir. It's 11 months of
:08:56. > :09:01.competition, so our players will play 40 games. I'm not worried
:09:02. > :09:15.because it's always a time like this in French rugby. We start to believe
:09:16. > :09:23.in young players, to understand international rugby. The future will
:09:24. > :09:27.be bright for French rugby. One of the key things is that as the
:09:28. > :09:33.French club championship becomes more like English Premier League
:09:34. > :09:36.football, in some positions there are barely any French players to
:09:37. > :09:42.pick from, like the number ten jersey.
:09:43. > :09:49.Yes, that's why we see players like shoe Plisson. I would have loved to
:09:50. > :09:56.have seen shoe Plisson as the number 12. In England, you have a tactical
:09:57. > :09:58.approach. We have an individual approach.
:09:59. > :10:07.Going to the defence, the kicking game is the thing that we don't
:10:08. > :10:12.really see as important. That's the key in the international games. What
:10:13. > :10:18.about continuity, Clive? This is the 10th half back pairing that
:10:19. > :10:27.Saint-Andre has picked in two years. Just to pick up, I think France have
:10:28. > :10:34.got the players. It's an all-star Activision. The Coke could have come
:10:35. > :10:38.in and you just go, wow! They keep changing a lot but so too England.
:10:39. > :10:43.There is a lot of movement of players. The more you can play with
:10:44. > :10:49.a settled team, the better it is but I think this is quite a settled
:10:50. > :10:52.French team. A few years ago, the French picked the oldest team almost
:10:53. > :10:59.in the history of international Rob. This is a much younger 15
:11:00. > :11:06.starting to write, Thomas. Yes, and you can see Domingo, who is on the
:11:07. > :11:14.pitch, and Kayser has accuracy on the line-out. And Mas is a
:11:15. > :11:19.destroyer. Pascal Pape will have to lead the team like Martin Johnson
:11:20. > :11:25.did a few years ago for England. Dusautoir will need to be present.
:11:26. > :11:35.He destroyed Saracens by himself. A very physical player. Doussain will
:11:36. > :11:40.be the major player. They will have to do a very good game today. You
:11:41. > :11:45.have the two centres. They are line breakers but never pass the ball.
:11:46. > :11:49.They can hurt the defence but if the English defences strong, these guys
:11:50. > :11:55.will struggle. Then you've got the magicians at the back. They will
:11:56. > :12:01.have to find balls with a counterattack. If England are
:12:02. > :12:06.playing Mozart and magicians tonight, they've got no chance!
:12:07. > :12:08.England have won six of their last eight matches against France,
:12:09. > :12:29.including the last time they met here.
:12:30. > :13:01.It's not long enough and England have won in Paris! Paris was a happy
:13:02. > :13:07.hunting grounds are you two years ago but injury slightly. And this
:13:08. > :13:13.time around. -- hunting ground for you but injury slightly forced your
:13:14. > :13:19.hand. We have a great opportunity. It's a great place to come and play
:13:20. > :13:25.rugby. Two new players and a single cap for Jonny May. Is this a risk? I
:13:26. > :13:29.think for the young players, it's about belief in the team and
:13:30. > :13:32.themselves. Everything indicates that they are ready for the
:13:33. > :13:40.challenge. We recognise the challenge ahead of us. Philip
:13:41. > :13:43.Saint-Andre says that losing is just not an option for France today,
:13:44. > :13:48.given the last 12 months that Braveheart. Does that make them
:13:49. > :13:56.doubly dangerous? -- that they've had. For us to come to Paris first
:13:57. > :13:59.up, it is a tough start but whoever gets the win will get the momentum
:14:00. > :14:02.going into the second round so I don't think it's an option for
:14:03. > :14:07.either side and we'll be ready, as well. How important is the Six
:14:08. > :14:15.Nations in the overall developer and of this side, looking ahead to the
:14:16. > :14:19.World Cup in 2015? Crucial. We have four big games in the autumn. The
:14:20. > :14:25.next calendar year will be a big year for England and hopefully, it.
:14:26. > :14:32.Well today. -- it will start well today.
:14:33. > :14:44.Marleau gets the nod ahead of Mako Vunipola. This is one of the most
:14:45. > :14:52.talented second rows in world rugby. Lawes will tackle anything that
:14:53. > :14:59.moves. Tom Wood and Robshaw are workaholics. For England to succeed
:15:00. > :15:06.this afternoon, the halfbacks have got to produce good performances.
:15:07. > :15:12.The decision-making needs to be right, particularly the box kicks.
:15:13. > :15:19.Farrell will not over the penalties. Inexperienced centre pairing but I
:15:20. > :15:22.like the mixture. It looks good. Billy Twelvetrees has got to be
:15:23. > :15:30.accurate with his kicking. Three of very new. Jack Nowell, good luck to
:15:31. > :15:41.you, my son. I hope it goes well. Jonny May is a really exciting,
:15:42. > :15:46.elusive runner. I suspect that for the majority of you, there are lots
:15:47. > :15:50.of unfamiliar England names. That means that this man will be the
:15:51. > :15:59.senior figure in the three quarters line, but only with eight counts.
:16:00. > :16:08.The Billy Twelvetrees. Are you not use to this in Gloucester? I like
:16:09. > :16:15.it. It is close to red and white. It has been an unusual route for you.
:16:16. > :16:20.We hear about guys going to public school, joining an Academy and then
:16:21. > :16:26.a club. You went a different route? It was never set in stone for me to
:16:27. > :16:30.play rugby as a professional. It was like an chance. It was stepping
:16:31. > :16:36.stones each time. He has another opportunity, make sure you grab it.
:16:37. > :16:39.You're becoming established in that England centre position. Is it
:16:40. > :16:46.exciting playing with those young guys? Yes, to see how quickly are,
:16:47. > :16:52.the back three, it is a bit annoying. They have a massive amount
:16:53. > :16:57.of confidence. We can give a lot of ball to these players. We want to
:16:58. > :17:02.get it right. I want the best for England, like any other England
:17:03. > :17:05.fan. It is creating opportunities and scoring tries, getting the
:17:06. > :17:13.balance right. Do you get frustrated? Do you give the forward
:17:14. > :17:17.some? Yes. Whether it is at Gloucester or England. They give it
:17:18. > :17:23.back as well. Everyone is humble at the same time. Sometimes it gets
:17:24. > :17:30.heated on the itch, but it is all right afterwards. England have been
:17:31. > :17:36.thoroughly outplayed today. England have won by 27 points. The last six
:17:37. > :17:42.Nations for England have not been a great memory. How have you got past
:17:43. > :17:49.that? We are stronger as a team from it. It is indeed back of mind, but
:17:50. > :17:56.it is one game. You put it to bed. I loved playing against the French.
:17:57. > :18:00.They had bruising forwards, but their backs, they were quick and
:18:01. > :18:10.elusive. I do not think their philosophy has changed. The forwards
:18:11. > :18:15.are big and bruising. The bags are extremely dangerous. What is your
:18:16. > :18:25.mindset when you look at someone like Pastoral? You cannot let them
:18:26. > :18:29.run at you. -- Mathieu Bastareaud. It is one of those environments that
:18:30. > :18:34.you always wish you are in. I'm getting excited thinking about it.
:18:35. > :18:40.You have my shirt, number 12, look after it and do a good job. I
:18:41. > :18:45.appreciate that. What do you make of that centre partnership? I am very
:18:46. > :18:51.excited. I think Twelvetrees has all the armoury. It depends whether Owen
:18:52. > :19:00.Farrell can help him with his passing game and his kicking game.
:19:01. > :19:06.Luther Burrell, I want to see what he can do on the attacking side. I'm
:19:07. > :19:15.a little bit surprised about the bench. They are asking Alex Goode to
:19:16. > :19:23.step up and play number ten. There is no specialist. England are taking
:19:24. > :19:28.a big risk. Number ten and number 13 are fundamental to whether England
:19:29. > :19:33.get the ball on the wings. But on the wings, England have one cat
:19:34. > :19:37.between them? Is that the risk? I do not think it is. You have played
:19:38. > :19:47.well enough for your club and you're ready to play. This is an
:19:48. > :19:55.opportunity for Jack Nowell to establish himself. If he gets the
:19:56. > :20:02.chance, he will. Jonny May is one of the most exciting bags in English
:20:03. > :20:09.rugby. You're part of his fan club? I have always liked Jonny May. I
:20:10. > :20:17.think the French will target them. Not only on the floor, but in the
:20:18. > :20:22.air. I am really excited for them. I think you're right. The kicking game
:20:23. > :20:26.will be key today. I think that the French will target the winners. They
:20:27. > :20:32.will be used to that in the Aviva Premiership. The wingers have to be
:20:33. > :20:35.able to catch. In terms of how England will play things behind the
:20:36. > :20:40.scrum, how do you assess their style of play? They have been trying to
:20:41. > :20:46.evolve the style of having lots of options. You have a front row on the
:20:47. > :20:53.back row. The front row can go short. Billy Twelvetrees has the
:20:54. > :21:02.ball. He can take the ball short, inside or outside, or he can go wide
:21:03. > :21:12.to the runners. Look at the space. The ball has to go wide. There
:21:13. > :21:17.should be communication. It is all about giving yourself options. If
:21:18. > :21:23.you set up in that format, you will always have those options. Once
:21:24. > :21:28.again, two lines of attack. The ball comes out again. Billy has put his
:21:29. > :21:36.hands up, but the boys cannot hear him. The spaces out wide, but again,
:21:37. > :21:42.it has gone inside. The attacking shape is good. It will challenge the
:21:43. > :21:49.defence. If you have been a regular visitor to the BBC sport website,
:21:50. > :21:54.you have me -- you may have spotted the greatest rise in the history of
:21:55. > :21:58.the Six Nations. This fixture is going back into the depths of
:21:59. > :22:21.history. It had some great tries to its name.
:22:22. > :22:49.Perhaps his first day as a winning England captain.
:22:50. > :23:11.They try by Carlton. That does it. -- the try.
:23:12. > :23:47.Great play. He has Rory Underwood outside.
:23:48. > :23:54.There always seemed to be more space in those days. If you want to see
:23:55. > :24:00.great tries from the Six Nations over the last four years, you can go
:24:01. > :24:08.to the BBC website. You can contact us. Let's go to our commentary
:24:09. > :24:13.position. What might happen over the next couple of hours? One of the key
:24:14. > :24:17.things is the English pack, which by common consent is one of the best in
:24:18. > :24:22.the world. Is that where the platform will be for these young
:24:23. > :24:26.guns to show what they can do? If it is not, they will be on the back
:24:27. > :24:33.foot and have very limited amounts of ball and opportunity. I do not
:24:34. > :24:38.expect that to happen. I think that Thierry Dusautoir is a big loss for
:24:39. > :24:41.France. From an England point of view, you would want them to shoot
:24:42. > :24:50.it, to put their backs on the front foot. The key thing is, as crash --
:24:51. > :24:55.as Chris Robshaw leads the side out, Danny Care is the man who cannot go
:24:56. > :25:01.straight things. Week he had been your first choice for this game?
:25:02. > :25:12.Yes, he would. You need a scrum-half who can get that injection of pace
:25:13. > :25:17.and temple. -- and tempo. I think you will see the injection of pace
:25:18. > :25:22.from Danny Care. He will be key tonight for England. Thank you. The
:25:23. > :25:28.weathermen predicted we would play this game in a downpour, but they
:25:29. > :25:31.are wrong, it is a glorious evening with the Chris Doak their sky. Dusk
:25:32. > :25:37.is descending on Paris at the moment. Clive, where will this game
:25:38. > :25:43.be won and lost tonight? As long as the England forwards front top, we
:25:44. > :25:52.can win. This is a very strong French team, but I think England
:25:53. > :25:56.will shade it. Thomas? I am scared by the mobility of the front five of
:25:57. > :26:03.England. They can do things that will hurt the French game, but I
:26:04. > :26:14.think France will win by ten. Jeremy Guscott? The exact opposite. I think
:26:15. > :26:18.England will win by ten. If they are accurate and enthusiastic, England
:26:19. > :26:30.will win. I think that England are fitter than the French. There is
:26:31. > :26:34.real tension. The two teams are coming out together at the Stade de
:26:35. > :26:43.France for the second match in this year's RBS Six Nations. There is a
:26:44. > :26:46.cacophony of noise. Just tell us, what is this like for the young
:26:47. > :26:53.players in the England back division? They will absolutely be
:26:54. > :27:02.loving this. You cannot help but love it. It sends shivers down your
:27:03. > :27:05.spine. It is what you play for. It is certainly not Exeter or
:27:06. > :27:13.Gloucester this evening! Good luck to them. The atmosphere is
:27:14. > :27:16.brilliant. You can tell from the diverse opinions that this is the
:27:17. > :27:22.kind of match where almost no result would surprise you. It could be a
:27:23. > :27:28.substantial victory or it could be a game won by the closest of margins.
:27:29. > :27:34.Stand-by for what promises to be an enthralling second chapter in this
:27:35. > :27:37.year 's Six Nations. It will be described by Brian Moore, Andy Nicol
:27:38. > :27:45.and Eddie Butler after the national anthems.
:27:46. > :27:52.# God save our gracious Queen! # Long live our noble Queen!
:27:53. > :27:59.# God save the Queen! # Send her victorious.
:28:00. > :28:09.# Happy and glorious. # Long to reign over us.
:28:10. > :28:39.# God save the Queen. CHEERING. # Allons enfants de la Patrie.
:28:40. > :28:45.# Le jour de gloire est arrive! # Contre nous de la tyrannie.
:28:46. > :28:53.# L'etendard sanglant est leve. # L'etendard sanglant est leve!
:28:54. > :29:03.# Entendez-vous dans les campagnes. # Mugir ces feroces soldats.
:29:04. > :29:11.# Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras. # Egorger vos fils et vos compagnes!
:29:12. > :29:16.# Aux armes, citoyens. # Formez vos bataillons.
:29:17. > :29:24.# Marchons, marchons! # Qu'un sang impur.
:29:25. > :29:48.# Abreuve nos sillons #. It's a deep blue clear sky over the
:29:49. > :29:53.Stade de France and France have picked an experienced pack to throw
:29:54. > :29:59.themselves at England. Pascal Pape gets his 50th cap tonight and
:30:00. > :30:08.Alexandre Flanquart, a giant alongside him, at 6'8". The Jules
:30:09. > :30:14.Plisson beside the scrum. What a passer he is. Can he do it at this
:30:15. > :30:22.level? Can we get a pass out of the centre combination of Fofana and
:30:23. > :30:26.Bastareaud? Experience in the England pack. 51st captain Dylan
:30:27. > :30:33.Hartley. Courtney Lawes in the second row. Behind the scrum, such
:30:34. > :30:42.little experience. First cap for Luca Brecel -- Luther Burrell.
:30:43. > :30:53.France have 6/ the bench. England have five. -- six forwards on the
:30:54. > :30:57.bench. Nigel Owen of Wales is the referee of Le Crunch. It could be a
:30:58. > :31:01.busy evening. WHISTLE BLOWS
:31:02. > :31:05.We're off and running and Jack Nowell kicks off with his first
:31:06. > :31:34.touch. Plisson. His first touch for Huget.
:31:35. > :31:39.What a start to the Six Nations! The worst possible start for England.
:31:40. > :31:45.Conversely, France will take anything that's given and that
:31:46. > :31:49.fairly and squarely came from the failure to take the initial
:31:50. > :31:52.kick-off. Such an important part of the game and England didn't perform
:31:53. > :32:01.their properly. That's a very good kick. A simple run-in. That came
:32:02. > :32:06.from the forwards not covering the ball. They didn't think they had a
:32:07. > :32:19.job to do but they must certainly know that now.
:32:20. > :32:34.Yoann Huget of Toulouse opens the scores with 32 seconds on the clock.
:32:35. > :32:45.The conversion from wide out doesn't compound the terrible start for
:32:46. > :32:52.England but France still read 5-0. -- lead.
:32:53. > :33:01.The English defence defence forced the French back inside. The try
:33:02. > :33:12.scorer calls for the restart and takes it. John Mark Doussain, the
:33:13. > :33:21.scrum-half, opts to kick himself and France to manage the restart.
:33:22. > :33:32.The set pieces are going to be important.
:33:33. > :34:03.A chance here for England. Jonny May coming up from the left wing.
:34:04. > :34:13.Dan Cole, the prop, takes the inside flick from barrel. -- Farrell. Jack
:34:14. > :34:33.Nowell driven back. Well picked up. That's what they want the powerful
:34:34. > :34:39.number eight to do - takeout two defenders. Farrell hasn't gone
:34:40. > :34:46.forward. Play on. A chance for Luther Burrell in his first cap
:34:47. > :35:03.game. The younger tries to make life difficult for Care. -- Nyanga.
:35:04. > :35:20.The wing is very much involved off their wings. -- wingers.
:35:21. > :35:32.Courtney Lawes can pick up and go a second time.
:35:33. > :35:48.Penalty advantage to England. WHISTLE BLOWS
:35:49. > :35:57.Nigel Owens deciding that the French didn't release. They convert a reply
:35:58. > :36:08.from England, not panicking. Me on the floor. -- his knee on the floor.
:36:09. > :36:19.Whilst Nowell got ramped back in, the presence of mind to at least
:36:20. > :36:22.keep the ball alive was with him. Owen Farrell last year had one of
:36:23. > :36:29.the lower percentages of Six Nations kicking. England need him to get
:36:30. > :36:39.these three points to bring England back.
:36:40. > :36:44.It's a tricky angle for Owen Farrell. One of those uncomfortable
:36:45. > :37:00.starters. But it's beautifully struck and
:37:01. > :37:06.England are on the scoreboard. 5-3 to France. Interesting to see where
:37:07. > :37:25.England are targeting their runners, slightly wider out. Nigel Owens has
:37:26. > :37:31.got something to say. Timeout. Wesley Fofana. Can't see any blood.
:37:32. > :38:00.What was that about? Joule Plisson towards Jack Nowell again.
:38:01. > :38:13.Jonny May is off the field as the fullback launches a counterattack.
:38:14. > :38:27.Danger, danger! France could be in for a second try. Penalty advantage
:38:28. > :38:28.being played. Doussain arrives. Penalty advantage still being
:38:29. > :38:36.played. I think it's a knock-on advantage.
:38:37. > :38:51.It should be over soon. Fofana had the rest of his body into
:38:52. > :38:56.touch. England's defence just about working but they've been found out
:38:57. > :39:01.twice with these cross kicks. They've been well executed by
:39:02. > :39:04.France. Just the bounce of the ball that didn't go their way this time
:39:05. > :39:09.and prevented the second try going over. Alex Goode a replacement for
:39:10. > :39:22.Jonny May. Dylan Hartley will throw into the
:39:23. > :39:33.line-out. Well taken by Joe Launchbury but it's gone loose.
:39:34. > :39:46.Still a situation to work out for Farrell. Is that an advantage? It's
:39:47. > :39:54.enough. That is the sort of in exactitude that you cannot have.
:39:55. > :40:03.Simply not paying attention. Robshaw had to pass the ball back, hence
:40:04. > :40:11.less time, hence France given a prime attacking opportunity.
:40:12. > :40:23.The French forwards go back but now the penalty advantage. The ball has
:40:24. > :40:25.been left behind but it's still an advantage as Thomas Domingo has a
:40:26. > :40:38.little pick up and go. Good, solid defence by England.
:40:39. > :40:43.Plisson will have a second go. WHISTLE BLOWS
:40:44. > :40:53.Do learn didn't want that but we go back for the penalty. -- Dulin
:40:54. > :41:01.didn't want that. Number five, you're occupying.
:41:02. > :41:09.This is almost over inflated. It came from the line-out, which wasn't
:41:10. > :41:12.cleared properly. Good shift to drive from France, which means they
:41:13. > :41:13.take the ball at one part of the line-out and transfer it to the
:41:14. > :41:44.other part. Tom Wood did very well. Doussain's second kick. Safely
:41:45. > :41:56.controlled. France extend their lead, 8-3. We saw them trying to put
:41:57. > :41:59.the ball behind and the defence are going to have to make a decision on
:42:00. > :42:07.that fairly early, about when they use it. They put the optional wide
:42:08. > :42:19.out behind them. A good follow-up by England. England will have a good
:42:20. > :42:23.attacking opportunity here. They've moved Brown to the wing. That would
:42:24. > :42:45.make more sense. England cut back the way they came.
:42:46. > :43:03.England still on the front foot. Huget leads the charge. Excellent
:43:04. > :43:21.recovery work by Danny Care. Care has to haul himself back into
:43:22. > :43:38.position. Care hasn't gone very far. I thought
:43:39. > :43:54.there was an England player in front. Fofana took it. It's
:43:55. > :43:59.Bastareaud. Louis Picamoles chases. Thereby France have made a lot of
:44:00. > :44:05.ground and worthy advantage of the throw. However, I'm sure that if
:44:06. > :44:10.Bastareaud had the ball in hand, it would have been a lot with two men
:44:11. > :44:20.inside him. Danny Care was well in retreat.
:44:21. > :44:32.Astro goes and draws the outside man as well and it would have been two
:44:33. > :44:38.on one. -- Bastareaud goes and draws the outside man. Of the ball stolen
:44:39. > :44:55.on the French throne. Jack Nowell sets off in pursuit and
:44:56. > :45:00.tackles. A real chance for England. Hugh J is on his own but he's going
:45:01. > :45:09.to win the race. -- Hugh J is on his own. I don't understand why tall
:45:10. > :45:11.trees kicked the ball there. Three men on the front foot and the French
:45:12. > :45:20.turned. If you had to kick, you could have
:45:21. > :45:24.kicked two passes later when the move would maybe have closed down.
:45:25. > :45:33.As it was, that ball could and should have gone left.
:45:34. > :45:43.Billy Vunipola receiving treatment. If Billy Twelvetrees straightens up
:45:44. > :45:51.there, England would have had the advantage. Once you kick the ball,
:45:52. > :45:59.it makes a decision for everybody. You have no opportunity to see how
:46:00. > :46:08.the defence is playing. Although that was a long way out, it was a
:46:09. > :46:13.chance missed. We are just going to look at how the new players have
:46:14. > :46:18.settled in. For Jack Nowell, it was a really interesting start. This was
:46:19. > :46:28.the start of the game. This was his first touch. Then he gets welcome to
:46:29. > :46:31.international rugby by Picamoles. But since then, he has come back.
:46:32. > :46:43.What an entrance into international rugby. Jack Nowell, his last
:46:44. > :46:45.contribution, to thump into a Frenchman and regain the ball for
:46:46. > :47:29.England. Chris Robshaw goes to ground. Brice
:47:30. > :47:34.Dulin wins that little contest. Was he still in the air? Yes, he was. It
:47:35. > :47:56.is a penalty, in the air. That is inexperience. If you just
:47:57. > :47:59.waited that split second later, he would still get the man, but he
:48:00. > :48:07.would have got the throw in from the corner. That is quite clear. As it
:48:08. > :49:30.is, France have got the throw in. It is a second try for Yoann Huget,
:49:31. > :49:35.a second try for France. What an opening quarter! There is the
:49:36. > :49:39.difference, France move the ball in hand, they wait to see how it
:49:40. > :49:46.develops, and then the kick comes in. It doesn't matter whether you
:49:47. > :49:51.say it is a fortuitous bounce, that is irrelevant. It has gone their
:49:52. > :49:54.way. They only got into that position because they did the right
:49:55. > :49:59.thing with the turnover ball. England gave them the opportunity.
:50:00. > :50:08.Alex Goode, you have got to go lower. It allows him to make five
:50:09. > :50:14.yards first. It is very subtle skills. The one-handed off-load.
:50:15. > :50:42.Brice Dulin, the weight of the kick. Jean-Marc Doussain cannot add the
:50:43. > :50:56.extra points. But what the start for France. They lead by 13-3. You can
:50:57. > :51:00.see how much ground is made. Because Alex Goode did not put Yoann Huget
:51:01. > :51:36.down on the floor, he is able to support.
:51:37. > :51:54.The leave for England as the ball goes out. Something has happened off
:51:55. > :52:01.the ball. -- relief for England as the ball goes out. This was out of
:52:02. > :52:16.shot, but it was nothing serious. Just like the good old days, really!
:52:17. > :52:23.Stuart Lancaster, not looking happy, and well he might not, because
:52:24. > :52:32.England are under pressure. Let's listen to Nigel Owens. Both of you
:52:33. > :52:39.stay there. Number eight has certainly got involved when it
:52:40. > :52:44.started. We're going to look at this through the television match
:52:45. > :52:48.official, Jim Yuille. Have a look at what cost did, and if there is
:52:49. > :52:52.anything, show me again on the screen. Otherwise I'm just going to
:52:53. > :53:14.speak to the players. OK, I will check. Picamoles is number eight,
:53:15. > :53:29.and Tom Wood is number six. It was not high, but it was late.
:53:30. > :53:40.This is Jules Plisson. That is the late challenge. Plisson was
:53:41. > :53:45.slipping. As far as I can see, as number ten has passed, he has gone
:53:46. > :53:50.into number six. I will just speak to them unless you can see anything
:53:51. > :53:57.else. That is fine. I want you to stay there. As you passed the ball
:53:58. > :54:06.and you fell, the title is fair, it is not late. That is it. You go
:54:07. > :54:10.back. U2, when the whistle goes, I do not want you grappling like that
:54:11. > :54:21.again. It does not look good. Let that be the end of it. If I have to
:54:22. > :54:27.speak to you again, it will be different. You have got to love
:54:28. > :54:41.Nigel Owens. He is a man of common sense. He is very clear. The upshot
:54:42. > :54:44.is that Dylan Hartley will throw into the line-out. England have
:54:45. > :54:50.managed to take the steam out of France.
:54:51. > :55:01.That is straight out. They have put themselves back in trouble. It is
:55:02. > :55:06.another self-inflicted mistake. When you're trying to get momentum when
:55:07. > :55:07.you have been under pressure, that sort of thing immediately put you
:55:08. > :55:55.back under pressure. Nigel Owens was playing an
:55:56. > :56:10.advantage. The knock-on was by England. I do not know whether that
:56:11. > :56:17.is broken. It is serious enough to keep him off the pitch for good.
:56:18. > :56:25.This will be an interesting platform for the French, with their front
:56:26. > :56:38.row. They will be looking to get an edge.
:56:39. > :56:54.France have got the penalty. When you're 13-3 down, you simply have to
:56:55. > :57:16.keep the scrum up. You cannot give them a shot at goal. Pascal Pape
:57:17. > :57:25.immediately indicated to the posts. He says he is merely standing in for
:57:26. > :57:33.Thierry Dusautoir. It was sweetly struck. France's lead grows. England
:57:34. > :57:40.badly, badly need a period of play with the ball, to take the pressure
:57:41. > :57:42.off. They need to try and reverse the momentum. At the moment, the
:57:43. > :58:41.French are out thinking England. France reversed the momentum. They
:58:42. > :58:46.have the penalty as their reward. The explanation is quite clear from
:58:47. > :59:05.Nigel Owens. It was the second time you gathered it.
:59:06. > :59:16.That is a very poor kick. It was not anywhere near. England have 22. -- a
:59:17. > :00:11.22. Farrell saw a prop against him and
:00:12. > :00:26.had a little go himself. Robshaw gets through the tackle of Le Roux.
:00:27. > :00:41.Brown gets a good pass away to Alex Goode. That won't count. Good
:00:42. > :01:05.foresight by Goode. It seemed the very narrowest of gaps.
:01:06. > :01:20.Wonderful slight of hand by Mike Brown. Look at the stats. Although
:01:21. > :01:33.the carries have been in England's favour, meters made is doubled by
:01:34. > :01:42.France almost. This eco-blue police has had an assured start. -- Plisson
:01:43. > :02:07.has had an assured start. What pressure can England exert
:02:08. > :02:18.here? This is the French five metre line. Doussain to feed. Will they
:02:19. > :02:19.strike or go for the walk on? Safely delivered to Picamoles and the way
:02:20. > :02:55.it comes. -- away it comes. Confusion on both sides. There is a
:02:56. > :02:59.fine line, isn't there, between trying to keep the ball alive and
:03:00. > :03:08.making passes which are never going to hit their target.
:03:09. > :03:15.REFEREE: What happened in the last scrum? Same again? Noel has got to
:03:16. > :03:31.decide whether he is in the position to make the pass. -- Nowell.
:03:32. > :03:40.A very good position for England. Jack Nowell is in an interesting
:03:41. > :03:48.position himself. He's a smack in the middle of the field behind the
:03:49. > :03:58.scrum. Farrell, Goode and Noel all behind the scrum. It could go either
:03:59. > :04:05.way. -- Nowell. There is the formation behind the scrum.
:04:06. > :04:17.REFEREE: We all need to help each other here.
:04:18. > :04:41.Penalty to France. England are having trouble at the scrum.
:04:42. > :04:49.If the ball wasn't hooked and it's gone back to the French side,
:04:50. > :04:56.whether or not Nigel Owens thought England were responsible, the French
:04:57. > :05:04.were going to win that ball. Because it's not hooked... Well, actually, I
:05:05. > :05:10.don't think they were going to win that ball. Hartley can't get his
:05:11. > :05:13.foot to the ball. Is he not striking because he's under pressure or do
:05:14. > :05:22.they just want his weight as an post? You can't strike unless you
:05:23. > :05:23.get your heel out. Doussain gets away from the tackle of Courtney
:05:24. > :05:36.Lawes. France again get their surge moving.
:05:37. > :06:28.Good defence by England. It hit the corner flag! The bouncing
:06:29. > :06:35.ball is causing all sorts of options for England. The corner flag isn't
:06:36. > :06:45.in play. It doesn't matter. If that had bounced back into play, rather
:06:46. > :07:21.than out, it would... Oh, it just gets there.
:07:22. > :07:29.It touched the line, I think, before it touched flag.
:07:30. > :07:38.REFEREE: When you're passing, you've got to tap it.
:07:39. > :07:46.Earlier, Billy Twelvetrees rushed defence. But it wasn't just a case
:07:47. > :07:59.of the French player going straight on. There was a support runner that
:08:00. > :08:04.made ground. Doussain under pressure from Joe Launchbury. All started by
:08:05. > :08:57.Launchbury. The passes aren't perfect but that's
:08:58. > :09:04.excellent work from my anger -- Nyanga. Farrell off the outside of
:09:05. > :09:22.his route but Picamoles is back. The English intention to hold the
:09:23. > :09:36.French back isn't working out. Nyanga has had an outstanding first
:09:37. > :10:00.half. Pape is not offside. It hasn't been
:10:01. > :10:19.called but it was one. Robshaw comes away with it and does
:10:20. > :10:53.well from a standing start to make that much ground.
:10:54. > :11:00.Care looks for the straight runner, who is Dan Cole.
:11:01. > :11:29.England have to reposition to receive this kick. France put up a
:11:30. > :11:33.defensive wall and it was solid. England needed to come away from
:11:34. > :11:42.that series of phases with some sort of reward. They haven't. They are
:11:43. > :11:52.talking about how any players were coming round the corner.
:11:53. > :11:59.REFEREE: Carry on. So go white play goes on. It is France's hooker who
:12:00. > :12:14.is down. Vunipola puts himself up and get some traction.
:12:15. > :12:32.Penalty advantage England. Care takes it quickly. Danny Care on his
:12:33. > :12:39.own, five metres short. Hartley tried to get the pass away. Mike
:12:40. > :12:48.Brown - has he scored his first driver England? Nigel Owens is
:12:49. > :12:54.confident I think. -- his first try for England. Something out of
:12:55. > :13:02.nothing and hugely welcome from an England point of view. Danny Care
:13:03. > :13:08.provided that and that's what he's there for.
:13:09. > :13:26.Good work from Mike Brown. A lot to do here. One, two, three, four. It
:13:27. > :13:35.is Mike Brown's first try for England in his 22nd game. Nigel
:13:36. > :13:40.Owens is waiting to see if there's any reason he can't give it. I don't
:13:41. > :13:49.think there is any reason why he can't give it.
:13:50. > :14:00.Only three minutes remaining and if that is given, it -- and the
:14:01. > :14:04.conversion is successful, a 16-10 visit on the balance of play is very
:14:05. > :14:13.poor reward for the French dominance of most of this half.
:14:14. > :14:26.Owen Farrell with the conversion. Note. Good pick-up by Vunipola. A
:14:27. > :14:42.good finish from Mike Brown. Plisson to restart the France. Their
:14:43. > :14:56.leaders cut at the end of the first half. Joe Launchbury calls for it.
:14:57. > :15:34.Brilliantly taken by Jack Nowell. Up to half way.
:15:35. > :15:43.Picamoles's second clearance of the first half is good. Finally, an
:15:44. > :15:49.attacking platform for England in this first half. It is very near to
:15:50. > :15:53.have time. Whatever happens at the end of this series of plays, England
:15:54. > :16:00.should try and work themselves into a position where they can have a
:16:01. > :16:02.shot at goal. If they get anything better, great. If not, at least they
:16:03. > :16:23.have that shot. The advantages over, the advantage
:16:24. > :17:36.is over! -- advantage is over. Owen Farrell, drop goal, wide. Have
:17:37. > :17:47.time. It has been helter-skelter at the Stade de France. The home suit
:17:48. > :17:48.-- the home side lead, by 16-8. It was fascinating, enthralling and
:17:49. > :17:57.quite confusing. The usual tension that you would
:17:58. > :18:04.expect at the start of the new championship. Five seconds into the
:18:05. > :18:10.match, France where to the good. Owen Farrell narrowed the deficit.
:18:11. > :18:22.Then Jean-Marc Doussain extended the French lead. By this stage, the lead
:18:23. > :18:30.had extended to 16-3. But this was a really good finish for Mike Brown.
:18:31. > :18:35.When you look at all the facts and figures, and the tackles that were
:18:36. > :18:43.made, it has been a game of a real ebb and flow. It is hard to put your
:18:44. > :18:51.finger on who has the ascendancy in this match. There is lots to
:18:52. > :18:57.discuss. Jeremy Guscott, you were getting very frustrated? Yes, there
:18:58. > :19:03.has been lots of opportunity for England. It is very frustrating to
:19:04. > :19:09.watch. The players are getting into position and making silly mistakes.
:19:10. > :19:14.I honestly believe that France have lived off England's mistakes. They
:19:15. > :19:20.do not seem to be generating much, but their counterattacking has been
:19:21. > :19:26.accurate. I think the French forwards were too much on top. But
:19:27. > :19:32.16-8. The English character has come through. The physicality of the
:19:33. > :19:37.French forwards was too much early on. But England have come back. The
:19:38. > :19:44.last ten minutes where are all England. It is disappointing that
:19:45. > :19:56.England could not take the points at the end. 16-8, you have three
:19:57. > :20:01.points, why keep playing. This team have shown a lot of character. I am
:20:02. > :20:05.not going to have a go at them for not taking the three points. If
:20:06. > :20:12.Danny Care had made the right decision, they would have scored the
:20:13. > :20:17.try. But they will learn from that. If the last ten minutes when
:20:18. > :20:24.England, France were in charge for the first ten minutes. What a
:20:25. > :20:30.start? Yes. It was great kicking and well executed. France read the game
:20:31. > :20:37.well. In terms of position and quality, France did well. You can
:20:38. > :20:43.see that we took that ball. quality, France did well. You can
:20:44. > :20:51.see that we took Tactically, the French line were organised. We would
:20:52. > :20:56.expect the French fly half to pass the ball, but he kicked it. Would
:20:57. > :21:05.you exonerate Jack Nowell from the restart? Yes, it was a tough start.
:21:06. > :21:11.We can see it again. This is the kick into space. In international
:21:12. > :21:17.rugby, you have got to get the scrums, line-outs and restarts
:21:18. > :21:25.correct. To lose the restart, it cause problems. It was a good
:21:26. > :21:30.bounce. Twice the French could have gone behind the posts, but they did
:21:31. > :21:40.not get the easy conversion. It was all France at this stage. You will
:21:41. > :21:48.not win test matches unless you get your restarts right. What about the
:21:49. > :21:51.second try for France? France have taken their opportunities. You
:21:52. > :22:03.cannot deny them that. It is good turnover. England have numbers and
:22:04. > :22:10.support, but they make basic errors. I do not think Alex Goode came up
:22:11. > :22:19.quickly enough. This time, the bones went for Yoann Huget. You create
:22:20. > :22:25.your own luck sometimes. This is what amazes me. Yoann Huget could
:22:26. > :22:39.have gone right around the posts. But he is posing and he dives. It
:22:40. > :22:44.was a good kick. The absence of Thierry Dusautoir is a key point for
:22:45. > :22:52.France. We also have to take account that this is a French side of old.
:22:53. > :22:56.In the modern game, from a turnover, you would expect the fly half to
:22:57. > :23:01.play the ball. But he kicked it. They attack very well. The French
:23:02. > :23:12.kicked away possession on several occasions. We saw the footage before
:23:13. > :23:16.the first half. Just when it seemed that the French were in control of
:23:17. > :23:22.the game, the resilience of England got them back into it. How important
:23:23. > :23:27.will this try be at the final whistle? We will have to see. I
:23:28. > :23:34.liked the way that Danny Care took the initiative. It is the endeavour.
:23:35. > :23:40.Danny Care could have stopped it and gone for the three points. No, we
:23:41. > :23:46.can get in behind the defence. I did not mean that one, Jeremy. That was
:23:47. > :23:52.the right decision. I think that France were tithing. England finish
:23:53. > :23:56.stronger. England will be more confident that they can win this
:23:57. > :24:00.game. I am concerned that England have got the ball a lot. It looks
:24:01. > :24:05.this organised sometimes, but they have the ball. Talk us through some
:24:06. > :24:13.of the opportunities that England had. Perhaps just the odd mistake
:24:14. > :24:17.denied them opportunities? We are talking about accuracy. The ball has
:24:18. > :24:22.been bouncing. They have great attacking shape that we should
:24:23. > :24:30.before the game. There are two lines of attackers. The handling is
:24:31. > :24:40.lacking. Billy Twelvetrees just dropped it to Vunipola's ankles.
:24:41. > :24:48.Jules Plisson is moving from one side of the ruck to the other. But I
:24:49. > :24:56.think one foul stays on the one side. It is predictable. -- Owen
:24:57. > :25:03.Farrell stays on one side. I am glad that England are going for it. We
:25:04. > :25:08.spoke about Billy Twelvetrees. There is an English attack on the wing. If
:25:09. > :25:16.it went through hands, I think it would have given them more options.
:25:17. > :25:20.That said, the kick is not bad. I picked up six key mistakes that
:25:21. > :25:25.England made. If we wipe those out in the second half, we are right
:25:26. > :25:31.back in the game. That was one of the mistakes, the one that we saw
:25:32. > :25:35.there. With the ball in hand, England are dangerous. It is small
:25:36. > :25:42.margins with the handling. I accept the decision-making. An inch the
:25:43. > :25:47.right way, and they will score. We want them to keep on playing in this
:25:48. > :25:51.way. I get the impression that you think England might run away with
:25:52. > :26:05.this? I think England are writing this game. 16-8 is nothing. I think
:26:06. > :26:11.England have got the fitness. -- England are in this game. France
:26:12. > :26:21.will slow down the pace of the game in the second half. We are halfway
:26:22. > :26:25.through the first weekend of the Six Nations. We are going to Dublin
:26:26. > :26:28.tomorrow for Ireland against Scotland. Wales won the first match
:26:29. > :26:59.today. It was a real thriller. Alex Cuthbert ex-commission Mark --
:27:00. > :27:09.Alex Cuthbert! Williams will score for Wales. The second try. Simple.
:27:10. > :27:17.Two tries for the Italians as well. They had lots of possession. But yet
:27:18. > :27:22.another away defeat for them. Tomorrow's game rounds of the first
:27:23. > :27:30.weekend. Our coverage will start at 2:30pm. Down on the touchline, we
:27:31. > :27:35.have somebody who knows all about English and French rugby. A former
:27:36. > :27:41.World Cup winner with England. Enjoying the game with a bunch of
:27:42. > :27:45.your team-mates from Biarritz. As someone who plays in France, tell me
:27:46. > :27:52.how much pressure this French team has been under? A massive amount of
:27:53. > :27:55.pressure. There has been talking the press for three weeks about what
:27:56. > :28:00.happened last year and what has been happening the French camp. There has
:28:01. > :28:04.been lots of pressure on the boys and the management. They are
:28:05. > :28:10.performing, they have been fortuitous. Two turnovers from the
:28:11. > :28:17.England team have cost us. But we are still in the game. You always
:28:18. > :28:21.say when you play France, do not give the ball to the back three.
:28:22. > :28:27.Have England been the massed is of their own downfall in that sense? I
:28:28. > :28:31.think that turnovers kill you. We are playing too much in our own
:28:32. > :28:38.half. Our kicking game needs to improve. Any opportunity you give
:28:39. > :28:43.the French, they will take it. You create your own luck in these games.
:28:44. > :28:49.France got the luck of the bands, but we are still in the game. 16-8
:28:50. > :28:55.is nothing. You have a good reason for wanting England to win? Yes, I
:28:56. > :28:59.had a little bet that if England lose, I have got to sing the French
:29:00. > :29:07.national anthem in front of 300 sponsors. Thank you.
:29:08. > :29:14.As Stuart Lancaster comes back, at 16-3 to France, another score for
:29:15. > :29:17.France would have taken them out of sight. You have picked up on a
:29:18. > :29:21.golden opportunity that went begging. Yes. This is a good example
:29:22. > :29:40.of the French running the game. If you can off-load that... At 16-3,
:29:41. > :29:47.that goes to 21-3. That could have been game over. As it was, the try
:29:48. > :29:54.that Mike Brown scored means that they go right into the second half.
:29:55. > :29:59.Clive is confident. Thomas, how worried are you? Defence, defence,
:30:00. > :30:07.defence - that is the keyword for France. It promises to be a
:30:08. > :30:09.fascinating second-half here in the Stade de France. Let's go back to
:30:10. > :30:23.Andy and Eddie. COMMENTATOR: France have made a
:30:24. > :30:30.change at half-time. They've brought on Antoine Burban for his first cap.
:30:31. > :30:38.Just trying to work out where he's going. He's going into the back row.
:30:39. > :31:11.Bernard Le Roux has gone off. France lead 16-8. Owen Farrell sends
:31:12. > :31:40.it into the French 22. Become all weights. -- Picamoles is waiting.
:31:41. > :31:48.Good kick by Farrell. England on the front foot, keep in the French 22.
:31:49. > :31:53.If you decide not to make ground and hold your ground, it's important
:31:54. > :31:59.that kicks like that do go into touch and don't give an easy
:32:00. > :32:03.opportunity for the defenders. Vital for England to put pressure on this
:32:04. > :32:23.French line-out, which hitherto has rocked a little bit.
:32:24. > :32:39.Picamoles leads away from the five metre danger zone.
:32:40. > :32:42.Vunipola has no number on his shirt but still plenty of strength in his
:32:43. > :32:51.legs. The trademark of Mike Brown - always
:32:52. > :33:33.beats the first tackler. Hartley twists the ball back towards
:33:34. > :33:34.Care. Vunipola to Care. Can he get the ball down?
:33:35. > :33:43.WHISTLE BLOWS We're going to Jim Yuille again, the
:33:44. > :33:47.match official. I couldn't see whether he got the ball down. Andy
:33:48. > :34:01.Nicol to my right is saying yes. A straight decision there. He will
:34:02. > :34:10.have to find a reason one way or the other. Still in possession. Does he
:34:11. > :34:12.put it down? Is it short? The line is over. It looks slightly short to
:34:13. > :34:33.me there. Andy Nicol is fast changing his
:34:34. > :34:34.mind. It'd be much better if they were explaining what they were
:34:35. > :34:42.looking for, like in rugby league. I'm not sure you're going to see
:34:43. > :34:56.that from this angle at all. I think Danny Care knows he's short.
:34:57. > :35:05.There's nothing clear and obvious there. I'd go back to the penalty.
:35:06. > :35:12.OK. No try. Back to the penalty and offside. Well, it's the one that
:35:13. > :35:18.feels like relief for France but it's still a penalty opportunity for
:35:19. > :35:25.England. Push him back, please, number two. Owen Farrell got one
:35:26. > :35:33.from a slightly easy position in the first half. Not the best side for a
:35:34. > :35:44.right footed kicker. But very important for England to open this
:35:45. > :35:47.half with a score. They've come out with a real fire.
:35:48. > :36:08.They needed to. Well struck. England are on the
:36:09. > :36:17.board. They do get their reward for the fine start they've made to this
:36:18. > :36:27.second-half. 16-11 to France. Next ten minutes will be vital for both
:36:28. > :36:36.sides. Stuart Lancaster was saying at half-time, "you must hang onto
:36:37. > :36:57.the ball". Dimitri Szarzewski comes on. Alexandre Flanquart leaves. The
:36:58. > :38:03.French pack doesn't get any smaller. Maestri has added to the bulk of it.
:38:04. > :38:22.Luther Burrell gets the pass and Care takes it at pace.
:38:23. > :38:28.Doussain doesn't want the advantage. They'll take the kick and the little
:38:29. > :38:35.pause it will deliver to the game. France need to catch their breath. I
:38:36. > :38:40.think the decision to take that in was the wrong one anyway but he then
:38:41. > :38:45.got into contact, and you have to see the ball for players are in
:38:46. > :38:59.support. It would have been better to move up wide.
:39:00. > :39:06.Noticeable that France have taken their time coming to this line-out.
:39:07. > :39:21.No need for them to rush. Maestri wins his first line-out.
:39:22. > :39:35.France looking to take these it out of the game -- take the zip out of
:39:36. > :39:42.the game. England come away with a put in at the scrum.
:39:43. > :39:48.Unusually for the French, they didn't seal the ball of bubbly
:39:49. > :39:52.before they went forward, which allowed two of the England forwards
:39:53. > :40:01.to get in. -- seal the ball off properly. Not area that England
:40:02. > :40:12.would have been proud of. I get the feeling that if England
:40:13. > :40:15.want to win this game, they've got to keep the ball, obviously, but
:40:16. > :40:27.they've got to keep ambition and keep the French moving. I suppose
:40:28. > :40:31.it's almost as if Philippe Saint-Andre knew that his forwards
:40:32. > :40:36.would be stretched so he put six fresh sets of legs on the bench. It
:40:37. > :40:45.does show, six forwards on the bench, that they are intent on...
:40:46. > :40:50.While they've done well off the turnover ball, they are intent on
:40:51. > :40:52.driving and putting England under pressure and getting them on the
:40:53. > :41:13.back foot. Crouch! Set! France at wheel it round but not
:41:14. > :41:24.enough to prevent Billy Vunipola coming away.
:41:25. > :41:39.Chris Robshaw comes away with it. Luther Burrell comes away! The
:41:40. > :41:51.kicking game worked, the passing game worked. England are level! A
:41:52. > :41:56.great power by Billy Vunipola. The French couldn't bring him down. He
:41:57. > :42:10.had the presence of mind to make sure he could off-load the ball. A
:42:11. > :42:15.good line back towards Vunipola. It's now the French who are under
:42:16. > :42:24.the cosh, bearing in mind that they seem to be looking to play forward,
:42:25. > :42:31.England keep moving them around. They could well run out of steam.
:42:32. > :42:45.Up they go and England, through Owen Farrell, are in front. 18-16 to
:42:46. > :42:50.England. Players can either have a negative or positive to the attitude
:42:51. > :42:53.when you pick them. There are things Billy Vunipola cannot do but the
:42:54. > :43:02.things he can do, like that, our game changing. More changes for
:43:03. > :43:13.France. Thomas Domingo comes off. There's a Luther Burrell. First
:43:14. > :43:51.come, first try. Two new players come on for France.
:43:52. > :44:06.Huget for a hat trick, back to Fofana. Huget goes in... Play on,
:44:07. > :44:15.says the referee. Mike Brown has delivered a turnover for England.
:44:16. > :44:20.Hands away, please! And away. The game has opened up. England score,
:44:21. > :44:25.France nearly score, England have the ball. Happy to keep it in the
:44:26. > :44:45.forwards' hands. May anger surges onto the ball. --
:44:46. > :45:00.Nyanga. It's out there for Plisson, one of the two new front row
:45:01. > :45:09.players, including Forestier. Care loses control and it goes forward
:45:10. > :45:16.off Care. Two guys wearing 15 share a moment! Danny Care has played a
:45:17. > :45:17.lot of football in his youth. Couldn't quite get that under
:45:18. > :45:47.control. Timeout. Just waiting. The England defence did not rush. I
:45:48. > :45:55.reserve -- as a result, they are covering the kick behind. That was a
:45:56. > :46:11.big hit by Billy Vunipola. You do not want to run into him. There is
:46:12. > :46:14.his brother. Mako Vunipola is on. England's intent was to move the
:46:15. > :47:26.French around, and they have got to keep to that.
:47:27. > :47:33.The advantage is being played to France. They have got men over. Too
:47:34. > :48:30.slow. The advantage is now over. Owen Farrell, into space. That will
:48:31. > :48:35.do. Intelligent play. France have got to try and increase the pace.
:48:36. > :48:41.They have got to try and manufacturer scoring opportunities.
:48:42. > :48:50.They cannot afford to play a reactive game. Chris Robshaw just
:48:51. > :48:51.got a hand first on the ball. Joe Launchbury finished the turnover
:48:52. > :49:19.job. That was a good turn of pace by
:49:20. > :49:27.Szarzewski. Now the ball is out of play. That is an uninspired -- that
:49:28. > :49:34.is an unsatisfactory finish to that play by France. The porting thing is
:49:35. > :49:45.to make sure that the ball does not going to touch. The crowd have gone
:49:46. > :50:01.quiet, actually. They have got going again, as they steal the line-out!
:50:02. > :50:20.Billy Twelvetrees feels the handle. He may have felt it, but he held on
:50:21. > :51:40.and brought him down. -- feels the hand-off.
:51:41. > :51:59.Penalty advantage. A drop goal by Danny Care! England's lead grows.
:52:00. > :52:06.21-16. From 16-3 down, England now lead. The complexion of the game has
:52:07. > :52:13.changed completely. England are putting pressure on the ball. France
:52:14. > :52:18.are falling into a trap. They have not had field position, momentum or
:52:19. > :52:22.the ball. They are kicking, thinking it will give them that, but all it
:52:23. > :52:31.does is concede possession to England. Maxime Machenaud comes on
:52:32. > :53:02.at scrum-half. Jean-Marc Doussain goes off.
:53:03. > :53:09.England will have the scrum. Just as it was England in the first-half
:53:10. > :53:21.spilling the ball, it is the French now pressure doing it. Stuart
:53:22. > :53:30.Lancaster will be thinking, do not give the French anything. Do not
:53:31. > :53:35.give penalties away. Here comes Dylan Hartley. This will keep the
:53:36. > :53:40.momentum up. If the French are good enough to take points away from you,
:53:41. > :53:46.fine. There is nothing you can do about that. If you go back to the
:53:47. > :53:52.England score, I have been really impressed by Owen Farrell tonight.
:53:53. > :53:58.Look what he does really well. Look, he is looking forward. He pulls the
:53:59. > :54:10.ball back to Vunipola. He off-loads it. People were saying behind me
:54:11. > :54:15.that there was a crossover for that try, but there was not. England have
:54:16. > :54:26.changed their hooker. Tom Youngs is on. We have got brothers, we have a
:54:27. > :54:28.father with a signed on the field. Tom Youngs has a brother, Ben, who
:54:29. > :56:50.is not in the match day squad. Penalty advantage to France. Mathieu
:56:51. > :57:21.Bastareaud has the ball. Yoann Huget comes away with it, but
:57:22. > :57:27.the referee has blown. Just as the referee said advantage over, there
:57:28. > :57:37.was a mistake. It was a great shame for England that Danny Care's break
:57:38. > :57:49.was not finished off. But it was finished off by a great piece of
:57:50. > :57:51.robbing work by Mathieu Bastareaud. Yoann Huget, from not being
:57:52. > :58:11.involved, very much involved. There will be a change at scrum-half
:58:12. > :58:27.for England. This is the Owen Farrell break. This is a top drawer
:58:28. > :58:34.example from Owen Farrell. Danny Care, a job well done. He, as much
:58:35. > :58:36.as anyone, has been responsible for England getting back into this game
:58:37. > :59:04.and taking the lead. Lee Dickson, gives away the free
:59:05. > :59:06.kick. That is not a great start. That is the problem when hookers
:59:07. > :59:31.cannot hook. Haven't heard Bastareaud's name much
:59:32. > :59:32.in this game, for all his billing. Alex Goode puts the pressure back on
:59:33. > :59:43.France. Vunipola, the number eight, hangs
:59:44. > :59:59.onto Picamoles. Pape tries to get the ball to
:00:00. > :00:22.Fofana. Dulin puts boot to ball down in the
:00:23. > :00:31.22. France are definitely look heavy on their feet. Yes, that's a good
:00:32. > :00:33.kick at England's line-up hasn't been peerless but has worked
:00:34. > :00:44.reasonably well. That's the problem with that sort of
:00:45. > :00:49.boy. If you can't put pressure on the line-up, all you do is give
:00:50. > :00:53.possession away. Dickson takes kicking duty. Nowell comes away with
:00:54. > :01:16.a real chance for England. England have taken play from five
:01:17. > :01:25.metres from their own goal-line, to... Oh! They need to walk away
:01:26. > :01:32.from this. That might be worthy of a review.
:01:33. > :01:42.REFEREE: You've both been acting very immature. Get on with the game,
:01:43. > :01:53.both of you. Nigel Owens right again. He said, "more of your
:01:54. > :02:02.conversation would infect my brain, so please be quiet" .
:02:03. > :02:08.There is an England player write-down on the foresight. -- on
:02:09. > :02:29.the far side. Only the final whistle will tell how
:02:30. > :02:32.important that lost line-out was that they could have driven up all
:02:33. > :02:37.and put a score over here, I think that would have been beyond France.
:02:38. > :02:44.A lost opportunity. WHISTLE BLOWS REFEREE: Number eight?
:02:45. > :03:02.A free kick. When we're talking about France, if
:03:03. > :03:11.you think about it, England ended up on France's five metre line there.
:03:12. > :03:20.Brad Barritt is warming up but isn't on yet. France defend this
:03:21. > :03:50.scrummage. Now then, this England performance
:03:51. > :03:55.in the second-half Clive? They're five points up and the next score is
:03:56. > :04:04.absolutely critical. They should be setting up for a drop goal. Hugely
:04:05. > :04:08.proud of everyone. But let's calm heads. Three points win the game so
:04:09. > :04:15.let's put on a drop goal routine and get eight points ahead, then we win.
:04:16. > :04:21.A little knock-on by Jack Nowell but, Brian, this has just been all
:04:22. > :04:28.England in the second half. Yeah, a turn around that was needed. Jack
:04:29. > :04:35.Nowell has been a mixed bag. He's done a few things poorly, a couple
:04:36. > :04:44.of things out of the top drawer, but it's his first cap. Yeah, well, it's
:04:45. > :04:49.been is rooted second half. The points have come and Billy Vunipola
:04:50. > :04:56.has more than played his part. He comes off, Ben Morgan goes on. Brad
:04:57. > :05:05.Barritt is also on. Luther Burrell is still on. Jack Nowell goes off.
:05:06. > :05:10.Luther Burrell goes on to the right wing. France have the put-in at the
:05:11. > :05:15.scrummage. They trailed by five points. They haven't spent much time
:05:16. > :05:25.outside this half. They'll be out of their half now
:05:26. > :05:35.because they have a long penalty kick. There goes Jack Nowell.
:05:36. > :05:38.Vunipola was seen by Nigel Owens. He has a tendency sometimes to lose his
:05:39. > :05:40.mind and if that goes, you're going to get picked. No point shaking your
:05:41. > :05:51.head. I have a feeling here that this
:05:52. > :05:55.particular set of players will be absolutely crucial for France. If
:05:56. > :05:57.they don't get some points out of this and England clear and get
:05:58. > :06:06.another platform in French territory, their confidence is going
:06:07. > :06:11.to dip markedly. It's a new pack for France. He is one of the
:06:12. > :06:12.replacements, Dimitri Szarzewski. Here is another one, Slimani the
:06:13. > :06:42.prop. France will have the scrum. That's
:06:43. > :06:46.unusual for Chris Robshaw. Whilst he doesn't make this searing breaks and
:06:47. > :06:50.flattering passes that a lot of others make, he makes a lot of hard
:06:51. > :06:57.yards and very rarely loses the ball in contact. That occasion, he'll be
:06:58. > :07:09.hoping, won't come back to haunt England. Chris Robshaw discusses the
:07:10. > :07:15.situation. He's having a word with the refs about the previous swing
:07:16. > :07:21.penalty, talking about binding. Dave Atwood comes on and will go into the
:07:22. > :07:29.second row. I think Courtney Lawes has had a wonderful game. The credit
:07:30. > :07:38.must go to the England pack for the second half. They appreciably up to
:07:39. > :07:46.their workrate. -- increased their workrate. They won the front foot
:07:47. > :07:59.for the majority of the time of the second period. Composure and
:08:00. > :08:08.accuracy now needed. Wind! Set! And no penalties. Nigel Owens lets
:08:09. > :08:16.France get away with that. It seems to go down the tight head side.
:08:17. > :08:22.WHISTLE BLOWS The French would say Vunipola was at
:08:23. > :08:23.the wrong angle and was too far back and therefore couldn't keep the
:08:24. > :08:33.scrum up when it went below level. But all the time, the clock is
:08:34. > :08:46.ticking for England in England's favour. I wish the French would get
:08:47. > :08:52.on with this, actually. Bind! Set! Will his moment for a hat trick,?
:08:53. > :08:57.France get the drive this time. That's going to be a penalty.
:08:58. > :09:03.Penalty to France. With that sort of moment, do you go for the scrummage
:09:04. > :09:14.or take the points? Take the points. There's 11 minutes left yet. This
:09:15. > :09:32.puts you with in a drop goal. Marshall no.
:09:33. > :09:45.Congratulations go to Yannick Forestier, fresh on, looking at
:09:46. > :09:49.Maxime Machenaud. Simple enough and France are up to 19. England still
:09:50. > :09:57.have the lead but only now by two points. It's now a question of nerve
:09:58. > :10:11.- who blinks first. I get the feeling it will come down to that.
:10:12. > :10:20.Francis centre forward scurrying across the field. He tackled by Ben
:10:21. > :10:31.Morgan. -- France's centre forwards. Morgan shows off Huget and
:10:32. > :11:08.puts Burban on his backside. Dan Cole looks up and finds Farrell.
:11:09. > :11:24.England's hooker, Tom Youngs... Dimitri Szarzewski didn't buy it.
:11:25. > :11:29.Farrell's out of the game. He's limping. Mike Brown is the acting
:11:30. > :11:35.outside half. Farrell is finished. Dave Atwood. Penalty advantage to
:11:36. > :11:51.England. Farrell doesn't want it. He can't do
:11:52. > :11:57.anything. WHISTLE BLOWS We go back to the
:11:58. > :12:15.offside penalty. Farrell is out of the game. Alex
:12:16. > :12:27.Goode has indicated that he'll kick the goal. It looks like cramp. This
:12:28. > :12:36.time, France being penalised for not moving out of the league quick
:12:37. > :12:42.enough. -- out of the way. Owen Farrell does go down. Looks like
:12:43. > :13:00.cramp. Here is the new kicker for England, Alex Goode.
:13:01. > :13:14.The kick is goodbye Goode. 24-19 to England. They've got to be focusing
:13:15. > :13:18.on the restart. Remember the first 30 seconds? This is it. They've got
:13:19. > :13:27.to get position very quickly and get themselves really organised. It's
:13:28. > :13:34.one of the mysteries of the day - where is Clive? ! A magnificent
:13:35. > :13:45.charge by the Gloucester number eight, Ben Morgan. Goode towards
:13:46. > :13:52.Plisson. The kicking game will not be enough for France. Nearly 74
:13:53. > :14:08.minutes. Mike Brown puts England enter France's half.
:14:09. > :14:15.They're five metres behind where they started. The England centres
:14:16. > :14:23.deserve a lot of credit for looking after Bastareaud today because he's
:14:24. > :14:31.been largely anonymous. Machenaud feeds Plisson.
:14:32. > :14:37.It's therefore Mako Vunipola. Can he get the pass away? He takes it to
:14:38. > :14:46.ground. Just a little knock-on there.
:14:47. > :15:05.Nigel Owens right on hand to see that accidental offside.
:15:06. > :15:18.Gael Fickou, 19 years old, comes on for Mathieu Bastareaud. They will
:15:19. > :15:25.not be running Gael Fickou hard at any brick walls. We are in a game
:15:26. > :15:30.where people are getting cramp. Perhaps we need people who can put
:15:31. > :15:38.some pace into the game. The French have not been as dynamic in the
:15:39. > :15:50.second half. The French backs have looked pedestrian. Mathieu
:15:51. > :15:57.Bastareaud was very average. We are into the last five minutes. England
:15:58. > :16:04.lead by five points. France will have to come from deep. I do not
:16:05. > :16:11.mind pointing out referees when they do not do things right. Nigel Owens
:16:12. > :17:24.has been excellent today. Well done to him and his officials.
:17:25. > :18:13.The finish by Gael Fickou. He is going under the posts. France are
:18:14. > :18:26.going to steal it. Listen to this. CHEERING. Well, the crowd have quite
:18:27. > :18:34.rightly gone into raptures. The French have been patient. They did
:18:35. > :18:38.not force the pass. Gael Fickou, all right, he is not going to run
:18:39. > :18:46.through anybody, but he might run around you. Dramatic from the
:18:47. > :18:51.French. It is right under the posts as well. France will take all the
:18:52. > :19:05.time for this conversion, but England will have time. Good work by
:19:06. > :19:13.Szarzewski, drying the man, not releasing the ball until the
:19:14. > :19:27.would-be defender came to him. -- drawing the man. The French need
:19:28. > :19:32.this for the lead. The kick is good. France lead again. What relief for
:19:33. > :19:38.Philippe Saint-Andre, what joy for the crowd.
:19:39. > :19:47.I do not think you can blame Alex Goode. He had the decision to make.
:19:48. > :19:55.Perhaps he should have hit to the first man and left the past to look
:19:56. > :20:38.after itself. It is difficult. -- left the pass.
:20:39. > :20:51.It is an advantage to France. Knock-on advantage. That is it.
:20:52. > :20:58.France will eat up the time. Not yet. We will have the scrum. No, not
:20:59. > :21:03.the final whistle, but France will run the clock then. The effort from
:21:04. > :21:12.the England forwards has been tremendous, however, I did say at
:21:13. > :21:19.about minutes 68, hi mate -- how much will be lost at the five metre
:21:20. > :21:21.line come back to haunt them? That was a significant point. They could
:21:22. > :21:32.have put the game beyond France at this point. But they did not.
:21:33. > :21:41.Szarzewski, the hooker. He gave the pass. Yannick Nyanga, one of the
:21:42. > :21:51.rare French forwards to go the full 80 minutes. The England players have
:21:52. > :21:56.to suffer the French national anthem. How close England have come,
:21:57. > :22:03.but the game has been stolen by France. Pascal Pape, the French
:22:04. > :22:14.captain, he said that only a victory would do. They are going to get one,
:22:15. > :22:43.banning giving away a penalty. -- barring giving away.
:22:44. > :22:56.England nearly get the drive going. The French have the put in. Nigel
:22:57. > :23:03.Owens has already said, the scrum has got to complete. Philippe
:23:04. > :23:08.Saint-Andre is impatient. This is a massively important victory for
:23:09. > :23:18.France. And in the Six Nations, it is very significant, as victory or a
:23:19. > :23:31.loss in the first game. Maxime Machenaud will feed the scrum.
:23:32. > :23:38.Into the crowd, and the whistle will go for the end of the match. It has
:23:39. > :23:51.been a thriller in Paris, and the home team have won it. It ends 26-24
:23:52. > :23:55.to France. What the start. England are
:23:56. > :24:04.distraught. It was there for the taking and France snatched it from
:24:05. > :24:10.them. This is how the table legs. -- table looks.
:24:11. > :24:24.Clive, how? How? I am massively proud of the England team. Massive
:24:25. > :24:27.courage. Joe Launchbury, a big game. That was a massive victory for
:24:28. > :24:35.France. For England, we played so well. They have got to learn how to
:24:36. > :24:40.close out the game. Thomas, your face was a picture for 35mm in the
:24:41. > :24:47.second half and suddenly changed? It changed when we had the ball in
:24:48. > :24:57.hand. We played with flair. Szarzewski made a very good pass.
:24:58. > :25:05.Jeremy Guscott? Small margins, keep going until the last minute of the
:25:06. > :25:09.game. England look narrower all evening. They were kicking behind
:25:10. > :25:15.the defence. That is something to work on for the game against
:25:16. > :25:22.Scotland. There is a massive atmosphere in the stadium. Everyone
:25:23. > :25:27.was delighted. Do you think that England will take more from this
:25:28. > :25:32.game than France? I think that France have a good time -- I think
:25:33. > :25:40.that France have a good team. Gael Fickou is one of the best running
:25:41. > :25:43.backs in the world. England can close the game with a massive amount
:25:44. > :25:49.of positives. The last word to the winner. Yes, England played the big
:25:50. > :25:54.game. The defence was well organised. We could only find the
:25:55. > :26:01.gaps in the defence in the last five minutes. An extraordinary start to
:26:02. > :26:06.this fantastic competition. Sport has the ability to take you from
:26:07. > :26:08.ecstasy to agony in the blink of an eye. We will see you in Dublin.