France v England

0:00:48 > 0:00:53If in one of sport's great truisms, it you really do learn more in

0:00:53 > 0:00:58defeat than victory, here come England to Paris, ready to write a

0:00:58 > 0:01:02few wrong after their Grand Slam ambitions went up in smoke two weeks

0:01:02 > 0:01:09ago in the cauldron of Murrayfield. The latest instalment in this, the

0:01:09 > 0:01:15oldest international fixture in the game.

0:01:17 > 0:01:28Scotland get going...England in panic mode!

0:01:36 > 0:01:46# the needle tears are whole, the old familiar staying

0:01:46 > 0:01:55# trying to kill it all away # I remember everything...England

0:01:55 > 0:02:04have problems at half-time. # what have I become, my sweetest

0:02:04 > 0:02:11friend? # everyone I know goes away.

0:02:11 > 0:02:27Interception!That is a huge decision.Now it is up for grabs.

0:02:27 > 0:02:33decision.Now it is up for grabs.No try.That is cruel for England.

0:02:35 > 0:02:42England are going to be stung by this.There will be a lot to work

0:02:42 > 0:02:49on. But what of France? A team and sport

0:02:49 > 0:02:55that in a real mess at the moment. One victory in their last nine

0:02:55 > 0:02:59internationals, and England have won nine of the last 11 meetings between

0:02:59 > 0:03:03the sides in the Six Nations. Today, according to coach Jacques Brunel,

0:03:03 > 0:03:09it is a moment to reignite the sport and reconnect with a disillusioned

0:03:09 > 0:03:15public. Which could explain ever are philosophical headline today. They

0:03:15 > 0:03:20say France need a miracle to beat the second best side in the world. A

0:03:20 > 0:03:31bit of media mind

0:03:47 > 0:03:49games on a glorious spring afternoon in Paris and eagerly looking ahead

0:03:49 > 0:03:52to it very snugly I have to say, in our presentation are ahead, Jeremy

0:03:52 > 0:03:54Guscott, on the far side, very smart looking Paul O'Connell given events

0:03:54 > 0:03:57in Dublin, because Ireland have a bonus point try against Dublin.

0:03:57 > 0:03:59Ireland have just about one hand on the Six Nations.The only way to

0:03:59 > 0:04:06score goals. They did not have it all their way.

0:04:06 > 0:04:09all their way. A great result for Ireland heading to Twickenham next

0:04:09 > 0:04:14week.The game is still going on but it is safe to say Ireland have won

0:04:14 > 0:04:17the game. What that means as you look at the table of England not

0:04:17 > 0:04:21only have to win here today, but they have to win with a bonus point

0:04:21 > 0:04:26which means scoring four tries and that is something they have not done

0:04:26 > 0:04:32away in France since 1992. But I'm sure Eddie Jones' priority will be

0:04:32 > 0:04:36about winning first and foremost, Martin. How much is today a test of

0:04:36 > 0:04:42the backbone of the team?The last couple of weeks have been horrible

0:04:42 > 0:04:48for them. The only chance we have to put it right is when the whistle

0:04:48 > 0:04:52goes today in kick-off. First and foremost, being mentally right for

0:04:52 > 0:04:56the start of the game. Yes, you can make all the tactical adjustments,

0:04:56 > 0:04:59but being mentally right for the battle. If you let France start

0:04:59 > 0:05:04well, they will get the confidence and the place will go crazy, the

0:05:04 > 0:05:08same of Murrayfield. Be in the right place mentally and go from there and

0:05:08 > 0:05:13the right things will happen. Philippe, how important is this

0:05:13 > 0:05:17match for the reputation of the French national team?It is

0:05:17 > 0:05:24important to have a little bit of confidence. I think the game will be

0:05:24 > 0:05:27key for the French team.I think there is the first time we have had

0:05:27 > 0:05:34you and Jerry together as pundits in any match and it does take us back

0:05:34 > 0:05:4127 years to one of the greatest tries France ever scored at

0:05:41 > 0:05:45Twickenham. Philippe, tell us your memories of this.It is a great

0:05:45 > 0:05:55memory. I showed I was in the midfield and I was lucky. Jeremy

0:05:55 > 0:06:07missed the tackle! And I am sorry 27 years after. I am sorry!

0:06:09 > 0:06:11years after. I am sorry!Thank you, Philippe. It was a wonderful try.

0:06:11 > 0:06:18But was when France led the rugby that we all admired. I made a

0:06:18 > 0:06:24pathetic effort at the end just to join in and I paid the price for it.

0:06:24 > 0:06:30Philippe, why do France not play like that any more?I think a lot

0:06:30 > 0:06:37about our Top 14, there was a league but too many foreign players and we

0:06:37 > 0:06:42tried to challenge this six months ago. I think we made the right

0:06:42 > 0:06:48decision but now we have to be patient.Such as rugby in France,

0:06:48 > 0:06:52the Southlands is the Hartland of the game. Ironically, many thousands

0:06:52 > 0:06:57of people will be heading up here from Toulon and Toulouse for the

0:06:57 > 0:07:01match today but France had to go south to Marseille two weeks ago to

0:07:01 > 0:07:11get back on the winning ways.

0:07:15 > 0:07:20Italy have targeted this game, they must have a chance. A surge towards

0:07:20 > 0:07:25the line. There is the ball, there is the line, there is France's

0:07:25 > 0:07:32opening try. Italy claimed possession. What a surge, what a

0:07:32 > 0:07:41response by the Italians! Italy take the lead. Grosso for the line. Was

0:07:41 > 0:07:47he ever played? No, he was not!

0:07:49 > 0:07:55he ever played? No, he was not! Hugo Bonneval scores.

0:07:55 > 0:08:02Bonneval scores. One more paths. It is a forward pass.That is a lovely

0:08:02 > 0:08:10play.Much welcome for France. Despite that victory, France find

0:08:10 > 0:08:14themselves in a very lowly position in the world rankings at the moment,

0:08:14 > 0:08:19the low Fiji and just above Japan. France and England are in the same

0:08:19 > 0:08:24qualifying group for the World Cup next year.

0:08:24 > 0:08:31It is in Yokohama on October 12 when they will meet. I wonder how many in

0:08:31 > 0:08:36the starting line-up today will be featuring in 18 months' time. You

0:08:36 > 0:08:41would

0:08:41 > 0:08:44would expect Mathieu Bastareaud will be featuring. He is heavier than

0:08:44 > 0:08:49anyone in the English pack. He has always been the centre of attention

0:08:49 > 0:08:52on and off the field. The customary forward role, the

0:08:52 > 0:09:00customary charges. He has done it! He has powered his way over.What

0:09:00 > 0:09:03more could there possibly be to Mathieu Bastareaud than the

0:09:03 > 0:09:12considerable man who meets the eye. He was brought up in a high rise of

0:09:12 > 0:09:19volatile disadvantage suburb of Paris. He played rugby here, fought

0:09:19 > 0:09:23a childhood battle against bulimia, at play are conscious of his size.

0:09:23 > 0:09:29Still a teenager, he joined stud Francais, part of a very different

0:09:29 > 0:09:33scene and soon he was playing for his country. -- Stade Francais. On

0:09:33 > 0:09:38the tour to New Zealand, trouble. He needed stitches to his face. He

0:09:38 > 0:09:42claimed at first to have been assaulted in the streets of

0:09:42 > 0:09:50Wellington. The police investigated. His injuries, he was drunk. He was

0:09:50 > 0:09:54banned for three months. He took a knife to his wrists. To kill

0:09:54 > 0:10:01himself? He did not know. He said he wanted to suffer, to punish himself.

0:10:01 > 0:10:06He moved from Paris to the Mediterranean. Toulon, champions of

0:10:06 > 0:10:11France, three times champions of Europe. He made captain, treasured

0:10:11 > 0:10:19by his team-mates. But his international career had stalled. A

0:10:19 > 0:10:22two-year gap. He was too big, too obvious. Was this the image to be

0:10:22 > 0:10:27promoted for stylish French Rugby? If he made headlines, it was being

0:10:27 > 0:10:32in trouble again. Banned in January for a homophobic slur aimed at

0:10:32 > 0:10:36another player. He had never forgotten the value of hard work.

0:10:36 > 0:10:44Even more revered in France. Fortnight ago he forward rolled into

0:10:44 > 0:10:50the Six Nations again and stole the show. Thunderous and yet sensitive,

0:10:50 > 0:10:57aggressive and delighted to be back on the stage. The great deal you see

0:10:57 > 0:11:04of Mathieu Bastareaud, is so much less than who he is.

0:11:04 > 0:11:08Philippe, you have known him since he was a very young player. Is he

0:11:08 > 0:11:14still a little bit of an unfulfilled talent, do you think?I find him to

0:11:14 > 0:11:21Toulon. He needs love, you know? He needs coaching, a lot of confidence.

0:11:21 > 0:11:31But since he was captain of Toulon, he grew a lot. When

0:11:36 > 0:11:41he grew a lot. When you have, he is good on the turnover. He is very

0:11:41 > 0:11:50good to off-load the ball. I think we will see a lot today to run.Here

0:11:50 > 0:11:54he is against Italy. Here is the trademark forward role before he

0:11:54 > 0:12:02plays. He had an immense match, Paul?He is not the same shape as

0:12:02 > 0:12:07Brian O'Driscoll but he is like him in the ruck. He is very powerful and

0:12:07 > 0:12:11off-loads really well. He had some brilliant off-loads in this game.

0:12:11 > 0:12:15When he tackles here, you remain tackle. Very good at stripping the

0:12:15 > 0:12:20ball as well. I think he had four turnovers in the Italy game and

0:12:20 > 0:12:27scored two tries as well. He is a fantastic player. What is great is

0:12:27 > 0:12:35his work in the breakdown. That is where England need to be prepared

0:12:35 > 0:12:38for Mathieu Bastareaud today.What you see with Mathieu Bastareaud is

0:12:38 > 0:12:43what you get. If a guy like that decides to have his best game, there

0:12:43 > 0:12:47is very little you can do against it. You are looking at two men

0:12:47 > 0:12:54tackling because that is what it takes to take down 123 kilograms

0:12:54 > 0:13:02man. It will be a big day if he is on.It will be his off-load where he

0:13:02 > 0:13:07could be very dangerous is near the line. Converting that then for five

0:13:07 > 0:13:11metres from the line, you get in the ball and that one-on-one with a

0:13:11 > 0:13:16back, that will be difficult to stop.It is very important as well,

0:13:16 > 0:13:23we miss a leader in the French team. He arrives and he is one the

0:13:23 > 0:13:35leaders. He has experience. He is a big help to the captain.Ben Te'o

0:13:35 > 0:13:43has been left out. Was that a tactical decision?I hope not. You

0:13:43 > 0:13:46would be more concentrating on my team and the way it will play rather

0:13:46 > 0:13:51than worry about the French team. What I like about Ben Te'o is he has

0:13:51 > 0:13:58a pass and he has vision. What he will do is straighten up the attack.

0:13:58 > 0:14:03He will give them more directness. And also, whether he gets the ball

0:14:03 > 0:14:08or not in attack, he is in vision. He will attract the French defence

0:14:08 > 0:14:12allowing more space on the outside. I think George borders at his best

0:14:12 > 0:14:19when he has a guy like that to use as his foil. You can use it or put

0:14:19 > 0:14:25the ball behind him. He has front foot options. -- I think George Ford

0:14:25 > 0:14:31is at his best.

0:14:32 > 0:14:35is at his best.Philippe, there has been no consistency of selection for

0:14:35 > 0:14:39France at half-back and especially at Number Ten. Would you have picked

0:14:39 > 0:14:45trim Duque today?I think the only challenge is Francois Trinh Duc. I

0:14:45 > 0:14:54think he will keep the ball today. If it is a kicking game it

0:14:54 > 0:15:00If it is a kicking game it will be mushy makes no.The problem is with

0:15:00 > 0:15:07most of the tens of France, they have not made a statement saying,

0:15:07 > 0:15:12coach pick me, you can't it normally, that is why there has

0:15:12 > 0:15:21always been so much chop and change. Maxime Machenaud is playing really

0:15:21 > 0:15:26well but they need to find the Number Ten who is a Farrell or a

0:15:26 > 0:15:32Ford.If you were the coach of France, would you, after the

0:15:32 > 0:15:35incident in Edinburgh where seven players went out drinking until

0:15:35 > 0:15:39late, would you have dropped them until one match and welcome them

0:15:39 > 0:15:45back in or said no, that is too bad, you cannot be part of mice Quad?To

0:15:45 > 0:15:50be honest, it is difficult because I did know what is happening to this

0:15:50 > 0:15:58nine, but I think Teddy Thomas, he is a winner, and when you play

0:15:58 > 0:16:02England, you need guys like him. I am not the coach at the moment and I

0:16:02 > 0:16:07don't know what is happening during this night so it is a very difficult

0:16:07 > 0:16:14thing to make a decision when you are outside this squad.Teddy Thomas

0:16:14 > 0:16:20is a guy who can score you a try so to keep him out of the team, well,

0:16:20 > 0:16:25that is the coach's call and fair play to him.We will move on to

0:16:25 > 0:16:29England. We have seen in the inconsistency of Scotland losing in

0:16:29 > 0:16:33Cardiff, being so impressive at Murrayfield and obviously losing out

0:16:33 > 0:16:37the Aviva Stadium, why is it so much harder in the Six Nations to win

0:16:37 > 0:16:41away from home? What is it in the environment, the refereeing

0:16:41 > 0:16:46officials, why is it so hard in this Championship now to win away from

0:16:46 > 0:16:53home?I think passion and emotion has role to play in coaching. Guys

0:16:53 > 0:16:59have to be mentally prepared. Passion and emotion still plays a

0:16:59 > 0:17:04big role. Passion and emotion is highest at home when you are

0:17:04 > 0:17:09defending your home turf and that has a role to play in Rugby.We can

0:17:09 > 0:17:13move on to England. All of the headlines are courted and controlled

0:17:13 > 0:17:18in many ways, not by the players but by the coach. Eddie Jones is the

0:17:18 > 0:17:29face of English rugby at the moment and he was putting on a brave and

0:17:29 > 0:17:36defiant face when he spoke earlier this week to Sonja McLaughlan.This

0:17:36 > 0:17:42is a huge week for England. Eddie Jones will be furious that this

0:17:42 > 0:17:48performance.I think it will be the biggest test of Eddie Jones'

0:17:48 > 0:17:53coaching career.This extraordinary match. England are stunned. They

0:17:53 > 0:17:58have rarely tasted defeat.Eddie, what are you like when you lose?

0:17:58 > 0:18:04Well, I hate losing! And I especially hate losing to a team we

0:18:04 > 0:18:09should not have lost too.You described the preparation as

0:18:09 > 0:18:15intense, was it too intense?I think it actually lacked intensity. I

0:18:15 > 0:18:19think we over intellectualised the game. Tactically, we thought we knew

0:18:19 > 0:18:23how to play against Scotland and we needed to roll up the sleeves more

0:18:23 > 0:18:29and get stuck in.On reflection, where England in the right frame of

0:18:29 > 0:18:39mind?Know, and that is my fault. We did not get in the psychological

0:18:39 > 0:18:42state we needed to be and that is my responsibility.Wide?If I knew, I

0:18:42 > 0:18:47would have 100% winning record but I don't and I am not that clever?How

0:18:47 > 0:18:50do you set about changing that if you don't know why it went wrong in

0:18:50 > 0:18:57the first place?We have 124 from 26 games so I think we are above

0:18:57 > 0:19:02average.What is the biggest thing you have learned from the Scotland

0:19:02 > 0:19:07game?It goes back to preparation. For my sins, I did not get the

0:19:07 > 0:19:10preparation right. I did not get them psychologically right for the

0:19:10 > 0:19:16game.How can you tell?You can never tell because it is not an

0:19:16 > 0:19:19exact science.That must be frustrating as a coach because you

0:19:19 > 0:19:31think you have done everything you can do but the players don't turn

0:19:31 > 0:19:34up?That is why we do it. I trust my players, I love my players but they

0:19:34 > 0:19:37are human and things get to them. Sometimes the situation makes it

0:19:37 > 0:19:44difficult for them to perform and we understand that.Scotland played

0:19:44 > 0:19:50with real verve and imagination and skill in attack. Are you concerned

0:19:50 > 0:19:57that that is missing from England's game?No.Outscored by three tries

0:19:57 > 0:20:03to one and the way Scotland played, do you think England can play in the

0:20:03 > 0:20:08same manner?I don't think we need to play like that? Because we are

0:20:08 > 0:20:13England, not Scotland. We don't have the same players, the same skill as

0:20:13 > 0:20:16Scotland and we have other attributes which are equally

0:20:16 > 0:20:21important in Test match rugby.You think you don't have the same scale

0:20:21 > 0:20:26as Scotland?I'm saying we have a different skill set. We have

0:20:26 > 0:20:29different players to Scotland. We want to play like England, we don't

0:20:29 > 0:20:35want to play like Scotland.England were ahead on territory, possession,

0:20:35 > 0:20:41meters made, carries, I concerned they

0:20:46 > 0:20:49they could not turn that into a victory?Of course I am concerned, I

0:20:49 > 0:20:51am disappointed. That does not mean we throw everything out of the Bath.

0:20:51 > 0:20:57We have had a bad game and we will rectify that.Do you think that that

0:20:57 > 0:21:03defeat could be a positive catalyst for change for the team or are you

0:21:03 > 0:21:08confident with the environment you have?If you Reid what the clever

0:21:08 > 0:21:11people say, it is Doomsday, the world will end. English rugby will

0:21:11 > 0:21:17fall at Twickenham and you will never see it again. So I am not

0:21:17 > 0:21:26sure.Widely Reid it?If I don't, someone else will tell me.But if

0:21:26 > 0:21:33you don't look at it, you will not have to worry about it.But I do. It

0:21:33 > 0:21:37affects my players. And of course the players know about it, someone

0:21:37 > 0:21:42tells them. It is their mother or their wife or their girlfriend or

0:21:42 > 0:21:48their mates will tell them. The media affects what we do massively.

0:21:48 > 0:21:52There is an unrealistic and about how good we are and none realism

0:21:52 > 0:21:56about how bad we are now. And quite frankly we are somewhere in the

0:21:56 > 0:22:04middle. And they parted friends at the end

0:22:04 > 0:22:08of it. Martin, when you hear that, what is your take on how Eddie Jones

0:22:08 > 0:22:13is responding to what is happening at Murrayfield?In between being

0:22:13 > 0:22:17Eddie Jones, he is making the right points. You are never as great as

0:22:17 > 0:22:21you say you are when you're winning and not as bad when you are losing.

0:22:21 > 0:22:25It is not just his fault, he is taking the pressure off the players.

0:22:25 > 0:22:30The players need to make sure they are there. But it happens. I have

0:22:30 > 0:22:33been in many teams where it has happened and you have been flat on

0:22:33 > 0:22:37the day. The thing now is we have to turn it around and come out today

0:22:37 > 0:22:41and put those things right. If you get the mental side right, a lot of

0:22:41 > 0:22:47it will sort themselves out.Your team would have gone through that as

0:22:47 > 0:22:51well in pursuit of winning the World Cup in 2003. You would have had some

0:22:51 > 0:22:58high-profile defeats?Absolutely. The very best teams, when they have

0:22:58 > 0:23:03those flat days, they still play at a level. The thing for England as

0:23:03 > 0:23:07they conceded three tries. You may concede one and be down at half-time

0:23:07 > 0:23:11but then come back. There is concerned there and they should be.

0:23:11 > 0:23:17There is a lot of angst.Where England struggle as having the guys

0:23:17 > 0:23:22in the team who are really good at consistently good so if two or three

0:23:22 > 0:23:25drop-off, those are three are playing at a level that makes the

0:23:25 > 0:23:31rest of the team rise up to them. You look at Ireland. I would not say

0:23:31 > 0:23:34they have loads of world-class players in there, apart from Sexton

0:23:34 > 0:23:37and Murray who are pushing for honours in that department. The rest

0:23:37 > 0:23:42of the other 13 and the eight on the bench are very good international

0:23:42 > 0:23:46players who play so well every week and are so well drilled. England

0:23:46 > 0:23:51have not yet got that. You have Farrell, Billy Vunipola when he is

0:23:51 > 0:23:55there, Itoje was last year but has not reached those levels this time

0:23:55 > 0:24:00round.You mention Farrell as a world-class player and he is captain

0:24:00 > 0:24:05for the first time today. Is this a burden he doesn't need, Martin, or

0:24:05 > 0:24:14is it something that will spur him to greater Heights?You have Chris

0:24:14 > 0:24:17Robshaw who has captained England more than anyone who needs the guys

0:24:17 > 0:24:25to come and do their jobs.We hope it is too much because he is also

0:24:25 > 0:24:34the kicking so I hope he will do a good job of captain.One of the

0:24:34 > 0:24:38points that makes Owen Farrell world-class is his mental strength.

0:24:38 > 0:24:42He is able to put disappointment behind him and carry on. His tackle

0:24:42 > 0:24:46rate in the Six Nations is appalling that you would not think that from

0:24:46 > 0:24:51the outside because his presence and profile is so huge. In a form and is

0:24:51 > 0:24:56against Scotland, he was England's best player.I'm sure you two would

0:24:56 > 0:25:00disagree because he played in the second row, but isn't it easier for

0:25:00 > 0:25:04him to captain the side from centre because he can see the bigger

0:25:04 > 0:25:08picture. If you are Dylan Hartley in the front row where things are

0:25:08 > 0:25:13happening and you have got your head in the ground.He is in charge of

0:25:13 > 0:25:17that anyway. He is carrying responsibility for strategy. You're

0:25:17 > 0:25:20not calling the shots minute by minute from the forward pack, but

0:25:20 > 0:25:24you can be more in charge of that emotional side with the forwards. He

0:25:24 > 0:25:31needs those guys up front. Whoever has the responsibility. But even the

0:25:31 > 0:25:37guys at the front, Courtney Lawes, Joe Launchbury, if you are leading

0:25:37 > 0:25:42around Paris smashing people, that is leadership.I was on a Lions tour

0:25:42 > 0:25:48five years ago when he was only 21, and he was a leader then. He was

0:25:48 > 0:25:52bossing people around the pitch, raising standards, demanding more of

0:25:52 > 0:25:56the people. His farm or experience now and I think he is well able for

0:25:56 > 0:26:01the responsibility.

0:26:03 > 0:26:06the responsibility.And Philippe, tell us about a captaincy point of

0:26:06 > 0:26:14view for France?Guilhem Guirado is a good leader. And I think Mathieu

0:26:14 > 0:26:18Bastareaud and full slaughtering took. I think he can be a big help

0:26:18 > 0:26:24but the key for me is the ruck.

0:26:26 > 0:26:28but the key for me is the ruck.Paul was talking about the passion and

0:26:28 > 0:26:32the involvement of the fans for the home team, the spectators here, what

0:26:32 > 0:26:40are they expecting, what realistically are the fans

0:26:40 > 0:26:51expecting?They expect the guys, if the French team have a good start,

0:26:51 > 0:26:56I'm sure the club will be crazy and will follow the other teams. I hope

0:26:56 > 0:27:03we take the score straightaway. Martin spoke a few minutes ago about

0:27:03 > 0:27:09the definition of leadership, going round Paris bashing people. That

0:27:09 > 0:27:15sums up the peculiar relationship these two countries have.

0:27:30 > 0:27:35Wesley Fofana! Greenwood chasing Robinson.

0:27:37 > 0:27:50This is typical avenger.That is just out of this world.

0:27:50 > 0:28:02Sensational!That is the Grand Slam moment for England!

0:28:02 > 0:28:07moment for England!Oh, dear. The French seem to have lost all

0:28:07 > 0:28:12self-control.

0:28:19 > 0:28:25Misses Le Crunch in any language you want.

0:28:25 > 0:28:31I have to say the weather here yesterday was pretty drizzly and it

0:28:31 > 0:28:35was awful. We were expecting a different environment for the match

0:28:35 > 0:28:40but it is beautiful now. It is a great day for rugby but you still

0:28:40 > 0:28:44have to defend. Where were England deficient against Scotland and what

0:28:44 > 0:28:53will they have to correct today? Their heads were not in the game.

0:28:53 > 0:28:57You have to concentrate. Hughes is disconnected from Lawes. Scotland

0:28:57 > 0:29:03getting behind. You think sharpen up, let's get wider and stronger and

0:29:03 > 0:29:08get together. A big part of defence is communication. Once you lose

0:29:08 > 0:29:12that, you lose that disconnect. There is a good flat line but two

0:29:12 > 0:29:17players, Lawes and Farrell decide to go up and they are leading the

0:29:17 > 0:29:22doglegs. Clever teams that like to pass and get in there, look here,

0:29:22 > 0:29:36this is from a kick, Danny Care knocked it long there. You should be

0:29:36 > 0:29:39in a flat line coming together, squeezing the defence, making them

0:29:39 > 0:29:41kick, rather than giving them the space to run yards and yards. There

0:29:41 > 0:29:45is still a disconnect and that means you have to talk more. Two runners

0:29:45 > 0:29:51come up and create that disconnect and again, thin Russell against

0:29:51 > 0:29:55Wales was not making waves passes against England he did, and against

0:29:55 > 0:29:59Ireland, it has not gone Scotland's way. If you are not defending well,

0:29:59 > 0:30:06it sets the pattern in your game. It is one of the reasons why Jonathan

0:30:06 > 0:30:11Chase has been left out today. Jonathan had to follow him in and he

0:30:11 > 0:30:15stayed out in No Man's Land.

0:30:15 > 0:30:20They talked about how to beat Scotland, we turned up and win the

0:30:20 > 0:30:24game. That is lethal in rugby at any level particularly away from home.

0:30:24 > 0:30:30If you don't get it right, Scotland grew as a team, and if they don't do

0:30:30 > 0:30:35it today, France will grow.I don't see France breaking out of their own

0:30:35 > 0:30:3822 and throwing those long passes, but I did not expect Russell to play

0:30:38 > 0:30:45well against England!But France are one out, one out.I cannot expect

0:30:45 > 0:30:50them to play an expansive game overnight with so little experience.

0:30:50 > 0:30:54I think they still had it in them than if they take the turnover they

0:30:54 > 0:30:58can counterattack and go Bulls up I would be fearful today. I have

0:30:58 > 0:31:03memories of being here chasing Frenchman around the field.That is

0:31:03 > 0:31:09when they were decent!Have France still got it in them?I think so, we

0:31:09 > 0:31:14have great players but we just need confidence. The win against Italy

0:31:14 > 0:31:20was huge for us.Serge Betsen, the great French flanker, was very

0:31:20 > 0:31:21critical yesterday of

0:31:21 > 0:31:21great French flanker, was very critical yesterday of the selection

0:31:21 > 0:31:29of Eddie Jones of the England back row, staggered that these three had

0:31:29 > 0:31:32been maintained. Were you surprised, Paul?

0:31:32 > 0:31:34been maintained. Were you surprised, Paul? They were criticised in

0:31:34 > 0:31:38Scotland because of a deficiency at the breakdown.I don't think it's

0:31:38 > 0:31:43down to the back row, England are willing to sacrifice the numbers

0:31:43 > 0:31:46they put into the ruck and that caused them problems, that and a few

0:31:46 > 0:31:54bad habits. These were some of the rucks from the Scottish game.

0:31:54 > 0:31:56bad habits. These were some of the rucks from the Scottish game. Joe

0:31:56 > 0:32:01Launchbury turns his head, Wilson does not need a second invitation.

0:32:01 > 0:32:09This was a big turnover, a big moment in the game for Scotland.

0:32:09 > 0:32:15Nigel Owens gave the scrum to Scotland. Owen Farrell and Anthony

0:32:15 > 0:32:19Watson have no interest in the ruck, Chris Robshaw is trying to do it on

0:32:19 > 0:32:21his own and John Barclay get the penalty and another big

0:32:21 > 0:32:27psychological moment. Again they go in with one, Itoje, Launchbury comes

0:32:27 > 0:32:36into later. John Barclay with another big moment. This was England

0:32:36 > 0:32:41on the attack, five metres out from the line, Robshaw cleans it well but

0:32:41 > 0:32:47he leaves George Ford on his own. They end up with two on one, Richie

0:32:47 > 0:32:50Gray and Tommy Seymour and they blow him off the ball, turning over

0:32:50 > 0:32:55possession five metres from your own line like

0:32:55 > 0:32:57possession five metres from your own line like that is suicidal stuff.

0:32:57 > 0:33:01That is where they did the job and I think it helped Ireland today

0:33:01 > 0:33:04because they were forewarned at the breakdown for the game against

0:33:04 > 0:33:09Scotland.The key thing is to win the ball with the minimum players in

0:33:09 > 0:33:13the ruck as quick as you can. If they are doing something different

0:33:13 > 0:33:16you have to adapt and England did not do that well enough. France

0:33:16 > 0:33:22could do the same and England have to be ready for it. Also, if France

0:33:22 > 0:33:27don't do it, they don't have to overcommit. They have to adapt to

0:33:27 > 0:33:30the opposition. It's all right having a planned but you have to

0:33:30 > 0:33:36change it if do.If we go forward from the back row, Maro Itoje was

0:33:36 > 0:33:38the shooting star of European rugby never mind English

0:33:38 > 0:33:40the shooting star of European rugby never mind English rugby last news

0:33:40 > 0:33:44addicts difficult second season syndrome if you like as a wanted

0:33:44 > 0:33:46man. Why is it?There

0:33:46 > 0:33:50syndrome if you like as a wanted man. Why is it?There is a

0:33:50 > 0:33:53perception he's not playing as well and some of it is England not

0:33:53 > 0:33:58playing as well. I not a big stats man but the biggest change is the

0:33:58 > 0:34:01amount of turnovers he is winning and penalties giving away. Maybe

0:34:01 > 0:34:08they have told him that and he is holding back. That is the hardest

0:34:08 > 0:34:15thing as a forward, when to go in and when not to. This shows him that

0:34:15 > 0:34:20all those bits add up. If he can have to or three turnovers like

0:34:20 > 0:34:24that, stealing the line-out and the tackle and inspire England it will

0:34:24 > 0:34:28be good but the rest of them have to do it, Launchbury and Lawes and

0:34:28 > 0:34:33Robshaw Andy Hughes, they all need to stand up.He is a great player.

0:34:33 > 0:34:38-- and Nathan Hughes for that you would like in the French team, a

0:34:38 > 0:34:40fantastic athlete.You would like him in the French team but if you

0:34:40 > 0:34:44look at the English back three to date with the potential they had to

0:34:44 > 0:34:48throw the ball around with it almost feels like a French back three.You

0:34:48 > 0:34:49throw the ball around with it almost feels like a French back three.You

0:34:49 > 0:34:52look at the teams, the big difference to the back three. The

0:34:52 > 0:34:59back three of England is quick with flair and Elliot Daly is back, he is

0:34:59 > 0:35:06fantastic for Wasps and for England. Our back three need to perform very

0:35:06 > 0:35:07well today.Elliot Daly

0:35:07 > 0:35:09Our back three need to perform very well today.Elliot Daly for me is

0:35:09 > 0:35:17the best northern hemisphere back. His skill set sets him apart because

0:35:17 > 0:35:21he can do the basics very well and he has that flair also he can knock

0:35:21 > 0:35:28the ball through the posts from 55 metres, he can chip, he has vision

0:35:28 > 0:35:32and the speed to run through the tackle, intelligence and the skill

0:35:32 > 0:35:36set to put the money else through the gap. I believe he is

0:35:36 > 0:35:43inspirational. This guy can change the tone of the game initial space

0:35:43 > 0:35:51of time and in small gaps. -- in a short space of time.Maybe he is a

0:35:51 > 0:35:55little bit rusty having not played since November.Three weeks ago Mike

0:35:55 > 0:35:59Brown was Eddie Jones's superhero, untouchable at full-back and now he

0:35:59 > 0:36:04is out of the team. Were you surprised by that?After a game like

0:36:04 > 0:36:09that anybody is droppable. You get what Mike does, with Anthony you

0:36:09 > 0:36:16have more pace. It is probably right he gets a look in a big

0:36:16 > 0:36:20international. It is tough on Mike at that is what happens when you

0:36:20 > 0:36:25lose, guys get dropped also the rest of the team should say, we have got

0:36:25 > 0:36:29a guy dropped, let's go and perform. You mentioned the Lyons on many

0:36:29 > 0:36:34occasions, Jamie George was the Lions hooker but effectively second

0:36:34 > 0:36:37choice for England because of Dylan Hartley being captain but he now

0:36:37 > 0:36:41gets his opportunity with Dylan Hartley injured. If he makes a big

0:36:41 > 0:36:45statement today, what does it mean for the dynamic of captaincy and

0:36:45 > 0:36:50front row and England altogether?It makes it difficult for Eddie Jones,

0:36:50 > 0:36:54it makes it difficult decisions around selection. He has waited a

0:36:54 > 0:36:58long time for his opportunity, a fantastic player and really well

0:36:58 > 0:37:03coached. I think the best coaching in Europe at the moment is happening

0:37:03 > 0:37:08at Saracens. Excellent at said Pete and good scrummager and Thrower,

0:37:08 > 0:37:14dynamic around the field as well -- at set piece. It looks like a great

0:37:14 > 0:37:18service so it should suit him. You're both played here on many

0:37:18 > 0:37:22occasions, tell us about playing at the Stade de France. Is it different

0:37:22 > 0:37:27to other venues and if so, wider question of it is always different

0:37:27 > 0:37:29for France, but maybe it is different and the atmosphere is

0:37:29 > 0:37:31different.

0:37:31 > 0:37:36With due respect, it always felt the biggest game, France away from home,

0:37:36 > 0:37:40you have got to be at your absolute best or you could get a pasting.The

0:37:40 > 0:37:44forwards know it especially, they are always well up for it. We used

0:37:44 > 0:37:50to be intimidated by the flair of the French. Later in my career, the

0:37:50 > 0:37:54French crowd, it makes you intent and pumped up and that is what

0:37:54 > 0:37:58England need because they were so slow off the mark against Scotland.

0:37:58 > 0:38:02They have to play with more speed and constructs better and they have

0:38:02 > 0:38:05to be more solid and this game could be right for them if they get

0:38:05 > 0:38:09involved in the atmosphere and accept it.What is your take on what

0:38:09 > 0:38:17might happen, Paul?I fancy England. I don't think the Top 14 prepares

0:38:17 > 0:38:21French players properly for Six Nations rugby. From a fitness point

0:38:21 > 0:38:25of view, a discipline point of view and tactically. They will bring the

0:38:25 > 0:38:28Passion and emotion but I don't think the French players at the

0:38:28 > 0:38:33fitness or discipline to follow through with it.Tumultuous

0:38:33 > 0:38:41reception for the two teams here at the Stade de France.

0:38:41 > 0:38:43the Stade de France. 80,000 red, white and blue flags have been

0:38:43 > 0:38:47handed to the spectators and it is just a glorious almost a balmy

0:38:47 > 0:38:54evening here. It is almost 20 years ago today that the Stade de France

0:38:54 > 0:39:00was opened and five days after it in operation France played England in

0:39:00 > 0:39:04the Five Nations and France won 24-17 and went on to win the Grand

0:39:04 > 0:39:10Slam with Jerry and Martin playing in that game. But huge questions now

0:39:10 > 0:39:14for both teams can England recover from the Murrayfield mauling at if

0:39:14 > 0:39:18they are still to be contenders for the championship, they need a bonus

0:39:18 > 0:39:22point victory. And somewhere inside this French team, is there looking a

0:39:22 > 0:39:26collective will to relight the French rugby fire? Let's hope it is

0:39:26 > 0:39:30going to be a tasty tea-time in Paris. After the anthems commentary

0:39:30 > 0:39:39will come from Paul O'Connell, Brian Moore and Eddie Butler.

0:39:58 > 0:40:03# God save our gracious Queen

0:40:03 > 0:40:07# Long live our noble Queen

0:40:07 > 0:40:13# God save the Queen

0:40:13 > 0:40:19# Send her victorious

0:40:19 > 0:40:24# Happy and glorious

0:40:24 > 0:40:30# Long to reign over us

0:40:30 > 0:40:38# God save the Queen #.

0:40:52 > 0:40:54# Allons enfants de la Patrie

0:40:54 > 0:40:59# Le jour de gloire est arrive

0:40:59 > 0:41:03# Contre nous de la tyrannie

0:41:03 > 0:41:06# L'etendard sanglant est leve

0:41:06 > 0:41:11# L'etendard sanglant est leve

0:41:11 > 0:41:14# Entendez-vous dans les campagnes

0:41:14 > 0:41:19# Mugir ces feroces soldats

0:41:19 > 0:41:24# Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras

0:41:24 > 0:41:28# Egorger vos fils, vos compagnes

0:41:28 > 0:41:32# Aux armes, citoyens

0:41:32 > 0:41:36# Formez vos bataillons

0:41:36 > 0:41:40# Marchons, marchons

0:41:40 > 0:41:44# Qu'un sang impur

0:41:44 > 0:41:47# Abreuve nos sillons #.

0:41:52 > 0:41:58CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:41:58 > 0:42:05COMMENTATOR: Good evening and welcome to the Stade de France. A

0:42:05 > 0:42:09rousing set of renditions of the anthems. France have left well alone

0:42:09 > 0:42:14up front, watch out for Yacouba Camara in the line-up, Guilhem

0:42:14 > 0:42:17Guirado as a tackler and Jefferson Poirot over the ball at the

0:42:17 > 0:42:23breakdown. And keep an eye on Mathieu Bastareaud in the centre, he

0:42:23 > 0:42:28is hard to miss, or is it a day for other players to step up like the

0:42:28 > 0:42:35hard running Remy Grosso?

0:42:35 > 0:42:42At hooker Jamie George replaces the injured Dylan Hartley. The general

0:42:42 > 0:42:46instructions to all of the forwards after the Scotland game, roll up

0:42:46 > 0:42:51your sleeves and rip into it. Ben Te'o comes into the centre, not

0:42:51 > 0:42:55quite the size of Bastareaud but large enough. Anthony Watson at

0:42:55 > 0:42:59full-back and Elliot Daly back after injury in December. Owen Farrell is

0:42:59 > 0:43:10the England captain. Mike Brown takes his place on the bench. Good

0:43:10 > 0:43:14afternoon, Brian Moore. It is the crunch and it has a heavyweight

0:43:14 > 0:43:21feeling.It is almost springtime in Paris and technical things will

0:43:21 > 0:43:26unfold but this is the real question for England, where is your head and

0:43:26 > 0:43:30heart today? Are they in the right place? If they are, there is a

0:43:30 > 0:43:37chance, if they are not big to be a difficult experience.A reverse of

0:43:37 > 0:43:44the normal question, which England will turn up? The charity kick-off

0:43:44 > 0:43:49something of a tradition here in France. Ben Te'o back in the centre,

0:43:49 > 0:43:59Jaco Peyper is the referee today. One team had suffered a rare defeat

0:43:59 > 0:44:02under Eddie Jones, England, and a team that enjoyed a rare victory in

0:44:02 > 0:44:06the last round, France. England need a bonus point win to stay in

0:44:06 > 0:44:14contention for the title. France are on a longer road to recovery, just

0:44:14 > 0:44:22to win back the affections of their public.

0:44:22 > 0:44:26public. But whatever those contrasts in the current fortunes, it still

0:44:26 > 0:44:32has the feel of the England- France games of old, when you were out

0:44:32 > 0:44:36there, Brian. They were some of the hottest properties and hottest

0:44:36 > 0:44:39atmospheres.They worked but those are passed now and probably quite

0:44:39 > 0:44:46rightly. What I want to see today is a highly disciplined performance

0:44:46 > 0:44:55from England.Do they go for it from the word go?The first 20 minutes in

0:44:55 > 0:45:00Paris you want to be relatively quiet in terms of the opposition

0:45:00 > 0:45:04crowd for the don't give France anything, settle into the game.

0:45:07 > 0:45:13But obviously if the opportunity presents itself, let it go.Francois

0:45:13 > 0:45:18Trinh-Duc gets us underway.

0:45:18 > 0:45:28Elliot Daly, was the taken high? -- was he taken? Nothing from the

0:45:28 > 0:45:36referee, England in their own 22 with Danny Care.

0:45:36 > 0:45:41with Danny Care. Hugo Bonneval the French full-back gathering safely.

0:45:44 > 0:45:50Paul Gabrillagues from the second row involved. Wenceslas Lauret at

0:45:50 > 0:45:57the halfway line, Mako Vunipola has been given the responsible at the

0:45:57 > 0:46:04four leading the forwards today.

0:46:04 > 0:46:09That is a brilliant pass out of the tackle, France on the surge and it

0:46:09 > 0:46:18is a long pass... Into touch but... It was lost forward.We go all the

0:46:18 > 0:46:29way back. To the French half.It was only a couple of yards forward!

0:46:29 > 0:46:30only a couple of yards forward! The crowd are booing because they have

0:46:30 > 0:46:40not seen the replay.Forward pass, England will have the pudding at the

0:46:40 > 0:46:44scrummage, that is the long and short of it. -- will have the

0:46:44 > 0:46:52put-in.This is an area in which England have been frankly

0:46:52 > 0:46:55disappointing thus far. It has been a long time since England have had a

0:46:55 > 0:47:06dominant set piece. Here we go. Only a couple of yards!

0:47:08 > 0:47:12The French front five are very strong.They reckon Rabah Slimani is

0:47:12 > 0:47:20the grandest tight head of the current game. Poirot on the

0:47:20 > 0:47:27loosehead side will be attacking Dan Cole. On the far side. Jamie George

0:47:27 > 0:47:37of course starting for England today.

0:47:44 > 0:47:52Penalty to England.Slimani has to be happy about that, he was at an

0:47:52 > 0:48:00angle but so was Mako Vunipola. It depends which went in first for the

0:48:00 > 0:48:03inevitably given the proximity, if your opponent turns in you will have

0:48:03 > 0:48:07to follow because you are bodily bound. While you can make cases

0:48:07 > 0:48:12against both...

0:48:12 > 0:48:17against both... Both of them in at an angle and I must admit that I'm

0:48:17 > 0:48:24struggling at the moment to decide which one.You used to inhabit that

0:48:24 > 0:48:32area, Brian.Yes, it was fairly warm and cosy. Dangerous at times.Rabah

0:48:32 > 0:48:38Slimani and this is Owen Farrell, captain today and placekicker.

0:49:01 > 0:49:05Beautifully struck, England take an early lead and Paul O'Connell has

0:49:05 > 0:49:11shot up from ground level.Hello, Eddie. I think guesswork at the

0:49:11 > 0:49:17scrum, hard to tell who's fault it is and who goes down first but still

0:49:17 > 0:49:22a big moment for England to get the first penalty and a lead.Francois

0:49:22 > 0:49:26Trinh-Duc, and the grass looks in good condition, not always the case

0:49:26 > 0:49:32here at the Stade de France. England make ground from the restart,

0:49:32 > 0:49:39Machenaud senses a turnover. Mako Vunipola on a one-man mission to

0:49:39 > 0:49:42secure the ball for England. He has done very well because he has won

0:49:42 > 0:49:48the penalty.And that could have been another problem for England,

0:49:48 > 0:49:53very similar to the Scotland game where they got isolated. On that

0:49:53 > 0:49:57occasion they were given the benefit of the doubt.A lot of players in

0:49:57 > 0:50:01the French team are very good in the ruck, very good at poaching and

0:50:01 > 0:50:04getting locked on the ball but they need to have the discipline to let

0:50:04 > 0:50:08it go at times and pick and choose their moments. It is something they

0:50:08 > 0:50:12don't do very well in the Top 14 and you don't get away with it in the

0:50:12 > 0:50:16Six Nations.Elliot Daly off his wing.

0:50:19 > 0:50:25Vunipola with a good pass, strength from Ben Te'o in the centre. Mathieu

0:50:25 > 0:50:30Bastareaud left on the ground. Jonny May switches to the right-wing

0:50:30 > 0:50:36today.

0:50:36 > 0:50:45Inside the French 22. Courtney Lawes.

0:50:50 > 0:50:54England quite happy to come at France around the fringes, straight

0:50:54 > 0:51:01through the breakdown. Courtney Lawes again. Joe Launchbury on his

0:51:01 > 0:51:03shoulder, Maro Itoje over the ball.

0:51:05 > 0:51:11Anthony Watson on the switch with Jonny May on the 22.

0:51:13 > 0:51:20Good passing and off-loading by the tight England forwards, Chris

0:51:20 > 0:51:24Robshaw from the back row goes to ground.

0:51:28 > 0:51:45Nathan Hughes. Another yard gained beyond where he first made contact.

0:51:45 > 0:51:48Vahaamahina got hands on it and it has broken down for England but

0:51:48 > 0:51:57Anthony Watson has a chance to launch from the halfway line.

0:51:57 > 0:52:03Guirado clamps over the ball. Cannot stop England keeping possession.

0:52:09 > 0:52:17No attempt to get the pass away this time from Launchbury.

0:52:17 > 0:52:19time from Launchbury. Bonneval against Jonny May. That is a fairly

0:52:19 > 0:52:30loose pass and Robshaw sees as the ball. -- he seizes the ball.

0:52:30 > 0:52:38Vunipola tackled by Camara.

0:52:38 > 0:52:44It has been a theme of the afternoon, plenty of this in Dublin

0:52:44 > 0:52:49and congratulations to Ireland on their bonus point win, Paul.It was

0:52:49 > 0:52:53an excellent win, Scotland butchered a few chances which hurt their

0:52:53 > 0:52:57belief a bit. It could have been a much narrower margin and they could

0:52:57 > 0:53:02have been in the game but towards the end they were well out of it. I

0:53:02 > 0:53:06think the performance last week at Murrayfield, Ireland were forewarned

0:53:06 > 0:53:10at the breakdown and they were ready for the Scottish energy there.

0:53:10 > 0:53:14England may have been forewarned at the breakdown by Mathieu Bastareaud

0:53:14 > 0:53:18because whatever he does not do as a 20 stone centre in terms of ballet

0:53:18 > 0:53:25dancing he is a very strong man. He has significant presence at the

0:53:25 > 0:53:28breakdown. That was a good defensive set from France because England had

0:53:28 > 0:53:31a lot of possession and did not really make much ground and France

0:53:31 > 0:53:39have driven them backwards.Itoje gets hands to the ball and poaches

0:53:39 > 0:53:42the French line-out so England back in possession, plenty of this in the

0:53:42 > 0:53:43opening eight minutes.

0:53:45 > 0:53:49Well taken by Remy Grosso.

0:53:51 > 0:53:59Francois Trinh-Duc for France. Gabrillagues was almost facing his

0:53:59 > 0:54:03own line when he took that.

0:54:07 > 0:54:09Machenaud goes on the aerial route and that has gone wrong again for

0:54:09 > 0:54:17France. They are just being a bit too methodical at the moment.You

0:54:17 > 0:54:25can have good or bad fortune from a charge down. No real control on that

0:54:25 > 0:54:29occasion they did not bounce for England. More worrying for France

0:54:29 > 0:54:33was the pass inside from Bonneval who just hurled the ball seemingly

0:54:33 > 0:54:40without regard.Courtney Lawes won the first stolen line-out, Maro

0:54:40 > 0:54:48Itoje with that one.

0:54:48 > 0:54:55Itoje again.

0:54:55 > 0:55:04It is all defensive work for France.

0:55:04 > 0:55:10George Ford buries himself with the forwards again, Dan Cole playing

0:55:10 > 0:55:18outside-half. Anthony Watson. The slightest opportunity but no, say

0:55:18 > 0:55:24the French defenders. Barral tried to inject pace and determination.

0:55:24 > 0:55:31This is Launchbury. -- Farrell.

0:55:31 > 0:55:36This is Launchbury. -- Farrell. And again it seems that Jaco Peyper is

0:55:36 > 0:55:44going to demand instant release.You have got to get into the right body

0:55:44 > 0:55:49position to take the man off the ball, whether you do it by rolling

0:55:49 > 0:55:53him or getting your shoulders underneath, but you only get one

0:55:53 > 0:55:55chance and you have to do it quickly. If you get the initial

0:55:55 > 0:55:59contact wrong, that is the result was the best thing to do is to get

0:55:59 > 0:56:05it done before it becomes a ruck. But by the time these French players

0:56:05 > 0:56:11get locks on the ball it is difficult to get them off. Excellent

0:56:11 > 0:56:15pressure on the French line-out. Having Lawes in the back row who is

0:56:15 > 0:56:18effectively a second row means they can put a lot of pressure on the

0:56:18 > 0:56:27French line-out.That will be difficult to affect, the clear out,

0:56:27 > 0:56:32without rolling the player.That is Courtney Lawes again who has stolen

0:56:32 > 0:56:35the French throw and France seemingly cannot get their hands on

0:56:35 > 0:56:40the ball at the moment. This is the power and pace Ben Te'o. Advantage

0:56:40 > 0:56:45England.

0:56:50 > 0:56:54We had this in the Scottish game and France against Scotland as well for

0:56:54 > 0:56:59them if you're patient enough, the French players will give you

0:56:59 > 0:57:01opportunities, penalties, turning the ball over and that is all

0:57:01 > 0:57:08England have to do. Super thick, ten metres out. Often that could be 22

0:57:08 > 0:57:13metres out -- super kick. An opportunity for the English forwards

0:57:13 > 0:57:22to walk in and try to drive the French over the line.

0:57:22 > 0:57:25French over the line.Vunipola comes away with it. Ben Te'o takes on

0:57:25 > 0:57:32Bastareaud. And delivers for Danny Care. They go wide, it has gone

0:57:32 > 0:57:40loose and France steal the ball with Remy Grosso coming away with it.

0:57:40 > 0:57:45England scurry back, good defensive operation. Yacouba Camara, he had

0:57:45 > 0:57:49had an excellent Six Nations so far and this is one of the reasons, not

0:57:49 > 0:57:53just a line-out jumper but good on the ball. Bastareaud with a good

0:57:53 > 0:58:02pass do Doumayrou. Owen Farrell scrag is him.

0:58:04 > 0:58:10Marco Tauleigne, the number eight. Machenaud waiting. Trying to make

0:58:10 > 0:58:16the point that England are lying on the ball. The captain, Guirado. And

0:58:16 > 0:58:23the giant Vahaamahina.

0:58:23 > 0:58:30Doumayrou again. England trying to go high to prevent the pass from the

0:58:30 > 0:58:37tackle. Slimani has lost it. Danny Care, will he keep it in field?

0:58:37 > 0:58:46Bonneval is on his own. That is a brilliant pick-up by Chris Robshaw.

0:58:46 > 0:58:53The crowd don't like what happens to Bonneval who is down on the ground.

0:58:53 > 0:58:57I have to say, what a scoop off the ground by the former England

0:58:57 > 0:59:02captain.It was, great dexterity.

0:59:05 > 0:59:16Something and nothing.Turnover by England. They just can't give those

0:59:16 > 0:59:19opportunities to France. I thought the French attack was really good,

0:59:19 > 0:59:24eventually nullified by a brilliant, low chop tackle by Courtney Lawes

0:59:24 > 0:59:31which is his specialty.

0:59:31 > 0:59:34which is his specialty.That is the sort of thing that sticks on the

0:59:34 > 0:59:38training ground and not under pressure. For all that Camara does

0:59:38 > 0:59:46here, and all the metres he makes, that ball after the initial contact

0:59:46 > 0:59:54needs to be moved into space, not for players to run into.A change

0:59:54 > 1:00:02for France. Hugo Bonneval has to go off. Gael Fickou comes on. They had

1:00:02 > 1:00:05not lost any pace.

1:00:11 > 1:00:16Jacques Brunel with the moustache in the middle. Recalled to coach France

1:00:16 > 1:00:25just when he might have been slipping out of the limelight.

1:00:28 > 1:00:36Penalty to France.An important line-out here to France. They have

1:00:36 > 1:00:46lost three in a row. They have to do something simple.They looked to the

1:00:46 > 1:00:52middle, then they went long. Something a little bit simpler. They

1:00:52 > 1:00:56just have to keep it simple and wait for England to give them an

1:00:56 > 1:01:00opportunity. Don't force it, wait until England give them an

1:01:00 > 1:01:05opportunity.

1:01:11 > 1:01:20Tauleigne wins for France. Does an about turn to provide possession for

1:01:20 > 1:01:30Machenaud. And a nice pick-up by Camara. Robshaw makes the tackle.

1:01:32 > 1:01:34Camara. Robshaw makes the tackle.I don't think Jaco Peyper wanted to

1:01:34 > 1:01:39give another penalty away at the breakdown. There have been so many.

1:01:39 > 1:01:47It is a good position for scrum, Brian?Both sides are open.

1:01:52 > 1:02:07This is Jefferson Poirot.Bastareaud is such a big threat. You can't not

1:02:07 > 1:02:11cover him. If they overcome it and you are sensible, there should be

1:02:11 > 1:02:18space.Ben Te'o swapped with George Ford. It was Bastareaud against

1:02:18 > 1:02:24Ford.That is wise.Do you imagine France will go for another

1:02:24 > 1:02:32scrummage?I would think so.

1:02:37 > 1:02:46The French half-backs, Maxime Machenaud and Francois Trinh Duc.

1:02:46 > 1:02:54Just watching Francois Trinh Duc go quite a long way which makes it

1:02:54 > 1:03:01think it might come to Bastareaud. And interesting call from an English

1:03:01 > 1:03:08back saying we are giving a kick away.He looks for Machenaud. It was

1:03:08 > 1:03:17overdone.That was never going to work because of the sweeping system

1:03:17 > 1:03:23in operation.We are underway immediately. Danny Care who was the

1:03:23 > 1:03:26sweeper looks up. Oh and Farrell leads the charge. I missed

1:03:26 > 1:03:36clearance. Courtney Lawes. -- Owain Farrell.

1:03:37 > 1:03:41Vunipola has had a lot of possession.

1:03:45 > 1:03:54Little bit slowed up then. Here comes Joe Launchbury.

1:03:54 > 1:03:57comes Joe Launchbury. Guirado over the ball and he wins the penalty for

1:03:57 > 1:04:02France.This is something England will have to deal with all day. The

1:04:02 > 1:04:06England front row are excellent at the ruck. They are very big men.

1:04:06 > 1:04:11Once they get locked on that is impossible to move them. You need to

1:04:11 > 1:04:16target those guys. That's scrum attack from France was so

1:04:16 > 1:04:21disappointing. They are ten metres from the England line and they go

1:04:21 > 1:04:26for a 50-50 ball. If they hang onto the ball, they may not score a try

1:04:26 > 1:04:30but at least they have a shot at a penalty or at least some points on

1:04:30 > 1:04:35the board.

1:04:39 > 1:04:42the board. They have got to offer something better than that for the

1:04:42 > 1:04:44attack.Do you think they were going for the double bluff?No, I don't

1:04:44 > 1:04:48think so. It was just a poor tactical option, to be fair.This

1:04:48 > 1:04:57area has not gone well for France either.

1:04:57 > 1:05:03either. Robshaw was on it. He slaps his hands together. So close.It is

1:05:03 > 1:05:09one of the things that Robshaw maybe gets criticism for. He does make

1:05:09 > 1:05:17intercepts. He blocks down kickers and he does add a few poachers.He

1:05:17 > 1:05:21is a phenomenally hard-working player.He contributes a lot more

1:05:21 > 1:05:27than just breakdowns at the ruck. He is a very clever player. He does not

1:05:27 > 1:05:32get as much credit as he deserves. France would have been in trouble.

1:05:41 > 1:05:45Trinh Duc has gone right behind the scrummage. He goes into an

1:05:45 > 1:05:54unorthodox position waiting for the release from the scrummage. Again,

1:05:54 > 1:05:58it is a penalty against France. The line-out is not going well and the

1:05:58 > 1:06:05scrum is not going well.

1:06:05 > 1:06:08scrum is not going well.Slimani penalised for dropping.He is

1:06:08 > 1:06:13obviously a highly rated prop in the Top 14 but I do think his struggles

1:06:13 > 1:06:18in the Six Nations.

1:06:19 > 1:06:27in the Six Nations.Elliot Daly back in the game.

1:06:32 > 1:06:37Vunipola is well out and angled there. That is what Slimani is

1:06:37 > 1:06:41complaining about.

1:06:48 > 1:06:57Elliot Daly, it is high. And very long as well. A brilliant kick by

1:06:57 > 1:07:02Elliot Daly. Welcome back to the international scene. Elliot Daly's

1:07:02 > 1:07:09penalty puts England 6-0 ahead.A massive weapon for a team to have.

1:07:09 > 1:07:16To get a penalty five metres in your own half and

1:07:16 > 1:07:23own half and to get three points out of it, so important.Two penalties

1:07:23 > 1:07:26conceded.

1:07:35 > 1:07:38Courtney Lawes tries to make an extra half yard. George Ford,

1:07:38 > 1:07:46Farrell with the kicking option.

1:07:56 > 1:08:03Camara, gone loose. Now it is in the hands of Benjamin Fall. Jamie George

1:08:03 > 1:08:08house to make a second tackle on the French wing. France is now looking

1:08:08 > 1:08:13for the off-loads from their forwards.

1:08:19 > 1:08:26This is Lauret. You have to be careful here because play approaches

1:08:26 > 1:08:34an injured player. Mathieu Bastareaud. It is a foul. Making

1:08:34 > 1:08:43Hughes still down. -- Nathan Hughes. France have gone seven aside all of

1:08:43 > 1:08:44a sudden.

1:08:59 > 1:09:06Guirado, twists, turns, delivers again for Machenaud. Problem is that

1:09:06 > 1:09:15the set piece. But Burns France are penalty.That is what the pace of

1:09:15 > 1:09:21Gael Fickou does. When he makes that break, he advances the opposition,

1:09:21 > 1:09:27back foot, dead ball, offside. That does not look good at all bad.

1:09:27 > 1:09:35England cannot recreate and then they get penalised.

1:09:35 > 1:09:37they get penalised. When Bastareaud takes the ball forward, eventually

1:09:37 > 1:09:45he gets brought down, but the backline and the back foot defence

1:09:45 > 1:09:50have time to reorganise. When you take it forward with pace like Gael

1:09:50 > 1:09:54Fickou did, then people cut corners and they get caught as they did

1:09:54 > 1:10:01there.Sam Simmons waits and looks on as Nathan Hughes tries to put

1:10:01 > 1:10:08some weight on. Oh, no, it is not good. He is coming off. He had a

1:10:08 > 1:10:13long battle to get himself back into the game and it has come to naught.

1:10:13 > 1:10:19Nathan Hughes goes off and on comes Sam Simmons who is a very different

1:10:19 > 1:10:26kind of player. Very quick out in the wider channels.He is dextrous

1:10:26 > 1:10:34and as we have shown when he put Jack Nowell away for a try against

1:10:34 > 1:10:42Italy, a good footballer.It is a very muted atmosphere here. It is as

1:10:42 > 1:10:47if the crowd are waiting for the French team to serve something up.

1:10:47 > 1:10:53They are here to watch and not support the team. It is a nervous

1:10:53 > 1:11:01lacking in confidence type of crowd. When you look at the standard and

1:11:01 > 1:11:09the style of play, there is not much to cheer about.Maxime Machenaud,

1:11:09 > 1:11:13before this game started, statistically the most accurate

1:11:13 > 1:11:22kicker. Strangely, Owen Farrell was the least accurate.

1:11:22 > 1:11:33Machenaud puts France on the board. His stats only improve.

1:11:39 > 1:11:43In Ireland, the tradition is dead silence which I think its more

1:11:43 > 1:11:49off-putting for a kicker.Machenaud was the player coming forward and he

1:11:49 > 1:11:55had every right to claim it, but it was nearly a moment Twenty20 players

1:11:55 > 1:12:02and the ball collided. This is Poirot the prop, inside his own 22.

1:12:02 > 1:12:07-- nearly a moment when two players collided.

1:12:09 > 1:12:14Good clearance.

1:12:22 > 1:12:26You have to say irrespective of the possession and the number of phases

1:12:26 > 1:12:31they had, England have not created much.

1:12:39 > 1:12:44It is still in play. Grosso has to get back quickly. That ball had a

1:12:44 > 1:12:50little bit of spin on it. He kept his eye on it well, the left-winger.

1:12:50 > 1:13:01That is the first time we have seen France really stretched.

1:13:07 > 1:13:17The French of is slow at the kick-off.Launchbury goes up well.

1:13:17 > 1:13:26Sam Simmonds now in possession. Gabrillagues has given away a

1:13:26 > 1:13:32penalty for collapsing the maul.

1:13:46 > 1:13:55Advantage still being played as Jamie George takes on Bastareaud.

1:13:55 > 1:13:59That is what they call a coach killer. No real danger there. No

1:13:59 > 1:14:07need to do that. When you are only three points down, and the game has

1:14:07 > 1:14:12not been a big scoring game, and this could be the difference, that

1:14:12 > 1:14:17sort of ill discipline must be infuriated for a coach.In Rugby, it

1:14:17 > 1:14:22is inevitable you will give away a few penalties, it is impossible not

1:14:22 > 1:14:29to. I think the French seem to give away so many unnecessary penalties.

1:14:29 > 1:14:34I understand Farrell's numbers have not been amazing this season but by

1:14:34 > 1:14:39and large he is an excellent kicker and Elliot Daly is an excellent

1:14:39 > 1:14:43long-range cooker. You cannot give away those penalties. I think it

1:14:43 > 1:14:47goes back to the Top 14 and the habits the French players bring back

1:14:47 > 1:14:50into the Championship.

1:15:15 > 1:15:23Very sweetly struck. Not many minutes after France scored their

1:15:23 > 1:15:27that list points, England keep their lead at six.

1:15:46 > 1:15:56Launchbury again. A different type of catch but just as secure.

1:16:04 > 1:16:16Marco are macro, takes on Jonny May. Courtney Lawes clattered off there.

1:16:23 > 1:16:27So we have an advantage for offside. France with a free play now... Oh,

1:16:27 > 1:16:38dear. It lacks a certain continuity at the moment.Yes, penalty count

1:16:38 > 1:16:45now, 6-5 in France's favour and it is very stop start. France have

1:16:45 > 1:16:48struggled at the line-out. Whenever they have got these penalties and an

1:16:48 > 1:16:54opportunity down they have not been able to make it count.

1:17:01 > 1:17:08There is slow getting into the line-out, the French.Where do we

1:17:08 > 1:17:13throw this one?Just keep it simple and get it to the front. If it has

1:17:13 > 1:17:19collapsed and it is on the ground, at least if you have possession, you

1:17:19 > 1:17:25have a chance.They have kept it simple again. Here it comes, Mathieu

1:17:25 > 1:17:32Bastareaud on the charge. It does take two to hold him down. Jamie

1:17:32 > 1:17:45George with the tackle. Ben Te'o. Machenaud goes digging. Camara.

1:17:46 > 1:17:50Machenaud goes digging. Camara. Neat footwork by Tauleigne again.

1:18:00 > 1:18:07Trinh-Duc gives it pace and finds Benjamin Fall.

1:18:07 > 1:18:14Benjamin Fall. Picked up by France. The crowd tells you ever think.

1:18:15 > 1:18:16The crowd tells you ever think. The captain twists, turns. Pushes it

1:18:16 > 1:18:26back. Machenaud has to play it quickly. Hesitation. It is a simple

1:18:26 > 1:18:33knock-on. What a disappointment. They were playing a penalty

1:18:33 > 1:18:45advantage, but even so, Brian.The lack of communication.

1:18:45 > 1:18:48lack of communication. Machenaud wanting it to go forward but not

1:18:48 > 1:18:52paying attention to the ball at his feet. And again, what France is

1:18:52 > 1:18:59trying to do is very limited, very powerful, very difficult to stop

1:18:59 > 1:19:04unless you are an international defence and are set.I dead think

1:19:04 > 1:19:08the tackle was bad, I thought it was simple and effective, they did not

1:19:08 > 1:19:17force any off-loads.The crowd have just seen Maro Itoje's tackle.A

1:19:17 > 1:19:21nice simple line-out from France there. Go to the front, the tall

1:19:21 > 1:19:28man.

1:19:28 > 1:19:33man.That his Mathieu Bastareaud in slow motion, attacking the Ford

1:19:33 > 1:19:36Farrell channel which is supposed to be the weakest access in the English

1:19:36 > 1:19:48defence. Funnily enough, it turns out not to be so.

1:19:55 > 1:20:08Machenaud. Precision itself. It was close. Just a reminder to make the

1:20:08 > 1:20:13big showdown, England Ireland in the last round, the title decider,

1:20:13 > 1:20:19England have to get a bonus point here.They do, but they should not

1:20:19 > 1:20:25be concentrating on anything other than winning this game.

1:20:29 > 1:20:37I called Mathieu Bastareaud Mario, I apologise, that was my fault.I have

1:20:37 > 1:20:45heard you say worse!

1:20:47 > 1:20:53It is a chance for Sam Simmonds to launch something. He goes by the

1:20:53 > 1:20:56Anthony Watson route who sets off, the searing pace of England's

1:20:56 > 1:21:03fullback. George Ford did very well to make something out of that. Here

1:21:03 > 1:21:08goes Ben Te'o. He runs into Bastareaud.

1:21:25 > 1:21:35Jonny May with Anthony Watson. That was a brilliant tackle by Machenaud.

1:21:35 > 1:21:42Danny Care. Watson on his shoulder. That was Guilhem Guirado, the

1:21:42 > 1:21:47competition's leading tackler who brought down the wing. George Ford.

1:22:01 > 1:22:05Jonny May in the heart of midfield.

1:22:14 > 1:22:19It has broken down. Camara comes away with it. Laurent waits, leaves

1:22:19 > 1:22:31it. Another penalty advantage for France. Grosso, who has got a huge

1:22:31 > 1:22:35hand off if he gets a bit of freedom. I thought they had stolen

1:22:35 > 1:22:40it but they were not playing the penalty advantage so the penalty

1:22:40 > 1:22:45fest continues.England have given France plenty of opportunities to

1:22:45 > 1:22:50get into their half and get into their pressure area. They seem to be

1:22:50 > 1:22:56struggling at the ruck where never France get a little bit of quick

1:22:56 > 1:23:01ball. You would love to see France kick this into the corner and try

1:23:01 > 1:23:07and play a little bit. A great pick-up by Jamie George. Excellent

1:23:07 > 1:23:12pick-up. This is the tackle here from Machenaud. Jonny May, it was

1:23:12 > 1:23:16fairly obvious he was going to run hard and straight straightaway. A

1:23:16 > 1:23:24really good tackle.

1:23:27 > 1:23:32And the tackler picks himself up, looks at the posts, quite a long way

1:23:32 > 1:23:44away and says that is for me. Two out of two so far.

1:24:00 > 1:24:10This to level the scores. We are all square.

1:24:10 > 1:24:13square.Well, England find themselves with a narrow lead, but

1:24:13 > 1:24:17really with the second half, when they get back out here, they need to

1:24:17 > 1:24:22up the tempo of the game.They really need to switch France in

1:24:22 > 1:24:32terms of the pace on the ball. With this sort of tempo, France will

1:24:32 > 1:24:35always be in the game.

1:24:39 > 1:24:44Bastareaud tried to launch himself at George Ford. Courtney Lawes was

1:24:44 > 1:24:56hanging on. Just went forward from the number seven.This could be

1:24:56 > 1:24:59England's last territorial advantage of the half, so they really need to

1:24:59 > 1:25:04plan to come out of this possession from the scrum with at least three

1:25:04 > 1:25:11points.Elliot Daly is hobbling away, still limping. This is Camara

1:25:11 > 1:25:18just knocking on. I suppose it would have been an overlap.

1:25:23 > 1:25:26have been an overlap.I know we want to see the France of old, but there

1:25:26 > 1:25:30was no need for them to create anything in that part of the pitch.

1:25:30 > 1:25:35You have to play the game as much as you can in your half of the pitch.

1:25:35 > 1:25:40There is no need to be going back and across in front of a team like

1:25:40 > 1:25:45England and put your skill set under pressure.Elliot Daly has taken a

1:25:45 > 1:25:54position right hand the scrum. Maybe he was limping for bluff purposes.

1:25:54 > 1:26:02Vunipola did start off straight, Slimani on the contact. Narrowing

1:26:02 > 1:26:09down again.

1:26:09 > 1:26:13The reason he does that from tight head, if you can bet your right

1:26:13 > 1:26:18shoulder down, it takes all the shove and all the weight over your

1:26:18 > 1:26:24left shoulder. It is a very, very strong position. It anchors the

1:26:24 > 1:26:34scrum.The French back row will be worrying about staying down on this

1:26:34 > 1:26:41scrum too long. Everybody is claiming the penalty. Guilhem

1:26:41 > 1:26:50Guirado in particular. Of what them all, he has the right as captain.

1:26:50 > 1:26:54This is being reset. There is a penalty in every scrum. It takes a

1:26:54 > 1:26:59lot of momentum out of the game. Third time lucky, hopefully, for

1:26:59 > 1:27:13this scrum.If you watch at the top of your screen, see if the players

1:27:13 > 1:27:17are straight parallel to the touchline. They wed be, I guarantee

1:27:17 > 1:27:25you later on.Good so far.And as the shove comes on, you can see they

1:27:25 > 1:27:34have twisted.As a rule of thumb, if the tight head tends to be the one

1:27:34 > 1:27:40who goes in first under pressure? Generally. From a loosehead point of

1:27:40 > 1:27:47view, if you are in the second row and you have nothing left to push,

1:27:47 > 1:27:54it is not an advantage as position. If the second row has nothing to

1:27:54 > 1:27:58push any, there is no real advantage. The advantage of a

1:27:58 > 1:28:01loosehead going out is if he gets under the right shoulder of the

1:28:01 > 1:28:05tight head or drives straight across, but just to do it very

1:28:05 > 1:28:11slowly brings nothing. It actually brings quite a lot of pain to the

1:28:11 > 1:28:14hooker.The referee needs to penalised some of the early and

1:28:14 > 1:28:21often.He should say if you don't get this right, you could both go

1:28:21 > 1:28:26off and we will get two people who can do it right.And we play on.

1:28:26 > 1:28:34Elliot Daly picks it up. Does not get over the advantage line. George

1:28:34 > 1:28:40Ford, Ben Te'o. Outside him, England know they must regroup quickly. Here

1:28:40 > 1:28:45comes Courtney Lawes. It has gone loose. France with a chance to break

1:28:45 > 1:28:51out now. Doumayrou with Bastareaud and support. That was not one of his

1:28:51 > 1:29:03best. On that note... That is the end of the first half. The score at

1:29:03 > 1:29:14half-time, and it has been a funny one, 9-9.

1:29:14 > 1:29:21Not a great spectacle that you can't take your eyes off it which might be

1:29:21 > 1:29:25contradictory but it is coming down to who can kick the penalties at the

1:29:25 > 1:29:28moment. Elliot Daly with that amazing strike from inside his own

1:29:28 > 1:29:35half. Machenaud has kept kicking the ball over while England have

1:29:35 > 1:29:39infringed, especially at the breakdown. Farrell with a third,

1:29:39 > 1:29:47Machenaud with two more and we are level pegging at half-time.

1:29:47 > 1:29:51It is like we are five rounds into a ten round boxing competition and

1:29:51 > 1:29:55everybody has landed the same amount of punches and you can't tell who is

1:29:55 > 1:29:57in the ascendancy. Martin Johnson?

1:29:57 > 1:30:01of punches and you can't tell who is in the ascendancy. Martin Johnson?

1:30:01 > 1:30:03Scrappy game, England are not particularly fluent and France are

1:30:03 > 1:30:05getting some of their best opportunities when England turn it

1:30:05 > 1:30:10over. I thought we should have just dropped the goal, get off the field

1:30:10 > 1:30:13with the advantage. We're not getting over the gain line when

1:30:13 > 1:30:16we're attacking and running out of fluency because they are good

1:30:16 > 1:30:22defenders and good at the breakdown. Our line-out is in the ascendancy,

1:30:22 > 1:30:26we can put them under pressure that way.Before we talk specifics,

1:30:26 > 1:30:29Veretout that England did not come into this match they would have

1:30:29 > 1:30:34known that island won with a bonus point, Inler have come into the

1:30:34 > 1:30:37match to win the game and not thinking about the bonus point.

1:30:37 > 1:30:42There only concern is the victory, then the performance and then the

1:30:42 > 1:30:48bonus point and you're still in with a shout. I think the England attack

1:30:48 > 1:30:54is so passive. There is no great direction, no force and intensity in

1:30:54 > 1:30:59the game. If I'm Eddie Jones, that's what I'm telling the team at

1:30:59 > 1:31:03half-time. We talked about this, you were mentally off the pace against

1:31:03 > 1:31:07Scotland. You haven't come here with a lot of intensity so far, your

1:31:07 > 1:31:12execution has been pretty sad as well.What about France?To be

1:31:12 > 1:31:17honest we looked more dangerous with England -- of an England with the

1:31:17 > 1:31:22ball. We lost three line-ups, penalised twice in the scrum so we

1:31:22 > 1:31:29need more ball but in attack, we look good, and in the ruck we are

1:31:29 > 1:31:34faster. When we have some quick ball we looked dangerous. I don't know if

1:31:34 > 1:31:39we can carry this tempo for 80 minutes.We can focus on specific

1:31:39 > 1:31:39we can carry this tempo for 80 minutes.We can focus on specific

1:31:39 > 1:31:43areas like the breakdown which was the big talking point at Murrayfield

1:31:43 > 1:31:47and again here where England have conceded a barrel load of penalties.

1:31:47 > 1:31:53Why?It is a result of the function of the attack, Launchbury is by

1:31:53 > 1:31:58himself. We were a bit slow to get there and he does not have support.

1:31:58 > 1:32:01When you let someone get over the ball, particularly someone like

1:32:01 > 1:32:05Bastareaud, it is difficult to get him out of there.England at the

1:32:05 > 1:32:14breakdown tend to go in, teams have pods of three or two and England

1:32:14 > 1:32:20generally go in with two. As Paul O'Connell said before the game, if

1:32:20 > 1:32:25you only have two you are relying on one man to clear out so brilliantly.

1:32:25 > 1:32:31It is difficult in today's game.And the support is too far away. We have

1:32:31 > 1:32:35a lot of guys good in the breakdown and if you are too far to clean, it

1:32:35 > 1:32:37is finished.

1:32:37 > 1:32:38For people who

1:32:38 > 1:32:43For people who are not regular watchers of rugby but who know the

1:32:43 > 1:32:47game enough, they will look at the England backs and go forward, good

1:32:47 > 1:32:51player, Farrell, outstanding, and they know that Brown has been

1:32:51 > 1:32:56dropped because we have this dynamic backstreet -- George Ford, good

1:32:56 > 1:32:59player. Why is the England back three do so in it?

1:32:59 > 1:33:01player. Why is the England back three do so in it?They like to get

1:33:01 > 1:33:05into positions where they can use the access of Ford and Farrell to

1:33:05 > 1:33:13great effect. Your first Cole and he is not runout as using the ball

1:33:13 > 1:33:18well! -- not renowned. They are rushing it a bit here, Owen Farrell

1:33:18 > 1:33:23is normally accurate but inaccurate there. What disappoints me more

1:33:23 > 1:33:28about this England team at the moment, and a lot of international

1:33:28 > 1:33:33teams are guilty of it, but look how far they are running across, the

1:33:33 > 1:33:36concentration of defenders. If they strike up and the outside guys come

1:33:36 > 1:33:40in on a short line there are so many gaps. If you are a wind up on the

1:33:40 > 1:33:49outside you can go into one of those gaps -- you are a winger. It makes

1:33:49 > 1:33:51it easy for you to be Shepherd

1:33:51 > 1:33:52gaps -- you are a winger. It makes it easy for you to be Shepherd at a

1:33:52 > 1:33:57cost to the touchline. The execution is very amateurish at the moment.

1:33:57 > 1:34:02Normally they are precise in the first phase. But they don't arrive

1:34:02 > 1:34:07to go forward with a quick ball. And also in attack, some them there are

1:34:07 > 1:34:12five in the ruck, sometimes one. Because they are on the back foot

1:34:12 > 1:34:16and also because the French team are strong in defence at the moment.

1:34:16 > 1:34:21England scored a brilliant try against Scotland from the set piece,

1:34:21 > 1:34:25Farrell at scrum-half, they went to the middle, quick ball and back to

1:34:25 > 1:34:28Farrell and he ghosted past Gilchrist. They have the

1:34:28 > 1:34:31intelligence and the wherewithal to do it but they are not applying

1:34:31 > 1:34:36themselves. It is disappointing when you have the excitement of May, the

1:34:36 > 1:34:40brilliance of Elliot Daly and the pace of Watson and Te'o to

1:34:40 > 1:34:46straighten it up and give you space. If it's two nervous teams as well?

1:34:46 > 1:34:50England off the back of the Scotland defeat, France have lost three in a

1:34:50 > 1:34:53row here at Stade de France and have an appalling record in the past

1:34:53 > 1:34:57couple of years and they know how important it is to win.I think it

1:34:57 > 1:35:00is two tense teams but you have to execute and get into the game.

1:35:00 > 1:35:06France have a good defence, not a great team but very good

1:35:06 > 1:35:10defensively. England could use their kicking game early more and have a

1:35:10 > 1:35:14line-out drive for some variation. It is the same thing and France are

1:35:14 > 1:35:16getting up and making tackles and it is not difficult to see where they

1:35:16 > 1:35:21are coming from and they're getting turnovers. England have to very it.

1:35:21 > 1:35:26And with more intensity. Both teams are plodding.The game is in marked

1:35:26 > 1:35:31contrast to the game in Dublin where Ireland and Scotland had so much

1:35:31 > 1:35:34invention and innovation. What about the error was France are making in

1:35:34 > 1:35:35simple positions sometimes?

1:35:35 > 1:35:37the error was France are making in simple positions sometimes?One time

1:35:37 > 1:35:42they had a scrum in midfield close to the line. And this was terrible,

1:35:42 > 1:35:4850-50, you have to keep the ball. You must never give it like this. We

1:35:48 > 1:35:54need one extra forward to give some time to Machenaud. We need to be a

1:35:54 > 1:36:00bit more patient. We are in the strike zone here. We dropped the

1:36:00 > 1:36:07ball. Then we are in the England 22. Too many small mistakes. But to be

1:36:07 > 1:36:12honest, normally when you do this against England you are 20 points

1:36:12 > 1:36:16behind. They make these mistakes but at the moment it is a draw also it

1:36:16 > 1:36:21is hope for the French team in the second half.

1:36:21 > 1:36:25England Mane three line-ups on the French throw in succession so is

1:36:25 > 1:36:30that brilliant from England or poor from France? -- England won three

1:36:30 > 1:36:36line-outs.It was good analysis and good execution. There were not

1:36:36 > 1:36:38lucky, they were in the right place. They have done

1:36:38 > 1:36:40lucky, they were in the right place. They have done their analysis and

1:36:40 > 1:36:45picked the right line-outs. When they forced France to throw to the

1:36:45 > 1:36:49front, they're not giving them that back ball to attack. It kept England

1:36:49 > 1:36:54in the game, the set piece turnovers and scrum penalties.Another

1:36:54 > 1:36:55question we

1:36:55 > 1:36:58and scrum penalties.Another question we must ask, in the run-up

1:36:58 > 1:37:00to this matter, if Dylan Hartley have been playing we would have been

1:37:00 > 1:37:05talking about him going off after 55 minutes and Jamie George coming but

1:37:05 > 1:37:11with George starting, interesting see how long he plays with the Eddie

1:37:11 > 1:37:15Jones philosophy of rotating players.Eddie Jones does not

1:37:15 > 1:37:21believe any front row can last the full 80 minutes. They all change

1:37:21 > 1:37:25most of the time. I think Jamie George is that a young man, we have

1:37:25 > 1:37:29seen him play so brilliantly on the Lions tour and most of the time when

1:37:29 > 1:37:33he has come on he has been one of those finishers who has had an

1:37:33 > 1:37:37impact but he has to do it from the off now. The weather England are

1:37:37 > 1:37:41playing, nobody is playing well, nobody has the energy -- the wake in

1:37:41 > 1:37:45the Na playing. Nobody has the explosion to show they can do

1:37:45 > 1:37:52something with a bald -- of the way England are playing.

1:37:52 > 1:37:55I think England have some good options on the bench, Sinckler when

1:37:55 > 1:38:00he comes on at tight head. I would leave Jamie George on because he

1:38:00 > 1:38:06needs to play and you need to find out... If we detach ourselves from

1:38:06 > 1:38:09right here and right now, a year away from the World Cup we have to

1:38:09 > 1:38:13find out about these guys so I would leave him on. It is the sort of game

1:38:13 > 1:38:17that either team can win will stop you have defined the way to win it,,

1:38:17 > 1:38:22it could come down to drop goals. These guys need to find a way to win

1:38:22 > 1:38:27the game. It does not matter how, just win it and gets to next week.

1:38:27 > 1:38:30We are halfway through the fourth round of the men's championship, one

1:38:30 > 1:38:34more half here and tomorrow it is Wales against Italy in Cardiff and

1:38:34 > 1:38:43it is also the fourth weekend of the women's championship.

1:39:02 > 1:39:09# Acting on your best behaviour # Turn your back on mother nature

1:39:09 > 1:39:15# Everybody wants to rule the world #.

1:39:18 > 1:39:22You can watch highlights from Round 4 of the women's Six Nations

1:39:22 > 1:39:23tomorrow night.

1:39:23 > 1:39:284 of the women's Six Nations tomorrow night. We have the rugby

1:39:28 > 1:39:32union weekly available from Monday, Wales against Italy is tomorrow on

1:39:32 > 1:39:35BBC One and another documentary which I have not seen but I have

1:39:35 > 1:39:40been told is riveting, rugby codebreakers, the story of Welsh

1:39:40 > 1:39:43players who became pariahs in their own country after swapping union for

1:39:43 > 1:39:45rugby league.

1:39:48 > 1:39:55At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland took an almighty step to

1:39:55 > 1:39:58becoming champions with four tries in a victory over Scotland.

1:39:58 > 1:40:05COMMENTATOR: Laidlaw feeding Russell and out quite again and there is the

1:40:05 > 1:40:11danger and the interception! There is the try for Ireland and Stockdale

1:40:11 > 1:40:19scores once more. The Scottish defence made to work hard again,

1:40:19 > 1:40:24Ringrose, on the loop and out wide to Stockdale! His second!

1:40:27 > 1:40:32Murray looks for it and goes now himself and driven to the line and

1:40:32 > 1:40:38he gets it down! The try is given. Number three for Ireland. They might

1:40:38 > 1:40:46have a penalty coming. Stuart Hogg this time, the pass add to Kinghorn

1:40:46 > 1:40:50who gets it down from Maitland and the try is given with Scotland

1:40:50 > 1:41:00fighting back. Now Ireland hunting that force try. CJ Stander takes it.

1:41:00 > 1:41:06The crowd willing on the men in green. Still they come and the try

1:41:06 > 1:41:13surely for Cronin! The force try which may yet bring the title for

1:41:13 > 1:41:14Ireland.

1:41:17 > 1:41:19STUDIO: The odds on Ireland

1:41:19 > 1:41:23STUDIO: The odds on Ireland becoming champions have shortened

1:41:23 > 1:41:26considerably, meaning England not only have to win here but they have

1:41:26 > 1:41:31to score four tries if the match next week, it is never a dead

1:41:31 > 1:41:36rubber, but it will mean that from an Irish perspective it is all on

1:41:36 > 1:41:39Ireland to see if they can secure the Grand Slam.

1:41:42 > 1:41:46England have scored one try in the last 180 minutes of international

1:41:46 > 1:41:51rugby because...?That attack has not been fluent, the breakdown has

1:41:51 > 1:41:54been difficult to win, turning the ball over will stop you get what you

1:41:54 > 1:42:02get. I would change the game a bit, go to the line-out drive, something

1:42:02 > 1:42:06different, pinned back France. We know France, they've done it

1:42:06 > 1:42:10already, they will throw some balls, you might have to turn this into

1:42:10 > 1:42:14tries and maybe we should have done better at that already but you have

1:42:14 > 1:42:18to squeeze them. That does not mean carrying the ball endlessly until we

1:42:18 > 1:42:22turn it over.You have to be razor sharp in first phase and were not

1:42:22 > 1:42:28doing that. Then you are lying... You want quick ball. None of the

1:42:28 > 1:42:31forwards none of the ball carriers are running with enough energy to

1:42:31 > 1:42:36get over the gain line and blast defenders out of the way. They are

1:42:36 > 1:42:39plodding and that is allowing the French defenders to come in and slow

1:42:39 > 1:42:43it down. They have to be more explosive and get the quick ball and

1:42:43 > 1:42:46the quicker runners in the wide channels. We have hardly seen an

1:42:46 > 1:42:51attack found this 15 metre channels for that if not talking about four

1:42:51 > 1:42:55tries from an English perspective, do England over the drop goal?In

1:42:55 > 1:43:01this situation in a tight game points begun Ingrid be valuable.

1:43:01 > 1:43:06Maybe at the end they should have done that -- points begun incredibly

1:43:06 > 1:43:11valuable. The French defence is good and if you are not on song, go do

1:43:11 > 1:43:15something else, there's a different way to play the game than doing the

1:43:15 > 1:43:20same thing again for that before the match began we said how important it

1:43:20 > 1:43:22was for France to win the game not to the team but for the game in the

1:43:22 > 1:43:25country.

1:43:25 > 1:43:30What tactics can we expect from France in the second half?I think

1:43:30 > 1:43:34carry on like this, to be more precise on the set piece and after

1:43:34 > 1:43:40that we have a strong bench with young talent. They need to bring

1:43:40 > 1:43:44something different in the last 20 minutes.It will be intriguing to

1:43:44 > 1:43:50see what pans out. The players are back on the field. Nine points each.

1:43:50 > 1:43:56What more could you want for the early evening sitting in front of

1:43:56 > 1:44:01the telly the next 40 minutes? Which way will this match swing? Let's

1:44:01 > 1:44:03rejoin Eddie Butler.

1:44:05 > 1:44:10COMMENTATOR: Thank you, John, no changes at half-time, Sam Simmonds

1:44:10 > 1:44:17is still on for Nathan Hughes. Gael Fickou is on for France. No more

1:44:17 > 1:44:25replacements at half-time. 9-

1:44:25 > 1:44:319-9, three penalties each, no real sign of a try. Jaco Peyper blows his

1:44:31 > 1:44:37whistle and George Ford ticks towards Gael Fickou and challenge

1:44:37 > 1:44:40from Elliot Daly.

1:44:52 > 1:45:05It inside.Chris Robshaw tries to make life difficult for Machenaud.

1:45:05 > 1:45:10Good, simple rugby from France, taking the kick-off, good catch from

1:45:10 > 1:45:14Gael Fickou, set up the work and excellent exit from Maxime

1:45:14 > 1:45:18Machenaud. England try to put pace on the game which I think is

1:45:18 > 1:45:23important for them in the second half.No pace there. That was

1:45:23 > 1:45:27Mathieu Bastareaud doing what he does!

1:45:31 > 1:45:39Simmons presenting for Danny Care. That is a bit too long and it allows

1:45:39 > 1:45:48Benjamin Fall to come away with it. This is Grosso getting the big

1:45:48 > 1:46:01handoff working. They now go aerial. Sam Simmonds read it well.

1:46:01 > 1:46:11Gael Fickou manages to hold the Exeter player.

1:46:13 > 1:46:22Slightly slow for Danny Care. Again we go into the air. No real

1:46:22 > 1:46:31challenge again on Fall. Nothing to the left of Machenaud. Tamara. --

1:46:31 > 1:46:36Camara.

1:46:37 > 1:46:41Camara. Anthony Watson waiting.That is too far.It allows Anthony Watson

1:46:41 > 1:46:46to set off, tackled by Gabrillagues.

1:46:48 > 1:47:03Robshaw. George Ford, Sam Simmonds and again, the tackle of Bastareaud.

1:47:03 > 1:47:08Slimani novel the first time gives away the penalty. Sebastien

1:47:08 > 1:47:12Vahaamahina gave away so many in the opening game and it seems to be

1:47:12 > 1:47:18Rabah Slimani's day to give away penalties. It's your prop.

1:47:18 > 1:47:22Absolutely no need for that penalty. As we said earlier, some penalties

1:47:22 > 1:47:29in Rugby Art inevitable and unavoidable but that is completely

1:47:29 > 1:47:34avoidable. -- some penalties are inevitable. It puts his team under

1:47:34 > 1:47:41pressure.That is a good touch find. Significant pressure now, if England

1:47:41 > 1:47:47can maintain their discipline.

1:47:47 > 1:47:51can maintain their discipline. In forming and driving this line-out.

1:47:51 > 1:47:56It was a very good tackle, technically as well as powerfully.

1:47:56 > 1:48:02Secure line-out for England.

1:48:02 > 1:48:06Secure line-out for England. Danny Care points Danny Care the way of

1:48:06 > 1:48:11the maul, France trying to counter as it goes to ground. Vunipola

1:48:11 > 1:48:18trying to get his feet dancing and a handoff. Dan Cole. A chance for

1:48:18 > 1:48:22England, Danny Care.

1:48:22 > 1:48:27Going nowhere.

1:48:27 > 1:48:33Dan Cole tackled by Doumayrou, the ball is gone loose but play on. Joe

1:48:33 > 1:48:35Launchbury going nowhere.

1:48:37 > 1:48:48Vunipola. Bastareaud is over the ball.We talked at half-time, the

1:48:48 > 1:48:51lack of planning. If George Ford is the first player into that ruck, he

1:48:51 > 1:48:57is not going to move Mathieu Bastareaud who is 20 stone. He has

1:48:57 > 1:49:03to be helped.One of the thing about this work is Jefferson Poirot is

1:49:03 > 1:49:07lying on the ground, the French prop, and it is hard for George Ford

1:49:07 > 1:49:11to get in on Bastareaud. I don't think he was ever going to shift him

1:49:11 > 1:49:15anyway, such a big man and once he is clamped on the board in the ruck

1:49:15 > 1:49:21it is very hard to move him. -- on the ball. You have to get it done

1:49:21 > 1:49:26before he gets on the ball because when he gets on it it is game over.

1:49:26 > 1:49:29Fairly static from England there.

1:49:33 > 1:49:38This was the successful start of the England operation, this is the less

1:49:38 > 1:49:44than successful ending as Bastareaud gets those giant tattooed arms into

1:49:44 > 1:49:51position. This is a danger area for France. Vahaamahina wins it. They

1:49:51 > 1:50:01give a little bit but Corrado... -- Guirado tries to sort things out. It

1:50:01 > 1:50:07has come out loose again. France cannot get the platform.

1:50:09 > 1:50:13Doumayrou charged up and managed to stop England. Owen Farrell switches

1:50:13 > 1:50:19to Itoje.

1:50:20 > 1:50:28to Itoje. Counter rucking by France but Danny Care has it. Sam Simmonds.

1:50:28 > 1:50:33Thrown back, Francois Trinh-Duc, the outside-half involved. Counter

1:50:33 > 1:50:38rucking by France and penalty against England.They are causing

1:50:38 > 1:50:44all sorts of problems by getting bodies in there. To be fair, France

1:50:44 > 1:50:48have done this another of times, they did it against Ireland who had

1:50:48 > 1:50:54a lot of ball. France are a disciplined team in terms of their

1:50:54 > 1:51:02defensive setup. When they get it right, there is mayhem there because

1:51:02 > 1:51:10there is no ceiling off.France cannot win any set piece ball,

1:51:10 > 1:51:13England cannot win the breakdown. They are struggling at the

1:51:13 > 1:51:20breakdown, with numbers I think and that is a big part of it. If they

1:51:20 > 1:51:24can get the right numbers, and you make good decisions. Sometimes you

1:51:24 > 1:51:29just add to lock down over the ball and get into a good, powerful

1:51:29 > 1:51:32position so nobody can shift you off. Sometimes there is somebody to

1:51:32 > 1:51:36be targeted and you have to take them out.It also seems there is a

1:51:36 > 1:51:40lack of immediate recognition as to whether you are the man who needs to

1:51:40 > 1:51:45be first or second, where you need to be. That split-second reaction,

1:51:45 > 1:51:50if it is wrong and you have players of this size, it is fatal.Eddie

1:51:50 > 1:51:53Jones in his interview before the game said sometimes you can over

1:51:53 > 1:51:58intellectualise the game and I agree. The breakdown is the

1:51:58 > 1:52:01heartbeat of the game and you have do have a plan to develop quick ball

1:52:01 > 1:52:07first before you plan what to do with that quick ball.It is a good

1:52:07 > 1:52:15kick with no angle by Trinh-Duc.

1:52:18 > 1:52:23France will have to try again at the line-out. It has not been the strong

1:52:23 > 1:52:27point today, Joe Launchbury will be plotting how to win this.

1:52:32 > 1:52:37Penalty, taken out and Guilhem Guirado comes away with it. Support

1:52:37 > 1:52:44from Lauret, a penalty advantage. Vahaamahina on the charge. Another

1:52:44 > 1:52:52penalty against England. Fickou playing scrum-half. Lauret driving

1:52:52 > 1:52:59on. Yacouba Camara waiting, it comes out to Trinh-Duc, the crossfield

1:52:59 > 1:53:11kick... Fall stopped at the corner! Jonny May can go and play it. That

1:53:11 > 1:53:17was very well won back by Doumayrou Alsop was an advantage?They are

1:53:17 > 1:53:22going to ask for a high tackle here. He was caught somewhere around the

1:53:22 > 1:53:30shoulders is not around the neck. You could not see it in real time...

1:53:30 > 1:53:35Which begs the question, is it a penalty try?

1:53:37 > 1:53:45BOOING Answer that, Paul.

1:53:48 > 1:53:54That is classically a high tackle. It's not dangerous. And he was in

1:53:54 > 1:54:01the position to make the tackle so I don't think it's a penalty try. The

1:54:01 > 1:54:09high tackle does stop him from scoring.Who else is going to stop

1:54:09 > 1:54:16him?What I'm saying is that Anthony Watson was in the position to make

1:54:16 > 1:54:22the tackle. The penalty is for the high tackle. I think if he tackled

1:54:22 > 1:54:26him normally he stops the try.

1:54:26 > 1:54:38Over to you.A metre and a bit out? In the act of scoring a try and

1:54:38 > 1:54:45number 15 gets him high.High and above the shoulder.Their product is

1:54:45 > 1:54:51a yellow card and a penalty try? That is correct.

1:54:54 > 1:54:59Yellow card for Anthony Watson.It is the act of scoring a try, I know

1:54:59 > 1:55:05it is unfortunate but it prevents the try.High tackle by Anthony

1:55:05 > 1:55:14Watson and what is more, penalty try awarded. Ben Skeen, the New Zealand

1:55:14 > 1:55:19TMO.It also brings into question, Anthony Watson says he was driving

1:55:19 > 1:55:26for the line, if your original tackle line was below the shoulder

1:55:26 > 1:55:30and he goes down in an effort to try to ground the ball, you cannot

1:55:30 > 1:55:37change your angle driving to the tackle. Irrespective of that,

1:55:37 > 1:55:44England allowed Guirado to make ground.The other thing that France

1:55:44 > 1:55:49have penalty advantage and when you have that you can take these 50-50

1:55:49 > 1:55:59shots on crossfield ticks.Fickou waiting -- crossfield kicks.

1:56:08 > 1:56:13Machenaud quite happy to be patient here. England have to get some

1:56:13 > 1:56:18urgency into their game now. Machenaud happy to kick the ball off

1:56:18 > 1:56:27the park.The next 30 minutes could well be a defining period of time

1:56:27 > 1:56:31when you look back in a couple of years on England's journey since

1:56:31 > 1:56:37Eddie Jones arrived. This is a vital period of time in which they have to

1:56:37 > 1:56:46improve significantly.Often goes the more again with a cluster of

1:56:46 > 1:56:50bodies left behind including Guirado and Courtney Lawes. Lawes rejoins

1:56:50 > 1:57:00the maul. Danny Care waiting.Static now.Ben Te'o, Lauret over the ball.

1:57:00 > 1:57:04Leave it, blue.

1:57:04 > 1:57:11Dan Cole again, static when he took the ball. Easy to throw even

1:57:11 > 1:57:17somebody as big as him back.

1:57:18 > 1:57:24That is better, Jonny May at pace. Mathieu Bastareaud proving immovable

1:57:24 > 1:57:34and France come away with it. George Ford is the last defender.

1:57:35 > 1:57:38Grasso showed power and pace and patient and there is an overlap

1:57:38 > 1:57:43here. Guirado has to read it, Marco Tauleigne. Guirado again, Gael

1:57:43 > 1:57:49Fickou alongside, for the line... One metre short. Machenaud on his

1:57:49 > 1:57:56own trips up.

1:57:56 > 1:58:05own trips up. Jaco Peyper looks and weights. Held up, France. Seconds

1:58:05 > 1:58:10after scoring they are back on the England goal line.France have

1:58:10 > 1:58:15butchered what should have been a fairly easy try. There was a four on

1:58:15 > 1:58:24two.Great turnover by France on their own 40 metre line. It was an

1:58:24 > 1:58:30excellent attack, Guirado probably took. Grasso would be brilliant

1:58:30 > 1:58:35handoff and gas to brood, does well to stay in and not get tackled into

1:58:35 > 1:58:43touch -- gas to boot. Very sensible and Conservative play and good hands

1:58:43 > 1:58:49by the French forwards. Guirado took too much out of it.

1:58:51 > 1:58:59But it is great field position for them. With an English player in the

1:58:59 > 1:59:05bin it is going to be a very tough scrum for England to defend.What do

1:59:05 > 1:59:13do as a tactic? Let the referee know it is eight against eight by putting

1:59:13 > 1:59:22in one of the backs?I think the English scrum is probably strong

1:59:22 > 1:59:29enough to scrummage with seven. You have two flankers.I don't think

1:59:29 > 1:59:33there was any hope of quick ball here. They will park it at the feet

1:59:33 > 1:59:37of Marco Tauleigne and say, let's have a second go at the England

1:59:37 > 1:59:46pack. James Haskell comes back on, reigniting his international career.

1:59:46 > 1:59:52A tricky moment for him to re-enter the international scene.

1:59:53 > 1:59:59Let's have a look at the numbers.

2:00:03 > 2:00:09Eight in the England scrum, Haskell on the openside in the red cap for

2:00:09 > 2:00:14the Sam Simmonds at number eight. Staying at number eight. Maxime

2:00:14 > 2:00:21Machenaud to feed. You talked about all of those angles, Brian, it is

2:00:21 > 2:00:26chaos in that scrummage.

2:00:27 > 2:00:32That is a monumental moment for England there. They are staring down

2:00:32 > 2:00:40the barrel of 23-9, and that is such an easy penalty will stop England

2:00:40 > 2:00:44will take their time now walking into this line-out, run down the

2:00:44 > 2:00:53clock, run down a little bit more of the sin-bin time.The French captain

2:00:53 > 2:01:01is furious. Mako Vunipola, he will be happier.

2:01:06 > 2:01:10Jamie George prepares to throw. Up goes Itoje.

2:01:21 > 2:01:29Nothing has moved yet. It has edging infield. Danny Care keeps a watchful

2:01:29 > 2:01:40eye. Keep it going, he says, keep it going. Elliot Daly chases. Machenaud

2:01:40 > 2:01:49went flying. Penalty against France. I completely disagree with that

2:01:49 > 2:01:56penalty. Machenaud is rushing. He is looking at Elliot Daly as he looks

2:01:56 > 2:02:02back to try and obstruct him and deny him an opportunity to compete.

2:02:02 > 2:02:07He has no interest in getting back to the ball. He is perfectly

2:02:07 > 2:02:11entitled to run back, to make it a longer journey for a Elliot Daly,

2:02:11 > 2:02:17but he is not entitled to look over his shoulder and change his

2:02:17 > 2:02:25direction.I have a feeling that was given by the assistant referee.

2:02:25 > 2:02:29It was given by the assistant referee, and he did push on in the

2:02:29 > 2:02:38back. He should be allowed to run and compete.

2:02:39 > 2:02:43and compete.We are not in charge of the replays and the pictures here,

2:02:43 > 2:02:47which is why you are seeing all the arty shots and not what is

2:02:47 > 2:02:54important.France have lost the line-out but they have kept the

2:02:54 > 2:03:03rebound with Elliot Daly. A big clearance by daily. Not such a good

2:03:03 > 2:03:16kick by Fall. He won it back for himself.

2:03:17 > 2:03:29Bastareaud stays on his feet. France going from side to side. Doumayrou.

2:03:29 > 2:03:35Gael Fickou tells Fall to nudge it forward. Camara from the back row

2:03:35 > 2:03:46does well will stop they have more defenders there than attackers.

2:03:50 > 2:03:56A quick change of direction. Dan Cole makes the tackle.

2:04:03 > 2:04:07Haskell holds up the fringe going forwards. It is there still for

2:04:07 > 2:04:13France.

2:04:13 > 2:04:16France. Guilhem Guirado under instruction from his outside-half

2:04:16 > 2:04:23Trinh-Duc to keep it amongst the forwards.

2:04:23 > 2:04:30forwards. Haskell tries to hold it up. Haskell has to get away without

2:04:30 > 2:04:34preventing the exit of the ball.

2:04:40 > 2:04:52He has been consistent.Neither team seem to be confident in the ruck.

2:04:52 > 2:04:57Whenever the ball goes into a little bit of space, the ball seems to be

2:04:57 > 2:05:03liable to being turned over every single time.England will be happy

2:05:03 > 2:05:14that they have weathered the ten minutes. I hell of a kick.

2:05:14 > 2:05:18That looked like it was in for me. It looked like a fantastic kick from

2:05:18 > 2:05:26here. It looked like a good kick. The touch judge was nervous about

2:05:26 > 2:05:35raising the flag.That was a brilliant kick from Owen Farrell.

2:05:35 > 2:05:45This will be significant.Kyle Sinckler have come on for Dan Cole.

2:05:45 > 2:06:01That will bring more mobility.And France have made a change as well.

2:06:01 > 2:06:10Cedate Gomes Sa has come on for rubber Slimani. --

2:06:10 > 2:06:16Cedate Gomes Sa has come on for rubber Slimani. --.

2:06:19 > 2:06:25They are out of their 22 so they can't kick straight to touch.

2:06:53 > 2:06:59George dropped the ball in contact.

2:07:01 > 2:07:07Some errors from England. That affected the second row and the way

2:07:07 > 2:07:12they could deliver the ball. Kick forward and then England waste.

2:07:12 > 2:07:19There on the back foot for 40 metres. A significant chance.

2:07:19 > 2:07:26Anthony Watson is back on the field. George Ford has come off. Jonathan

2:07:26 > 2:07:34Joseph goes on.These are the ones you get fewer. You have to make sure

2:07:34 > 2:07:38the throws and delivery of the ball are all precise.The first thing you

2:07:38 > 2:07:43want to do when you're five metres away from the opposition line is win

2:07:43 > 2:07:46the ball. At least you have the ball and your five metres away from the

2:07:46 > 2:07:53opposition line.

2:07:53 > 2:08:00They are off quickly. France would the free kick from the scrummage.

2:08:00 > 2:08:05Anthony Watson fresh back on. He looks back on and it is caught in

2:08:05 > 2:08:11his own 22. He does well to buy himself a second.

2:08:20 > 2:08:25Well, if there was a muted atmosphere in the first half, it is

2:08:25 > 2:08:32much more supportive of France now. Good play, Francois Trinh-Duc. The

2:08:32 > 2:08:45catch and the past to grow so. And another pass --

2:08:45 > 2:08:54penalty to France.If this goes over then I am confident France will kick

2:08:54 > 2:09:03for ball. -- for goal.

2:09:03 > 2:09:07The job is much more difficult for England. They have not seriously

2:09:07 > 2:09:13threaten the French line anyway.

2:09:13 > 2:09:18threaten the French line anyway.A kick from Doumayrou. With the score

2:09:18 > 2:09:2316-9, it puts England under pressure. A lovely way to kick. The

2:09:23 > 2:09:29penalty count that we have now is 14 penalties against England. England

2:09:29 > 2:09:35are doing everything they can to give France an opportunity to win

2:09:35 > 2:09:40this game.If you look at the penalty count for England in the

2:09:40 > 2:09:44previous three games, it was nearly in double figures each game, and

2:09:44 > 2:09:49when you are looking at opposition sides who are in single figures and

2:09:49 > 2:09:55lows and other does, not only will that counts on the scoreboard, but

2:09:55 > 2:10:02the momentum is killed. Territory is seeded. And you are under pressure

2:10:02 > 2:10:07from touch kicks as well. It makes everything much more difficult. When

2:10:07 > 2:10:13you add to the number of turnovers to get a penalty which is

2:10:13 > 2:10:18effectively a turnover each time. France are up to 19. England have to

2:10:18 > 2:10:25scored twice. This will be Ireland's's Championship with a

2:10:25 > 2:10:34round to go, Paul O'Connell? It came backwards. Benjamin Fall to

2:10:34 > 2:10:42Machenaud.It does turn out that way what you can say is Ireland have

2:10:42 > 2:10:46demonstrated they are the most impressive side in the tournament by

2:10:46 > 2:10:56quite some distance at the moment. Machenaud for the safety of touch.

2:10:57 > 2:11:01As Martin Johnson said at half-time, England have to try and find a way.

2:11:01 > 2:11:07Ireland were not there at the start of the Championship. It was a dirty

2:11:07 > 2:11:11wet day. They did not play particularly well but there was a

2:11:11 > 2:11:18spectacular drop goal from Johnny Sexton. With England's current

2:11:18 > 2:11:21record you would imagine they could do the same.The first throw for a

2:11:21 > 2:11:27loop calendar key on for Jamie George. Chris Robshaw at the tail.

2:11:27 > 2:11:40-- Luke calendar key. -- Cowan Dickie. An important tackle by

2:11:40 > 2:11:43Poirot, the French prop. Kyle Sinckler. Very dynamic on the

2:11:43 > 2:11:47charge.

2:11:54 > 2:12:04Camara with the tackle. Owen Farrell gets it to Kyle Sinckler. The

2:12:04 > 2:12:09slightest juggle but he held onto it well.

2:12:12 > 2:12:16France has slowed it down.

2:12:31 > 2:12:38Owen Farrell now in charge of the half position. Ben Te'o. Sinclair,

2:12:38 > 2:12:44Itoje.

2:12:45 > 2:12:56No real progress for England. Sam Simmonds gives away the penalty.

2:12:57 > 2:13:01France seemed in control of the defensive operation there.They are,

2:13:01 > 2:13:08because the players who are running onto the ball are doing very either

2:13:08 > 2:13:15slowly or coming to a complete standstill. That drive back move

2:13:15 > 2:13:23only works if you are moving forward at pace.England started that attack

2:13:23 > 2:13:29really well. They were very direct. Good carries by Kyle Sinckler and

2:13:29 > 2:13:34Jamie Haskell. Then they started over complicating it again. You have

2:13:34 > 2:13:41got to mix handling the ball with being direct as well.That is the

2:13:41 > 2:13:48end of it.It looked like fair play, good turnover by Camara. France has

2:13:48 > 2:13:52so many players who would put pressure on your breakdown. If you

2:13:52 > 2:13:58are not there instantly when a ball carrier hits the floor, you put

2:13:58 > 2:14:04yourself in danger.France start to ring the changes. The captain has

2:14:04 > 2:14:07gone, Guilhem Guirado, who has put in his customary shift of many

2:14:07 > 2:14:18tackles. Machenaud, who has been on. Trinh-Duc stop there is a new

2:14:18 > 2:14:31confidence about France. Machenaud on the charge.

2:14:31 > 2:14:37on the charge. Danny Priso fresh to the field.

2:14:46 > 2:14:54Adrien Pelissie the new hooker.

2:15:12 > 2:15:15Tauleigne the number eight presents.

2:15:29 > 2:15:34Bastareaud, it takes three to hold him down. Chris Robshaw has to be

2:15:34 > 2:15:42careful. Play on, says the referee. What Scotland did against England

2:15:42 > 2:15:51last week, if the Scotland back row player had, like Robshaw, got the

2:15:51 > 2:15:59player, two players would have been in. The players could not get near

2:15:59 > 2:16:07enough to affect complete possession of the ball.England bring on their

2:16:07 > 2:16:17last two substitutions as we see the work of Jonathan Joseph there. The

2:16:17 > 2:16:21last to come on, Richard Wigglesworth at scrum-half and Mike

2:16:21 > 2:16:28Brown.You are having to match our words to the pictures which don't

2:16:28 > 2:16:35relate to anything we are saying. It would be preferable to see what

2:16:35 > 2:16:41actually you are talking about and what matters.France have given away

2:16:41 > 2:16:46three penalties at scrum time. England have not really capitalised

2:16:46 > 2:16:58on that.France with four new players in their front five.

2:17:01 > 2:17:08Priso the loosehead, plays his rugby in la Rochelle. They are in Ulster's

2:17:08 > 2:17:18group in the European Cup. A brilliant ball-carrier.

2:17:23 > 2:17:31Another scrum goes down. It has been a mess all day.You can see the

2:17:31 > 2:17:37penalty count on the screen, 15-8. Very hard away from home to get any

2:17:37 > 2:17:46foothold in the game when you give away 15 penalties.

2:18:09 > 2:18:18We are going to have a scrum which is completed by the looks of it.

2:18:18 > 2:18:21is completed by the looks of it. I good passer Wade to Trinh-Duc. The

2:18:21 > 2:18:30surge comes on for France. Doumayrou get the pass away. Gael Fickou steps

2:18:30 > 2:18:38in from the touchline. Haskell tries but France have possession again.

2:18:50 > 2:18:57Machenaud thinks about one way and let the ball stay there. This is

2:18:57 > 2:19:03Adrien Pelissie.

2:19:03 > 2:19:07Adrien Pelissie. LaRue wears 19. Machenaud says, give me the ball.

2:19:07 > 2:19:19This is what they want. Such a good tackle.

2:19:20 > 2:19:24Penalty at the breakdown.

2:19:34 > 2:19:40Have to give a lot of credit to the England defensive effort.Massive

2:19:40 > 2:19:46turnover, keeps them in the game. Remy Grosso the French number 11 is

2:19:46 > 2:19:52having a hell of a game. He has been a real find for France now since

2:19:52 > 2:19:57Teddy Thomas was left out of the team for his disciplinary issues.

2:19:57 > 2:20:03That is him carrying there. He is very hard to tackle. He is a big

2:20:03 > 2:20:06man.

2:20:14 > 2:20:21There is Robshaw over the ball.It bobbles around. Robshaw gets the

2:20:21 > 2:20:31scraps. Joseph. Farrell on the loop. Elliot Daly. A rare burst by

2:20:31 > 2:20:43England. Elliot Daly tries the past. I don't know if he was waiting for

2:20:43 > 2:20:52Jonny May to come back inside will stop.Lucky for England there.

2:20:52 > 2:20:56Probably no need for a Elliot Daly. It was a really good line break.

2:20:56 > 2:21:01France are on the back foot. They are in a great position to attack.

2:21:01 > 2:21:08No need to force the off-load. Wigglesworth to Joseph. Farrell. Ben

2:21:08 > 2:21:12Te'o. Clean through. They must finish now. Elliot Daly on the

2:21:12 > 2:21:20bounce. Is held.

2:21:26 > 2:21:35Tauleigne with the tackle. Farrell, Kyle Sinckler.

2:21:36 > 2:21:39Kyle Sinckler.France have reorganised now.Mike Brown threads

2:21:39 > 2:21:49it through.When Ben Te'o made that break, they could help passing the

2:21:49 > 2:21:56right. It makes the defender's decision for them. If the ball is

2:21:56 > 2:22:02led only one out, then they have players to cover before. If you pass

2:22:02 > 2:22:10out to the winners, they drift onto him.An important throw here for

2:22:10 > 2:22:16Adrien Pelissie. A good game by Maxime Machenaud. England pick off a

2:22:16 > 2:22:27line-out. A good pick out, Luke Cowan-Dickie.

2:22:32 > 2:22:40Courtney Lawes right in front of the French posts.

2:22:40 > 2:22:51Kyle Sinckler again. James Haskell, held to the floor. England only a

2:22:51 > 2:22:58meter away. Doumayrou calls for it to go right to the defenders.

2:22:58 > 2:23:07Courtney Lawes goes the other way. Elliot Daly is completely free.

2:23:07 > 2:23:13Jonny May 's Lawes for England, made by Elliot Daly.I tell you what,

2:23:13 > 2:23:18Kyle Sinckler has been real value for England since he has come on. He

2:23:18 > 2:23:28is carrying the ball straight and direct every time. Very lucky year.

2:23:29 > 2:23:35He pulled Camara's arm in the air, naturally a penalty against him.

2:23:35 > 2:23:43Great play by Elliot Daly.

2:24:02 > 2:24:09Owen Farrell from wide out. Hanson conversion.

2:24:09 > 2:24:15conversion. 19-16. Five and a half minutes to go.

2:24:28 > 2:24:37France trying to take as long as they can with the kick-off here.

2:24:38 > 2:24:39they can with the kick-off here.It is kicked long down towards Mike

2:24:39 > 2:24:46Brown.

2:25:04 > 2:25:11England up two in their 22. The referee had a word and said, that's

2:25:11 > 2:25:16fine.

2:25:16 > 2:25:22fine. Paul Gabrillagues from the second row. He has had an important

2:25:22 > 2:25:26game, hitting tackles, hitting rucks. Number four from France

2:25:26 > 2:25:32arrives now. Farrell tries to dummy his way in and go. Still there,

2:25:32 > 2:25:42Wigglesworth. Joseph to Lawes. Interception. It is Remy Grosso. He

2:25:42 > 2:25:47is a powerful runner.

2:25:49 > 2:25:56is a powerful runner. Nearly as powerful as Bastareaud who's there.

2:26:07 > 2:26:15France happy to be here. It eats up the seconds. The young scrum-half.

2:26:15 > 2:26:28Did that go forwards? No, it didn't, play on. Gael Fickou.

2:26:33 > 2:26:39This is where France want to finish. England within three points. They

2:26:39 > 2:26:45have given away a penalty. This could take us more left up to the

2:26:45 > 2:26:51closing minutes. Look at the face of Chris Robshaw.He is unlucky. He

2:26:51 > 2:26:56gets stuck in there and there is no way out of there. The only way out

2:26:56 > 2:27:05is if your tackle technique puts you there, you have to pay the price. We

2:27:05 > 2:27:14spoke earlier on about Remy Grosso not getting tackle into touch.

2:27:14 > 2:27:17not getting tackle into touch. You see Robshaw's legs here. I think

2:27:17 > 2:27:22that is him stuck in the bottom of the ruck, probably held in by Camara

2:27:22 > 2:27:34as well. A very tough penalty. Unless England can find a try

2:27:34 > 2:27:41scoring response within the next two minutes, all hell will break loose

2:27:41 > 2:27:49as a result.

2:27:49 > 2:27:54as a result. And let's remember, England have not been a bad team

2:27:54 > 2:27:59overnight, but there are significant questions.France have to flatten up

2:27:59 > 2:28:06to the ten metre line now for kick-off. This is going to be shot.

2:28:06 > 2:28:12Camara underneath it. Itoje did well. It has gone the way of France

2:28:12 > 2:28:20though. Advantage being played. France back in possession.

2:28:20 > 2:28:23France back in possession. Jeffrey Doumayrou is down, hurt. Jonny May,

2:28:23 > 2:28:30a converted try will still win it for England. Their leading line

2:28:30 > 2:28:41break. Jonny May sets. It is Mike Brown who makes a few more feet.

2:28:41 > 2:28:47Luke Cowan-Dickie down, back up. Up to France's ten metre line. One

2:28:47 > 2:28:58minutes ago. Kyle Sinckler, he has made an impression since he came on.

2:29:05 > 2:29:10Haskell goes looking for the ball. Itoje.

2:29:20 > 2:29:27Farrell to Mike Brown. Gael Fickou, taken out by Jonathan Joseph.

2:29:27 > 2:29:33Richard Wigglesworth. Luke Cowan-Dickie not going far. England

2:29:33 > 2:29:43still in possession. A countdown begins.

2:29:47 > 2:29:53Have France got their arms over the ball? No. England still in

2:29:53 > 2:29:58possession. Penalty advantage, England.

2:29:59 > 2:30:01England.They will be allowed to take the line-out I think if they

2:30:01 > 2:30:10made the touch.Yes, it is important that Owen Farrell gets this as close

2:30:10 > 2:30:17to the five metre line now as he can.

2:30:17 > 2:30:23can.That is not bad.Superb kick. A fantastic kick. The difference

2:30:23 > 2:30:28between that line-out being 5.5 metres from the line and nine or ten

2:30:28 > 2:30:33metres from the line is massive. The first thing you have to do is win

2:30:33 > 2:30:38the ball.

2:30:42 > 2:30:45The expectation is to move players around but the more working

2:30:45 > 2:30:50components you have, the more there is to go wrong.England only have

2:30:50 > 2:30:55five forwards in this line-out. Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, Maro

2:30:55 > 2:31:02Itoje, Chris Robshaw, Sam Simmonds acting scrum-half. Hesitation and it

2:31:02 > 2:31:11is over the. Lionel Beauxis kicks it and cannot find touch! England still

2:31:11 > 2:31:18have a chance with Elliot Daly. He is thrown down. It is still on, Owen

2:31:18 > 2:31:23Farrell to Kyle Sinckler to James Haskell. Bastareaud makes the

2:31:23 > 2:31:31tackle. Penalty advantage England. All Lionel Beauxis had to do was get

2:31:31 > 2:31:36the ball off the pitch and it would have been over. They will go back

2:31:36 > 2:31:43for the England penalty.So it continues. I would imagine a repeat

2:31:43 > 2:31:50now with Farrell putting the ball into the corner. Will England choose

2:31:50 > 2:31:57to over complicate the options again?Trying to win the ball on the

2:31:57 > 2:32:0415th, I understand why they go to

2:32:04 > 2:32:0615th, I understand why they go to a four-man, it is a bit harder for

2:32:06 > 2:32:13France to defend. But why go to the 15? The most important thing is to

2:32:13 > 2:32:21get the ball. They would still be five or six metres out.A full

2:32:21 > 2:32:25contingent this time. Luke Cowan-Dickie to throw. Up goes Maro

2:32:25 > 2:32:33Itoje. France have a maul to defend. They have done pretty well so far.

2:32:33 > 2:32:40They have succeeded in getting it to ground. Gabrillagues again with the

2:32:40 > 2:32:55tackle. Itoje. Up to the five metre line. Kyle Sinckler.

2:32:55 > 2:33:01Cowan-Dickie.A bit isolated. Penalty advantage to France! It is

2:33:01 > 2:33:07not a penalty, it is a knock-on advantage. It doesn't matter, the

2:33:07 > 2:33:13Stade de France erupts! Mathieu Bastareaud, that reaction says it

2:33:13 > 2:33:20all. France have beaten England. It does ask questions Eddie Jones's

2:33:20 > 2:33:25England. Such a run of victories and now two consecutive defeats. It also

2:33:25 > 2:33:32means that Ireland are crowned the champions of the Six Nations.

2:33:32 > 2:33:37Congratulations to island, deserving winners. By some way. --

2:33:37 > 2:33:40congratulations to island

2:33:44 > 2:33:50It is an important victory for France. For England, you don't want

2:33:50 > 2:33:56to overreact but this has been coming and Eddie Jones as to make

2:33:56 > 2:34:02some very crucial decisions about players futures, especially older,

2:34:02 > 2:34:06more established players.A great achievement for Ireland to be

2:34:06 > 2:34:09champions with a week to go. You would have thought it after the

2:34:09 > 2:34:13first round of games here at the Stade de France? I think England

2:34:13 > 2:34:17were really bull today, a bit off, but I don't think you can write off

2:34:17 > 2:34:21players. They have lost two games, it's not the end of the world, they

2:34:21 > 2:34:26had a 92% winning streak before also there is a lot of soul-searching to

2:34:26 > 2:34:33be done but they were a long way off today.The final score, France 22-16

2:34:33 > 2:34:37England.

2:34:37 > 2:34:42STUDIO: How is your heartbeat after that last five minutes? Every

2:34:42 > 2:34:47possible scenario unfolding in front of us. England could have won Ed,

2:34:47 > 2:34:51France did not kick it out, England could have won it again but eight

2:34:51 > 2:34:55knock-on at the final whistle to hand victory in the end to France.

2:34:55 > 2:35:00If the first half was stop start and a bit fractious, the second half was

2:35:00 > 2:35:03a tremendous heart of international rugby also the game lost it

2:35:03 > 2:35:09structure but it was better for it. England got the bit between the

2:35:09 > 2:35:13teeth. They were hacked off and they went after France. They defended

2:35:13 > 2:35:18really well at times, there attacking is still not there but

2:35:18 > 2:35:23better. Sinckler came on and played well, Haskell as well. They made an

2:35:23 > 2:35:27impact in the game but they have to play with that intensity from the

2:35:27 > 2:35:32off in the attack.French rugby is alive.It's a great performance for

2:35:32 > 2:35:37the French team also big commitment, I think the guys in defence worked

2:35:37 > 2:35:43very well, very good in the breakdown. A great win for the

2:35:43 > 2:35:47French team full is well done, France, a deserved victory.

2:35:47 > 2:35:55It was a good win for them, not full of flair or too much exciting play,

2:35:55 > 2:36:00it was exciting because it was close and tense. I would put fault at some

2:36:00 > 2:36:06of the individuals for England. Giving away so many penalties, 16

2:36:06 > 2:36:09and each individual has to ask what was the risk reward on that

2:36:09 > 2:36:14occasion. And in the last second of the game you have to have composure.

2:36:14 > 2:36:19Ireland showed it here with the Sexton drop goal. Cowan-Dickie had

2:36:19 > 2:36:23the responsibility done if he had taken it on, it came out quick,

2:36:23 > 2:36:29overlap and a try for England. Poor decision-making. We will hear from

2:36:29 > 2:36:35Owen Farrell in a moment or two.In fact we will hear from him now.

2:36:35 > 2:36:38Never mind championships, was that a game at the death you thought you

2:36:38 > 2:36:46might win?We had a couple of chances. The boys fought hard to put

2:36:46 > 2:36:49us in that position. Unfortunately we could not finish it in the end.

2:36:49 > 2:36:55We'll have to look back at it and learned from it.It will not be a

2:36:55 > 2:36:58third straight championship, the honour goes to Ireland, can you

2:36:58 > 2:37:01describe the sense of frustration? Were bothered about this game at the

2:37:01 > 2:37:11minute. Fresh from walking off the field here, it's been a tough game.

2:37:11 > 2:37:13Credit to France, they defended really well and scrambled really

2:37:13 > 2:37:19well. We will have to look how we can be more clinical.I know you had

2:37:19 > 2:37:22to build a score and you are away from home, was it ever in your mind

2:37:22 > 2:37:26in the context of the championship that you needed the four tries to

2:37:26 > 2:37:33have a slim chance?I mean you how to build a score to be able to

2:37:33 > 2:37:39hopefully break a team and run in four tries. It comes from pressure.

2:37:39 > 2:37:43Unfortunately we were not able to build it consistently.In what areas

2:37:43 > 2:37:47do you think England are hurting themselves? The penalty count, the

2:37:47 > 2:37:50breakdown question obviously our discipline can

2:37:52 > 2:37:56Some of it is from discipline and some of it is accuracy and we have

2:37:56 > 2:37:58to make sure we get the balance right.

2:38:01 > 2:38:05Here is the table that confirms that Ireland are the Six Nations

2:38:05 > 2:38:08champions with a week to go and whatever happens at Twickenham it is

2:38:08 > 2:38:15an Irish championship. The key is, for the third time in history, can

2:38:15 > 2:38:22Le Crunch win the Grand Slam next weekend?

2:38:24 > 2:38:31It is all about the miniature in international sport. 40 faces of

2:38:31 > 2:38:34play and the drop goal from Johnny Sexton in the first match, how

2:38:34 > 2:38:37different it would have been if that had gone wide but

2:38:37 > 2:38:37different it would have been if that had gone wide but in

2:38:37 > 2:38:38different it would have been if that had gone wide but in the end Ireland

2:38:38 > 2:38:43are deserved the champions and in a similar situation, the last minute,

2:38:43 > 2:38:47the England line-out and the ball went astray. Talk about the

2:38:47 > 2:38:50responsibilities for the individual players.The hard

2:38:50 > 2:38:51responsibilities for the individual players.The hard thing at the end

2:38:51 > 2:38:57of the game, you have all your reserves on. However much you

2:38:57 > 2:39:03practice, they will practice less together as a group. You add in the

2:39:03 > 2:39:08fatigue and tension and he's only a bit off. They go to a more simple

2:39:08 > 2:39:15one. The maul has not been effective all year. France get it turned round

2:39:15 > 2:39:20and messed about. I thought the reserves played very well when they

2:39:20 > 2:39:27came on. But always a line-out, it can lose its cohesion of it when

2:39:27 > 2:39:32those guys come on.Philippe, what did you think when the kick from

2:39:32 > 2:39:39Lee-Lo Beauxis did not find touch? -- Lionel Beauxis. I think we give

2:39:39 > 2:39:45the easy option to England.England were much better with Kyle Sinckler

2:39:45 > 2:39:48and James Haskell because they have go forward and they play well. But

2:39:48 > 2:39:52in 50 minutes they were on the back foot. But credit of the French team.

2:39:52 > 2:39:55in 50 minutes they were on the back foot. But credit of the French team.

2:39:55 > 2:40:00Bastareaud, Camara, Grosso were very good today.If you're not a regular

2:40:00 > 2:40:04watcher of rugby, in many ways the key moment of the match was the

2:40:04 > 2:40:09penalty try at the start of the second half. The laws of the game so

2:40:09 > 2:40:12that a penalty try is awarded between the goalposts if foul play

2:40:12 > 2:40:19by the opposing team prevent a probable try from being scored or

2:40:19 > 2:40:22scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this

2:40:22 > 2:40:27must be cautioned and suspended temporarily or sent off. That is

2:40:27 > 2:40:35what the law says. The question is, is that what happened here?In my

2:40:35 > 2:40:35opinion, yes, quite clearly.

2:40:35 > 2:40:37is that what happened here?In my opinion, yes, quite clearly. He is

2:40:37 > 2:40:46going to score. And Anthony Watson comes in with an illegal tackle. He

2:40:46 > 2:40:53would have scored. It is simple. You can't argue with it.When you see

2:40:53 > 2:40:58it, I still think it is a bit of a hard call. He has put his hand

2:40:58 > 2:41:02around his shoulder, it is not dangerous. Technically it's right

2:41:02 > 2:41:05and you cannot fault it but I still think it is a tough decision. I

2:41:05 > 2:41:10would have thought that either way. Also England was penalised twice in

2:41:10 > 2:41:16the same action in the strike zone. It is the high tackle, yellow card,

2:41:16 > 2:41:20penalty try in the end.England down to 14 at that stage and France

2:41:20 > 2:41:23almost scored a couple of moment afterwards which might have put it

2:41:23 > 2:41:28to bed.I thought England played their best rugby after this moment,

2:41:28 > 2:41:32it energised England. Still not accurate enough or good enough. But

2:41:32 > 2:41:37they defended some of these things really well. We said at the start,

2:41:37 > 2:41:40if you turn the ball over to France and you are chasing them down the

2:41:40 > 2:41:43field, that is not where you want to be. I thought France should have

2:41:43 > 2:41:48scored at this point. It went wide and should have gone earlier but

2:41:48 > 2:41:53England scrambled.England were running across the field in the

2:41:53 > 2:41:58first half and in the second half and when you have four on two, a lot

2:41:58 > 2:42:01of forwards involved, OK, but this is a training run exercise. You do

2:42:01 > 2:42:07this time after time, you can do it in your sleep but unfortunately for

2:42:07 > 2:42:12France... Luckily it did not matter in the end.England threw in their

2:42:12 > 2:42:17bodies and kept themselves in it.It should be over before then. Of

2:42:17 > 2:42:23course. It poor execution.France had to kill the game, they have the

2:42:23 > 2:42:27opportunity and did not do it but still managed to win and this is the

2:42:27 > 2:42:31most important for us.We will talk in a moment also about England's's

2:42:31 > 2:42:35deficiencies in attack and I know from looking at social media that a

2:42:35 > 2:42:38lot of you watching the game have been very frustrated by that. Before

2:42:38 > 2:42:44the game we said that Elliot Daly was a phenomenal player and it was

2:42:44 > 2:42:47reminiscent of that Stuart Hogg piece of bat last season in the Six

2:42:47 > 2:42:50Nations. A quick bit of innovation from Elliot Daly to give Jonny made

2:42:50 > 2:42:57the score.He makes the try because it should have been on anyway. A bit

2:42:57 > 2:43:03like with the poor execution from France a second ago, England were

2:43:03 > 2:43:08guilty of the same. You think it was coming easily but throughout the

2:43:08 > 2:43:11whole game quick ball has been difficult. It is so easy to attack

2:43:11 > 2:43:15when you get it for the Farrell does not need to throw this out but all

2:43:15 > 2:43:19the French defenders go on to Elliot Daly because he does but what a

2:43:19 > 2:43:23piece of skill and quick thinking and the execution was brilliant.And

2:43:23 > 2:43:28the vision is fantastic. He knows he can go into touch. This is

2:43:28 > 2:43:30fantastic.

2:43:33 > 2:43:36The question of whether the England attack is such a blunt weapon

2:43:36 > 2:43:36The question of whether the England attack is such a blunt weapon I'm

2:43:36 > 2:43:41sure will be for all the analysis in the next few days from the wise

2:43:41 > 2:43:46people in the papers and elsewhere. They will be saying that England had

2:43:46 > 2:43:50a lot of ball but did not do anything with any great dynamism

2:43:50 > 2:43:53until they made some changes late in the second half but

2:43:53 > 2:43:54until they made some changes late in the second half but why is that?We

2:43:54 > 2:43:59talk about the England defence before the game, how poor it was. A

2:43:59 > 2:44:04lot of it is communication. If I'm outside centre in this backlight I