Harinordoquy celebrates his score. (Getty Images)
FRANCE HANG ON FOR GRAND SLAM GLORY
Click here for full match report
Click here for minute-by-minute report
Click here for full match stats
Click here for post-match reaction
Click here for updated standings
Click here for photo gallery
Click here for more Six Nations headlines
France beat England 24-21 in the Stade de France on Saturday night to clinch the Six Nations Championship and a glorious Grand Slam.
But they had to survive a brave late rally from Sir Clive Woodward's world champions to complete a clean sweep of Europe's top rugby nations.
Imanol Harinordoquy and Dimitri Yachvili both scored first-half tries as the home side cruised into a 21-3 interval lead.
But second-half tries from Ben Cohen and Josh Lewsey brought the visitors to within a whisker of an amazing comeback.
France broke the deadlock after a scoreless first 20 minutes when Yachvili booted his first penalty.
And their lead soon became 8-0 when Harinordoquy scored the first try of the evening.
The England defence was stretched flat across the pitch as Yachvili aimed a
testing kick to the corner. It dropped perfectly just over the England line, and
an unmarked Harinordoquy touched down.
Two more Yachvili penalties made it 14-0 before Olly Barkley finally got England on the board with a successful kick of his own.
Any hopes the visitors had of going into the interval in touch were blown apart a minute before half-time when Yachvili struck with a superb opportunist try. The ball bobbled loose into open play and the scrum-half reacted quickest, grabbing
the ball and kicking ahead. He had the pace to reclaim possession, diving over
for a touchdown that he also converted to make it 21-6.
England needed an early score after the break but a Yachvili penalty stretched the French lead to 24-6. Woodward's team finally showed some attacking flair when replacement Mike Catt set up a move which ended with Cohen crashing over in the corner. But Barkley's conversion was off target and England still trailed by 13. Yachvili missed a penalty chance to increase the French lead again, and Barkley cut it to 10 when he slotted a kick over with eight minutes remaining.
England showed real spirit to further close the gap with a superb Lewsey score and a Barkley conversion five minutes from time.
But despite a frantic finale they couldn't complete the comeback and France took the title and the Grand Slam.
|
