“England have been blistering – their tempo, their talent, their depth, their physicality and so they had a real likelihood of profitable,” stated former England scrum-half Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Reside.
“I really feel for the gamers as a result of they’re going to be down, however I need them to be tremendous, tremendous constructive as a result of in the event that they keep it up enjoying like that for the subsequent 18 months they’re going to problem in huge tournaments and large video games, and they’re going to win huge video games.”
And but. When the adrenaline ranges drop, questions may even be raised.
Ought to England have made victory stick?
With the restart regathered by Chessum, the ball safely on the base, Sam Underhill, Henry Pollock and Chandler Cunningham-South on their ft as a possible pod, and solely two minutes left on the clock, might England have stored ball in hand and run down the clock?
As a substitute, Jack van Poortvliet, who had introduced some zip off the bench, opted to kick the ball away and infield. Matthieu Jalibert, a broken-field fiend, accepted the invite to run again and England have been again underneath the pump.
Closing out victories was a repeated failing in a collection of shut defeats in autumn 2024. It’s a behavior that England do not wish to reacquire.
One they positively have not kicked but is indiscipline. Solely one of many 162 staff campaigns in Six Nations historical past – Italy 2002 – has picked up extra playing cards than England have this 12 months.
Eight yellows, two of which mixed to make Henry Arundell’s 20-minute purple towards Scotland, have hobbled England all through.
Ellis Genge was dispatched to the sin-bin seat of disgrace in Paris, adjudged to have cynically dragged down a France driving maul that was destined for the road.
Borthwick described the choice as harsh and stated he would search clarification with World Rugby as to why a penalty attempt was awarded.
It could have been a marginal name, however, backed as much as their very own line, England knew the stakes have been excessive and the punishment for any infringement can be heavy.
France raced again into the lead within the prop’s absence.
