Jonny May hat-trick sends England top of the Six Nations in style
Re-live the action from the Six Nations clash at Twickenham
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Re-live all the action as England routed France 44-8 on Sunday afternoon in a one-sided 'Le Crunch' and go top of the Six Nations table with a maximum 10 points from 10..
Jonny May set the tone with a 30-minute hat-trick of tries that got England flying out of the blocks, with Henry Slade sealing the bonus point before the break. France responded at least with a Damian Penaud try before half-time, but they were kept pointless in the second half in one of their most embarrassing displays seen at Twickenham.
At least their defence improved after the break, though they could not stop the scoring as England were first awarded a penaty try before Owen Farrell crossed to complete the scoring. Follow the live updates below.
What time does it start?
England vs France kicks off at 3pm (GMT) on Sunday February 10.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on ITV from 2.15pm (GMT).
Teams
England: Elliot Daly; Chris Ashton, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (capt), Ben Youngs; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler; Courtney Lawes, George Kruis; Mark Wilson, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Dan Cole, Ben Moon, Joe Launchbury, Nathan Hughes, Dan Robson, George Ford, Jack Nowell
France: Yoann Huget; Damian Penaud, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Mathieu Bastareaud, Gael Fickou; Camille Lopez, Morgan Parra; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado, Demba Bamba; Felix Lambey, Sebastien Vahaamahina; Yacouba Camara, Arthur Iturria, Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: Pierre Bourgarit, Dany Priso, Dorian Aldegheri, Paul Willemse, Gregory Alldritt, Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos
Form guide
England: WWLWWW
France: LLLWLL
Head-to-head
France 22 (Pen try) England 16 (May), Six Nations, March 2018
England 19 (Te’o) France 16 (Slimani), Six Nations, February 2017
France 21 England 31 (Care, Cole, Watson), Six Nations, March 2016
Odds
England to win: 1/8
France to win: 11/2
Draw: 33/1
(Odds provided by Betfair)
Prediction
England by seven: France will not be blown away as easily as many have suggested, but it’s hard to see where Brunel’s side will dominate at a stadium where they have not beaten England since 2005. If England can produce a similar performance to that in Dublin last weekend, they will romp to victory. But if they falter, France will be there to pick up the pieces.
So what of France? Jacques Brunel had rung the changes, bringing in six new faces - three forced by injury - and moving Yoann Huget to full-back. Unsurprisingly, it’s the inclusion of Mathieu Bastareaud that catches the eye, with the 19-stone centre restored to the side just a week after he was left out for the young and exciting Romain Ntamack. So much for the new lease of life in French rugby.
Eddie Jones getting into the thick of it
England head coach Eddie Jones leads the warm up
As the on-pitch preparations come together on the pitch, the England St George's cross in one half, the French Tricolor in the other, the Six Nations trophy is produced in front of the tunnel. All we need now is the players, and after a rendition of Jerusalem from Laura Wright, they'll be ready to go.
And it's England who emerge first in the tunnel and the Big Ben gongs toll over Twickenham, and finally, here come the teams!
With the anthems done and dusted and the pitch cleared, it's time for the next instalment in 'Le Crunch'.
Here we go...
1 mins: That's a confident start from England. Slade takes the restart cleanly and off a Youngs box-kick, Huget bangs straight into the Vunipolas. England force the knock-on and...TRY FOR ENGLAND!
2 mins: What a start from England! Phenomenally, that's the fifth consecutive match that they've score a try inside the first four minutes, and this time the numbers on the clock read just 1:04 when Jonny May dots down to score.
It came from the knock-on that England immediately countered with, Farrell throwing deep to Daly, and the full-bacl mazed his way through a lacklustre French line into clear space. Faced with two defenders, he kicked ahead and May hit the afterburners to race clear and score. It must be said, the blue shirts were jogging bacjk there. Farrell misses the conversion but the gulf between these teams is already clear to see. 5-0
5 mins: May is nearly away again here, but this time he decides to kick himself and to be quite honest it's a poor run that moves in-field. England attack from the subsequent lineout though as Tuilagi and Bastareaud collide for the first time, and when Guirado fails to roll away, referee Nigel Owens awards the penalty that Farrell will kick at goal.
It's also just got very, very dark.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments