In a sensational turn of events at Twickenham Stadium, England pulled off a last-gasp 26-25 victory over Six Nations leaders France. The hosts trailed heading into the final two minutes before a stunning try from Elliot Daly, converted by Fin Smith, sealed a famous win and blew the championship race wide open.
Itoje Hails England’s Ambition
England captain Maro Itoje was full of praise for his team’s bold approach, crediting coach Steve Borthwick’s game plan:
“Steve told the group to be ambitious and brave and to go out and score tries. Our backs were incredibly brave and ambitious and they took their opportunities.”
– Maro Itoje
The lock forward hailed the win as a “vindication” of England’s hard work under Borthwick. Rather than taking a conservative approach, England maintained an attacking mindset until the very end.
Borthwick: More to Come
Head coach Steve Borthwick also praised the impact of his experienced bench players, with substitutes Jamie George and Elliot Daly making crucial contributions. Borthwick believes this young England side still has significant room for growth:
“I’m delighted for the players because everyone wants that tangible reward. I thought the atmosphere was exceptional. We scored four tries against a very good defence.”
– Steve Borthwick
With home fixtures against Scotland and Italy to come before a trip to Ireland, England now have genuine hope of contending for the Six Nations title. Borthwick is keeping his squad grounded, stressing that improvement remains the priority:
“The ceiling for this team is very high [but] unfortunately you take some pain along the way.”
– Steve Borthwick
French Frustration
For France, it was a case of what might have been. The defending champions squandered several try-scoring opportunities that ultimately proved costly. Defence coach Shaun Edwards lamented:
“We got the oopsies, didn’t we? Every time we got near the tryline we seemed to just drop the ball. I’ve never seen that happen before.”
– Shaun Edwards
Lock Emmanuel Meafou felt France were guilty of overcomplicating in attack and need to get back to basics:
“We need to get rid of the fancy stuff we force and just let the play happen by itself.”
– Emmanuel Meafou
Six Nations Blown Open
This result completely changes the complexion of the 2025 Six Nations. After away wins over Italy and Ireland, France looked to be cruising towards a successful title defence. But this loss, their first in the championship since 2021, gives renewed hope to the chasing pack.
Ireland, narrow losers in Dublin last week, will be feeling especially galvanized. They remain just two points behind France and host them in the final round. For now though, the focus is on an England side who showcased their potential in spectacular fashion. Itoje’s men have momentum and growing belief. Write them off at your peril.
