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France v England LIVE: Result and reaction as Les Bleus edge thrilling Six Nations finale in Lyon

France 33-31 England: Thomas Ramos’s late penalty gave Les Bleus the win in a topsy-turvy thriller

Luke Baker
Saturday 16 March 2024 22:39 GMT
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Six Nations: Full Contact trailer

England finished third in the Six Nations after a monster Thomas Ramos penalty in the final minute sent them spinning to a heartbreaking 33-31 defeat to France at Groupama Stadium.

Steve Borthwick’s men have trailed at half-time of every match of the championship and once more they faced an uphill battle, this time in the form of 16-6 deficit that included a try of the tournament contender for scrum half Nolann Le Garrec.

But they turned the contest on its head by amassing 21 unanswered points through two Ollie Lawrence tries and a Marcus Smith touch down as their attack ran amok through the France midfield. France regrouped to cross through Leo Barre and Gael Fickou but England were not done yet as Tommy Freeman stormed over in the right corner with five minutes remaining.

They appeared to have secured their fourth win of the Six Nations having staged multiple fightbacks but when they infringed just outside their half with seconds left, Ramos kept his nerve to hit the target.

Relive all the action below:

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France vs England predictions: Six Nations tips, betting odds & free bets

A fascinating 2024 Six Nations championship with a wealth of narrow margins and thrilling finishes concludes not in Paris but in Lyon for the first time in the tournament’s history when France entertain England (8pm, ITV1).

Shifting away from the Stade de France appears to have been detrimental to Les Bleus this year, with a bruising Round 1 loss at home to Ireland (17-38) and a fortunate 13-13 draw with Italy meaning they have now failed to win their last three games on home soil after stringing together 18 straight home victories.

One final look at the outright Six Nations odds confirms what the table suggests: that Ireland are almost guaranteed to become the first team since England (2016-17) to retain the trophy.

France vs England predictions: Six Nations tips, betting odds & free bets

England head to France hoping to build on the stunning win over Ireland in the Six Nations finale

Jack Rathborn15 March 2024 17:04

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