ENGLAND HANG ON FOR GLORY
Farrell’s late penalties are enough to seal victory and take the Grand Slam
AFTER 13 years of hurt, England’s fans were finally in dreamland last night as Eddie Jones’s men delivered a long-overdue Grand Slam here in Paris.
In his first season in charge, the Australian head coach saw his team land the prized clean sweep of a Six Nations championship in which they have been the dominant team.
Jones’s men scored three tries to none but were unable to pull clear as a succession of breakdown penalties allowed France to stay in the game through the boot of scrum-half Maxime Machenaud. But England moved away in the last 10 minutes to record a victory which sees the world’s best resourced rugby nation land a Grand Slam for the first time since Martin Johnson’s men won in Dublin in 2003.
This team is not in the same league as that one. Yet. But they have a band of young guns including Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Billy Vunipola, Anthony Watson and Owen Farrell who could go on to be a world-class unit in years to come.
After the horrors of their World Cup exit at the pool stages, England could not have responded in better fashion.
Under the unexpectedly excellent leadership of Dylan Hartley — who left the field 67 minutes into last night’s win after being knocked unconscious in a collision — they can rightly claim to be the best team in Europe.
Their last win at the ground came in 2012 yet there was hardly anyone in Paris before kick-off who appeared to be backing a home win.
England’s recent history of blowing Grand Slam chances must have been playing on the minds of some of the senior members of Jones’s team despite the Australian’s attempts to distance himself and the squad from what had gone before.
The last time England completed a Grand Slam, in 2003 under Clive Woodward, they went on to win the World Cup in the same year.
Jones has stated his intention to make his side the most dominant in Europe and he made it clear to his players in the lead-up that winning the championship was not enough. He wanted a clean sweep.
France began strongly and registered the first points when Itoje was penalised for diving off his feet at a ruck. Machenaud kicked the penalty barely two minutes in before England responded almost immediately with an Owen Farrell penalty.
Mike Brown, as he had countless times against Wales, made a superb break after eight minutes, only to run infield with Watson on his outside before flinging a heavy pass over the head of Danny Care in support.
England then struck the first decisive blow when Billy Vunipola claimed a lineout before feeding Care, who set England’s backline moving. The ball was fed to Jonathan Joseph, who was well tackled, but Care saw that the breakdown was poorly defended and brushed aside prop Jefferson Poirot before speed- ing in from 40 metres for a brilliant try. Farrell converted from in front of the posts to make it 10-3 after 13 minutes.
Machenaud kicked another penalty to make it 10-6 but England had the bit between their teeth and another sweeping move saw Watson catch a clever kick from George Ford before Joseph kept the move going. England’s forwards battered away at the French line and Dan Cole bundled his way over from seven metres out.
Referee Nigel Owens awarded the try immediately and refused to change his mind despite seeing replays showing an apparent obstruction by Mako Vunipola on a French tackler.
Farrell’s conversion stretched England’s lead to 11 points after 22 minutes before Machenaud closed the gap with his third penalty on 29 minutes.
Both sides continued to look to attack but Machenaud’s fourth penalty on 39 minutes proved the last points of a hugely entertaining half as Farrell missed a penalty attempt with the last kick of the period.
Jones brought Joe Marler on for Mako Vunipola at half-time but France were fastest out of the blocks and it needed a try-saving tackle from Jack Nowell on Virimi Vakatawa to prevent a score.
But England infringed at another ruck and Machenaud made it 15-17 after 43 minutes before Farrell kicked another penalty to restore the lead. France were not to be shaken off easily and Machenaud’s sixth penalty on 51 minutes reduced the gap again before Billy Vunipola set up the try of the match when he picked and drove magnificently from the back of a scrum inside England’s half.
The No 8 drove deep into the guts of France’s defence and quick ruck ball saw Ben Youngs, on for Care, carry down the blindside before a brilliantly weighted grubber kick saw Watson gather and dot down in the corner.
Farrell missed the conversion and Machenaud kicked his seventh penalty to make it 21-25 with a quarter to play.
England then lost Hartley but when France infringed on halfway, Farrell put England seven points clear. And the Slam was secured with three minutes left when Xavier Chiocci was sin-binned and Farrell kicked a penalty to make it 31-21.