Le Crunch
Encyclopedia
The first Anglo-French rugby union
match was held on March 22, 1906 at Parc des Princes
in Paris
.
The traditional name for the annual England
versus France
rugby union
match in the Six Nations Championship
as used on both sides of the English Channel
is Le Crunch. Games have also been played as Tests and at the Rugby World Cup
. England have played France on 95 occasions, England winning 51, France 37 and 7 matches have been drawn. Overall, England have scored 1,427 points, and France 1,134.
In the Five Nations (1910-1999), England have played France on 70 occasions, England winning 36, France 27 and seven matches have been drawn. In these games, England have scored 889 points, and France 775.
In the Six Nations (2000-present), England have played France on 12 occasions, England winning seven, France five and no matches have been drawn. In these games, England have scored 258 points, and France 200.
In other test matches, England have played France on eight occasions, England winning five, France three with none drawn. Overall, England have scored 202 points, and France 95.
convincingly, whilst England stuttered to a victory over Wales
. These results meant many thought France could spring a surprise and get to their second successive final.
The weather on the day was heavy rain and torrential winds, which experts believed would fancy the English forward-dominated game, rather than the French free-flowing backs game. Johnny Wilkinson opened the scoring with a drop goal within the first ten minutes, before Serge Betsen
scored a try after stealing a lineout. The try was converted by Frederick Michalak.
The game soon swung back in England's favour, when French winger Christophe Dominici
was sin-binned for a deliberate trip on Jason Robinson
. Wilkinson added another nine points before half time, to give England a 12-7 lead.
England continued to dominate in the second half, helped by an out of sorts Michalak missing his third penalty. Betsen became the second French player to get sin binned after a late challenge on Wilkinson, who converted the subsequent penalty. Shortly after Wilkinson made it a hat trick of drop goals. England wrapped up the game with another two penalties from Johnny Wilkinson and a final score of 24-7.
The win put England into their first final since the 1991 World Cup, where they would play same opponents Australia
on their home ground. Afterwards, French captain, Fabien Galthie
conceded that "England adapted to the weather better than us", whilst his English counterpart Martin Johnson said "we needed passion and it was a great display".
but ended up second in the group. In the quarter finals, England caused a great upset by beating arch-rivals Australia
12-10, despite many pundits writing off their chances before the game.
France also qualified a disappointing second from their group, after losing to Argentina
. The French were also underdogs for their quarter final against pre-tournament favourites New Zealand. France ended up winning thanks to a disputed winning try by Yannick Jauzion
.
Despite beating the Wallabies, the English were still heavily tipped to lose, mainly because the French were expected to challenge more upfront. Five victories in the last six matches also meant that recent track record was in favour of France. England had not won in Paris since 2000. The game began 21:00 local time and within two minutes a box kick by English scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall
was not dealt with by French full-back Damien Traille
and Josh Lewsey
capitalized with a try. Jonny Wilkinson
missed the conversion to the left. Two penalties before half time by Lionel Beauxis
gave the French a slender advantage.
Shortly after half time, Beauxis scored his third penalty to give France a 9-5 advantage. Minutes later, Wilkinson scored his first successful kick of the game to bring it back to one point. Wilkinson could have given England the lead, but his drop goal could only hit the upright. France also had a chance to score, when Vincent Clerc
looked certain to score a try; however a last ditch tap tackle by Joe Worsley
prevented him and kept England in the match.
In the 75th minute, Wilkinson slotted in a penalty to give England the lead. Only three minutes later he scored another three points, this time through a drop goal, to give England a 14-9 lead, with only two minutes left. Despite heavy pressure from the French, England managed to hold on.
After the game, England's manager Brian Ashton
commented, "these guys won't give up. People talk about a British bulldog
spirit and it is very much here in this group". The England captain, Phil Vickery also praised the team by saying, "to beat France in France in a World Cup semi-final is a huge effort from everyone". The French manager Bernard Laporte
rued the missed try opportunity, noting "if we had scored that try we would have won the match, but we didn't".
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match was held on March 22, 1906 at Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The traditional name for the annual England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
versus France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match in the Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
as used on both sides of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
is Le Crunch. Games have also been played as Tests and at the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. England have played France on 95 occasions, England winning 51, France 37 and 7 matches have been drawn. Overall, England have scored 1,427 points, and France 1,134.
Overall summary
| Details | Played | Won by England | Won by France | Drawn | England points | France points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In England | 45 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 757 | 451 |
| In France | 47 | 21 | 24 | 2 | 625 | 638 |
| Neutral venue | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 45 |
| Overall | 95 | 51 | 37 | 7 | 1427 | 1134 |
Results
| Date | Venue | Score | Winner | Competition | Match report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 October 2011 | Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
19 – 12 | 2011 Rugby World Cup 2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005... |
BBC Sport | |
| 26 February 2011 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
17 – 9 | 2011 Six Nations Championship 2011 Six Nations Championship The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,... |
BBC Sport | |
| 20 March 2010 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
12 – 10 | 2010 Six Nations Championship 2010 Six Nations Championship The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams... |
BBC Sport | |
| 15 March 2009 | Twickenham, London | 34 – 10 | 2009 Six Nations Championship 2009 Six Nations Championship The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams... |
BBC Sport | |
| 23 February 2008 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 13 – 24 | 2008 Six Nations Championship 2008 Six Nations Championship The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th... |
BBC Sport | |
| 13 October 2007 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 14 – 9 | 2007 Rugby World Cup 2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,... |
BBC Sport | |
| 18 August 2007 | Stade Vélodrome Stade Vélodrome The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,... , Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... , France |
22 – 9 | 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up tests 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up tests Throughout August 2007, various teams prepared for the Rugby World Cup in France with a short series of test matches, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and involving the RBS Six Nations sides. In addition, South Africa will play one test in Scotland following the 2007 Tri Nations and Argentina... |
BBC Sport | |
| 11 August 2007 | Twickenham, London | 15 – 21 | BBC Sport | ||
| 11 March 2007 | Twickenham, London | 26 – 18 | 2007 Six Nations Championship 2007 Six Nations Championship The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
BBC Sport | |
| 12 March 2006 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 31 – 6 | 2006 Six Nations Championship 2006 Six Nations Championship The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy... |
BBC Sport | |
| 14 February 2005 | Twickenham, London | 17 – 18 | 2005 Six Nations Championship 2005 Six Nations Championship The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy... |
BBC Sport | |
| 27 March 2004 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 24 – 21 | 2004 Six Nations Championship 2004 Six Nations Championship The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern... |
BBC Sport | |
| 16 November 2003 | Telstra Stadium Telstra Stadium Stadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
24 – 7 | 2003 Rugby World Cup 2003 Rugby World Cup The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World... |
England into World Cup Final - BBC Sport | |
| 6 September 2003 | Twickenham, London | 45 – 14 | 2003 Rugby World Cup warm-up tests | England destroy France - BBC Sport | |
| 30 August 2003 | Stade Vélodrome, Marseille | 17 – 16 | France stop England - BBC Sport | ||
| 15 February 2003 | Twickenham, London | 25 – 17 | 2003 Six Nations Championship 2003 Six Nations Championship The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
Wilkinson makes France pay - BBC Sport | |
| 2 March 2002 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 20 – 15 | 2002 Six Nations Championship 2002 Six Nations Championship The 2002 Six Nations Championship was the third series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 7 April 2001 | Twickenham, London | 48 – 19 | 2001 Six Nations Championship 2001 Six Nations Championship The 2001 Six Nations Championship was the second series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The tournament was marred by an outbreak of... |
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| 19 February 2000 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 9 – 15 | 2000 Six Nations Championship 2000 Six Nations Championship The 2000 Six Nations Championship was the first series of the Six Nations Championship, following the inclusion of Italy into the Five Nations championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-sixth series of the northern hemisphere... |
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| 20 March 1999 | Twickenham, London | 21 – 10 | 1999 Five Nations Championship 1999 Five Nations Championship The 1999 Five Nations Championship was the seventieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 7 February 1998 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 24 – 17 | 1998 Five Nations Championship 1998 Five Nations Championship The 1998 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 1 March 1997 | Twickenham, London | 20 – 23 | 1997 Five Nations Championship 1997 Five Nations Championship The 1997 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 20 January 1996 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
15 – 12 | 1996 Five Nations Championship 1996 Five Nations Championship The 1996 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship, and the first in the sport's professional era, which officially began in August 1995. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the... |
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| 22 June 1995 | Loftus Versfeld Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
9 – 19 | 1995 Rugby World Cup 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
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| 4 February 1995 | Twickenham, London | 31 – 10 | 1995 Five Nations Championship 1995 Five Nations Championship The 1995 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. It was also the last Five Nations held in the sport's amateur era, as rugby union's governing body, the International Rugby Football Board, opened the sport to professionalism on August 26 of... |
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| 5 March 1994 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 14 – 18 | 1994 Five Nations Championship 1994 Five Nations Championship The 1994 Five Nations Championship was the 65th series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 15 January and 19 March 1994.The tournament was the 65th... |
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| 16 January 1993 | Twickenham, London | 16 – 15 | 1993 Five Nations Championship 1993 Five Nations Championship The 1993 Five Nations Championship was the 64th series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 16 January and 22 March 1993.The tournament was the 64th... |
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| 15 February 1992 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 13 – 31 | 1992 Five Nations Championship 1992 Five Nations Championship The 1992 Five Nations Championship was the 63rd series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 18 January and 21 March 1992.The tournament was the 63rd... |
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| 19 October 1991 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 10 – 19 | 1991 Rugby World Cup 1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the... |
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| 16 March 1991 | Twickenham, London | 21 – 19 | 1991 Five Nations Championship 1991 Five Nations Championship The 1991 Five Nations Championship was the 62nd series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 19 January and 16 March 1991.The tournament was the 62nd... |
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| 3 February 1990 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 7 – 26 | 1990 Five Nations Championship 1990 Five Nations Championship The 1990 Five Nations Championship was the 61st series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 16 January and 24 March 1990.The tournament was the 61st... |
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| 4 March 1989 | Twickenham, London | 11 – 0 | 1989 Five Nations Championship 1989 Five Nations Championship The 1989 Five Nations Championship was the sixtieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over five... |
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| 16 January 1988 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 10 – 9 | 1988 Five Nations Championship 1988 Five Nations Championship The 1988 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over... |
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| 21 February 1987 | Twickenham, London | 15 – 19 | 1987 Five Nations Championship 1987 Five Nations Championship The 1987 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 15 March 1986 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 29 – 10 | 1986 Five Nations Championship 1986 Five Nations Championship The 1986 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 2 February 1985 | Twickenham, London | 9 – 9 | draw | 1985 Five Nations Championship 1985 Five Nations Championship The 1985 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 3 March 1984 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 32 – 18 | 1984 Five Nations Championship 1984 Five Nations Championship The 1984 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninetieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 15 January 1983 | Twickenham, London | 15 – 19 | 1983 Five Nations Championship 1983 Five Nations Championship The 1983 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 20 February 1982 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 15 – 27 | 1982 Five Nations Championship 1982 Five Nations Championship The 1982 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 21 March 1981 | Twickenham, London | 12 – 16 | 1981 Five Nations Championship 1981 Five Nations Championship The 1981 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 2 February 1980 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 13 – 17 | 1980 Five Nations Championship 1980 Five Nations Championship The 1980 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 1 February 1979 | Twickenham, London | 7 – 6 | 1979 Five Nations Championship 1979 Five Nations Championship The 1979 Five Nations Championship was the fiftieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 21 January 1978 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 15 – 6 | 1978 Five Nations Championship 1978 Five Nations Championship The 1978 Five Nations Championship was the forty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 1 February 1977 | Twickenham, London | 3 – 4 | 1977 Five Nations Championship 1977 Five Nations Championship The 1977 Five Nations Championship was the forty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 20 March 1976 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 30 – 9 | 1976 Five Nations Championship 1976 Five Nations Championship The 1976 Five Nations Championship was the forty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 1 February 1975 | Twickenham, London | 20 – 27 | 1975 Five Nations Championship 1975 Five Nations Championship The 1975 Five Nations Championship was the forty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 2 March 1974 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 12 – 12 | draw | 1974 Five Nations Championship 1974 Five Nations Championship The 1974 Five Nations Championship was the forty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eightieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 19... |
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| 24 February 1973 | Twickenham, London | 14 – 6 | 1973 Five Nations Championship 1973 Five Nations Championship The 1973 Five Nations Championship was the forty-fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship... |
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| 26 February 1972 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time... , Colombes Colombes Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes .... , France |
37 – 12 | 1972 Five Nations Championship 1972 Five Nations Championship The 1972 Five Nations Championship was the forty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The championship was not... |
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| 27 February 1971 | Twickenham, London | 14 – 14 | draw | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 18 April 1970 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 35 – 13 | 1970 Five Nations Championship 1970 Five Nations Championship The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 22 February 1969 | Twickenham, London | 22 – 8 | 1969 Five Nations Championship 1969 Five Nations Championship The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 24 February 1968 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 14 – 9 | 1968 Five Nations Championship 1968 Five Nations Championship The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 25 February 1967 | Twickenham, London | 12 – 16 | 1967 Five Nations Championship 1967 Five Nations Championship The 1967 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 26 February 1966 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 13 – 0 | 1966 Five Nations Championship 1966 Five Nations Championship The 1966 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 27 February 1965 | Twickenham, London | 9 – 6 | 1965 Five Nations Championship 1965 Five Nations Championship The 1965 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 22 February 1964 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 3 – 6 | 1964 Five Nations Championship 1964 Five Nations Championship The 1964 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 23 February 1963 | Twickenham, London | 6 – 5 | 1963 Five Nations Championship 1963 Five Nations Championship The 1963 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 24 February 1962 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 13 – 0 | 1962 Five Nations Championship 1962 Five Nations Championship The 1962 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 25 February 1961 | Twickenham, London | 5 – 5 | draw | 1961 Five Nations Championship 1961 Five Nations Championship The 1961 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 27 February 1960 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 3 – 3 | draw | 1960 Five Nations Championship 1960 Five Nations Championship The 1960 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 28 February 1959 | Twickenham, London | 3 – 3 | draw | 1959 Five Nations Championship 1959 Five Nations Championship The 1959 Five Nations Championship was the thirtieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 10... |
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| 1 March 1958 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 0 – 14 | 1958 Five Nations Championship 1958 Five Nations Championship The 1958 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 23 February 1957 | Twickenham, London | 9 – 5 | 1957 Five Nations Championship 1957 Five Nations Championship The 1956 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 14 April 1956 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 14 – 9 | 1956 Five Nations Championship 1956 Five Nations Championship The 1956 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 26 February 1955 | Twickenham, London | 9 – 16 | 1955 Five Nations Championship 1955 Five Nations Championship The 1955 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 10 April 1954 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 11 – 3 | 1954 Five Nations Championship 1954 Five Nations Championship The 1954 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixtieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 9... |
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| 28 February 1953 | Twickenham, London | 11 – 0 | 1953 Five Nations Championship 1953 Five Nations Championship The 1953 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 5 April 1952 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 3 – 6 | 1952 Five Nations Championship 1952 Five Nations Championship The 1952 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 24 February 1951 | Twickenham, London | 3 – 11 | 1951 Five Nations Championship 1951 Five Nations Championship The 1951 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
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| 25 February 1950 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 6 – 3 | 1950 Five Nations Championship 1950 Five Nations Championship The 1950 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 26 February 1949 | Twickenham, London | 8 – 3 | 1949 Five Nations Championship 1949 Five Nations Championship The 1949 Five Nations Championship was the twentieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 15... |
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| 29 March 1948 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 15 – 0 | 1948 Five Nations Championship 1948 Five Nations Championship The 1948 Five Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
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| 19 April 1947 | Twickenham, London | 6 – 3 | 1947 Five Nations Championship 1947 Five Nations Championship The 1947 Five Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 1... |
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| 6 April 1931 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 14 – 13 | 1931 Five Nations Championship 1931 Five Nations Championship The 1931 Five Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-fourth series of the annual northern hemisphere... |
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| 22 February 1930 | Twickenham, London | 11 – 5 | 1930 Five Nations Championship 1930 Five Nations Championship The 1930 Five Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-third series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 1 April 1929 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 6 – 16 | 1929 Five Nations Championship 1929 Five Nations Championship The 1929 Five Nations Championship was the fifteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-second series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 25 February 1928 | Twickenham, London | 18 – 8 | 1928 Five Nations Championship 1928 Five Nations Championship The 1928 Five Nations Championship was the fourteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-first series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 2 April 1927 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 3 – 0 | 1927 Five Nations Championship 1927 Five Nations Championship The 1927 Five Nations Championship was the thirteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the fortieth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 27 February 1926 | Twickenham, London | 11 – 0 | 1926 Five Nations Championship 1926 Five Nations Championship The 1926 Five Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-ninth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 13 April 1925 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 11 – 13 | 1925 Five Nations Championship 1925 Five Nations Championship The 1925 Five Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 23 February 1924 | Twickenham, London | 19 – 7 | 1924 Five Nations Championship 1924 Five Nations Championship The 1924 Five Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-seventh series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 2 April 1923 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 3 – 12 | 1923 Five Nations Championship 1923 Five Nations Championship The 1923 Five Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-sixth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 25 February 1922 | Twickenham, London | 11 – 11 | draw | 1922 Five Nations Championship 1922 Five Nations Championship The 1922 Five Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-fifth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 28 March 1921 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 6 – 10 | 1921 Five Nations Championship 1921 Five Nations Championship The 1921 Five Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-fourth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 31 January 1920 | Twickenham, London | 8 – 3 | 1920 Five Nations Championship 1920 Five Nations Championship The 1920 Five Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship, and the first played since the 1914 Games due to World War I. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the... |
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| 13 April 1914 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 13 – 39 | 1914 Five Nations Championship 1914 Five Nations Championship The 1914 Five Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-second series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 25 January 1913 | Twickenham, London | 20 – 0 | 1913 Five Nations Championship 1913 Five Nations Championship The 1913 Five Nations Championship was the fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-first series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 8 April 1912 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 8 – 18 | 1912 Five Nations Championship 1912 Five Nations Championship The 1912 Five Nations Championship was the third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirtieth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby union... |
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| 28 January 1911 | Twickenham, London | 37 – 0 | 1911 Five Nations Championship 1911 Five Nations Championship The 1911 Five Nations Championship was the second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the twenty-ninth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 3 March 1910 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 3 – 11 | 1910 Five Nations Championship 1910 Five Nations Championship The 1910 Five Nations Championship was the first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the twenty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby... |
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| 30 January 1909 | Welford Road, Leicester Leicester Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest... |
22 – 0 | |||
| 1 January 1908 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 0 – 19 | |||
| 5 January 1907 | Athletic Ground Athletic Ground, Richmond The Athletic Ground, Richmond, is a rugby ground home to National League 2 South side Richmond F.C. and the RFU Championship side London Scottish... , Richmond London |
41 – 13 | |||
| 22 March 1906 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 8 – 35 |
Breakdown
In the World Cup, the teams have played on five occasions, with England winning three and France two; there have been no draws. In these games, England have scored 78 points, and France 64.In the Five Nations (1910-1999), England have played France on 70 occasions, England winning 36, France 27 and seven matches have been drawn. In these games, England have scored 889 points, and France 775.
In the Six Nations (2000-present), England have played France on 12 occasions, England winning seven, France five and no matches have been drawn. In these games, England have scored 258 points, and France 200.
In other test matches, England have played France on eight occasions, England winning five, France three with none drawn. Overall, England have scored 202 points, and France 95.
2003 World Cup Semi Final
England had come into the 2003 World Cup as favourites, but up to the semi final their form was steady rather than spectacular. In the quarter final stages, France beat IrelandIreland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
convincingly, whilst England stuttered to a victory over Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. These results meant many thought France could spring a surprise and get to their second successive final.
The weather on the day was heavy rain and torrential winds, which experts believed would fancy the English forward-dominated game, rather than the French free-flowing backs game. Johnny Wilkinson opened the scoring with a drop goal within the first ten minutes, before Serge Betsen
Serge Betsen
Serge Betsen Tchoua is a French rugby union player who plays as a flanker for London Wasps at club level and formerly for internationally...
scored a try after stealing a lineout. The try was converted by Frederick Michalak.
The game soon swung back in England's favour, when French winger Christophe Dominici
Christophe Dominici
Christophe Dominici is a former French rugby union footballer of Italian origin. He played wing for Stade Français and France. He has been a coach with Stade Français since the start of the 2008/9 season and a board member since 2009/10 season.-Club career:Christophe Dominici was born in Toulon...
was sin-binned for a deliberate trip on Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...
. Wilkinson added another nine points before half time, to give England a 12-7 lead.
England continued to dominate in the second half, helped by an out of sorts Michalak missing his third penalty. Betsen became the second French player to get sin binned after a late challenge on Wilkinson, who converted the subsequent penalty. Shortly after Wilkinson made it a hat trick of drop goals. England wrapped up the game with another two penalties from Johnny Wilkinson and a final score of 24-7.
The win put England into their first final since the 1991 World Cup, where they would play same opponents Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
on their home ground. Afterwards, French captain, Fabien Galthie
Fabien Galthié
Fabien Galthié is a French rugby union coach and former player. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played much of his club rugby for Colomiers, and later on in his career, Stade Français. Galthié won 64 caps for France, including four Rugby World Cup appearances, as well as captaining the...
conceded that "England adapted to the weather better than us", whilst his English counterpart Martin Johnson said "we needed passion and it was a great display".
2007 World Cup Semi Final
Before the 2007 World Cup began, both defending champions England and last time semi finalists France were considered outsiders to win the tournament. England had stuttered through the group stages, losing 36-0 to South AfricaSouth Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
but ended up second in the group. In the quarter finals, England caused a great upset by beating arch-rivals Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
12-10, despite many pundits writing off their chances before the game.
France also qualified a disappointing second from their group, after losing to Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
. The French were also underdogs for their quarter final against pre-tournament favourites New Zealand. France ended up winning thanks to a disputed winning try by Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion is a French rugby union footballer. He plays at centre for Stade Toulousain and the French national team....
.
Despite beating the Wallabies, the English were still heavily tipped to lose, mainly because the French were expected to challenge more upfront. Five victories in the last six matches also meant that recent track record was in favour of France. England had not won in Paris since 2000. The game began 21:00 local time and within two minutes a box kick by English scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall
Andy Gomarsall
Andrew Charles Thomas Gomarsall MBE is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Leeds Carnegie and England.He previously played for Gloucester Rugby, Bedford and Wasps...
was not dealt with by French full-back Damien Traille
Damien Traille
Damien Traille is a French rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centre, fly-half and fullback. He currently plays for Biarritz Olympique in the Top 14 club competition in France...
and Josh Lewsey
Josh Lewsey
Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played fullback, wing or centre for Wasps.-Career:...
capitalized with a try. Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
missed the conversion to the left. Two penalties before half time by Lionel Beauxis
Lionel Beauxis
Lionel Beauxis is a French rugby union player. He is tall and weighs . He plays at fly half for Stade Français....
gave the French a slender advantage.
Shortly after half time, Beauxis scored his third penalty to give France a 9-5 advantage. Minutes later, Wilkinson scored his first successful kick of the game to bring it back to one point. Wilkinson could have given England the lead, but his drop goal could only hit the upright. France also had a chance to score, when Vincent Clerc
Vincent Clerc
Vincent Clerc is a French rugby union player who plays on the wing.-Biography:Born in the city of Échirolles, suburb of the south of Grenoble , Clerc first played rugby at FC Grenoble, helping them reach the Top 16 before moving to Toulouse in 2002, where he has been playing ever since...
looked certain to score a try; however a last ditch tap tackle by Joe Worsley
Joe Worsley
Joseph Paul Richard Worsley MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played flanker for Wasps and England.-Biography:...
prevented him and kept England in the match.
In the 75th minute, Wilkinson slotted in a penalty to give England the lead. Only three minutes later he scored another three points, this time through a drop goal, to give England a 14-9 lead, with only two minutes left. Despite heavy pressure from the French, England managed to hold on.
After the game, England's manager Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (rugby player)
William Brian Ashton MBE is a former rugby union player and the former Head Coach of the England and Ireland national rugby union teams.-Biography:...
commented, "these guys won't give up. People talk about a British bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
spirit and it is very much here in this group". The England captain, Phil Vickery also praised the team by saying, "to beat France in France in a World Cup semi-final is a huge effort from everyone". The French manager Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
rued the missed try opportunity, noting "if we had scored that try we would have won the match, but we didn't".