England cast off the shackles to deliver their best performance of the Six Nations but it was not enough to stop Thomas Ramos from landing a last-gasp penalty to ignite France title celebrations.
Tommy Freeman produced a brilliant finish with three minutes left of an exhilarating clash in Paris to propel England in front, but Ramos found the posts from long-range in the final act of the championship to clinch a 48-46 victory.
Steve Borthwick’s side were transformed from the team that collapsed to three consecutive defeats, running in seven tries as their attack finally fired with the outstanding Ollie Chessum crossing twice.
It was also the night their pack flexed their muscles by submitting France up front, inspired by Chessum, the relentless Ben Earl and props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes. But they were hurt by their eighth yellow card of the tournament shown to Genge and the exquisite finishing of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who touched down four times.
Relive all the action from the Stade de France with our live blog below:
France vs England live
- Thomas Ramos slots a penalty with the final kick of the game to snatch the Six Nations title for France
- Les Bleus triumphed 48-46 after a breathless instant classic to cap a sensational championship
- England bounced back from three awful performances with a brilliant display in Paris but fell agonisingly short
- 80′ – PENALTY! Ramos holds his nerve from the tee at the death to put France back ahead once and for all (FRA 48-46 ENG)
- 77′ – TRY! Freeman crashes through the middle to put England on top late on (FRA 45-46 ENG)
- 66′ – TRY! Bielle-Biarrey with a fourth try after latching on to Dupont’s kick over the top (FRA 45-39 ENG)
- 57′ – TRY! Marcus Smith slices his way to the line to put England back ahead (FRA 38-39 ENG)
Today saw 29 tries scored
22:53 , Ciara FearnThe highest total ever in a single day in Six Nations history.
France are 2026 Six Nations champions
22:50 , Ciara Fearn
England captain Maro Itoje: ‘This England team is going places’
22:45 , Ciara FearnEngland captain Maro Itoje, speaking to ITV:
“We had a tough couple of games. We are disappointed to lose this one but showed the spirit of this team.
“In sport you often don’t want to go through the experiences we went through in the last few games but I truly believe we are going places.
“We will learn from our experiences and be better for them.”
Thomas Ramos kicks France to Six Nations glory as England show what might have been in epic clash
22:31 , Harry Latham-Coyle at the Stade de FranceWhat a bewildering, bonkers end to this most ludicrous of Six Nations campaigns.
Just when we thought we had seen the last twist or turn, just when we felt we had seen that which would not be topped, just when a sense of calm seemed to have returned to the competition, France and England created up a contest that can only be characterised as an assault on one’s senses and sensibilities. If it ended with the expected outcome – France securing back-to-back titles – almost nothing about an 80 minutes of 94 points seemed formed of any sort of logic.
Where had this England been? If it felt fanciful that France had scored 40 points a week ago and lost, it felt even more improbable that they had to score eight more to hold on to their Six Nations crown.
Eventually, thanks to Thomas Ramos’s nerveless penalty with the clock in the red, a team that had arrived in Paris in a state of crisis were finally put to bed; England valiant, but not victorious, somehow, beaten with the last kick.
Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s full report from Paris:
Jonny Wilkinson: ‘England looked dangerous’
22:29 , Ciara FearnWorld Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson on England, speaking on ITV:
“England looked dangerous every time they had ball in hand. France struggled to contain them and match them physically.
“There was real dominance. The lineout, the scrum, all came together. You could start to see a picture. There was forward dominance.
“Guys in the backline looked different, got to show stuff that had been hidden in the closet. They will be feeling good despite losing.”
France defence coach Shaun Edwards on ITV: ‘Another crazy game’
22:27 , Ciara Fearn”Another crazy game, a great one for the fans, rugby at the moment is phenomenal.
“If it was just your team conceding lots of points you would be worried, it’s frustrating but that’s the way the game is going. Look at the scores all around the world, it’s a regular occurence nowadays.
“It’s a group we are building, they can improve in the future.
“That’s my seventh Six Nations – by the way.”
Steve Borthwick on Ellis Genge’s yellow card: ‘it was debatable’
22:23 , Ciara Fearn”Yellow cards have hurt us in this tournament – but I think it was a very debatable yellow card, like Henry Arundell’s against Scotland.
“Luck has gone against us but we have to be better.”
England head coach Steve Borthwick, speaking to ITV Sport: ‘We didn’t win but I hope they can be proud’
22:19 , Ciara Fearn”It was an excellent game against a formidable opponent so huge congratulations to France. Two very good sides went head to head.
“This performance came from training and working on the relationships in the team.
“We were disappointed by the last few weeks and wanted to put on a performance for our fans. We didn’t win but I hope they can be proud.”
France are 2026 Six Nations champions
22:14 , Ciara Fearn
Full-time! France 48-46 England
22:07 , Ciara FearnEngland are heartbroken but can hold their heads high after an outstanding performance.
Penalty! France (Ramos) 48-46 England
22:05 , Ciara Fearn81 mins: In the dying moments, Ramos slots the kick, clinching back-to-back titles for France.
France 45-46 England
22:04 , Ciara Fearn80 mins:France win a penalty near halfway for a high tackle, followed by another penalty for a deliberate knock-on by Itoje.
It all comes down to this one kick to decide the title.
France 45-46 England
22:02 , Ciara Fearn79 mins: We’re into the final minutes of the tournament.
France were pressing inside the England 22, England turned it over, but possession is now back with France.
TRY! France 45-46 England (Freeman)
22:00 , Ciara Fearn77 mins: England are back on the attack inside the French 22.
With a penalty advantage just five metres out, they don’t even need it – England move the ball to the backs and Freeman times his run perfectly to score unchallenged.
Marcus Smith slots the simple conversion, putting England ahead.
France 45-39 England
21:58 , Ciara Fearn75 mins: Cowan-Dickie is held up just short of the line and England’s opportunity slips away with five minutes remaining.
England make a triple forward substitution, bringing on Rodd, Davison, and Cunningham-South.
France 45-39 England
21:56 , Ciara Fearn74 mins: England come close as Murley charges toward the tryline, but Ramos arrives just in time to clear the ball to safety.
France are now down to 14 players for the rest of the match, with Demba Bamba shown a yellow card, ending his night early.
France 45-39 England
21:54 , Ciara Fearn73 mins: England win a penalty and Dupont is cautioned over his team’s discipline inside their 22.
The next infringement sees a player sent to the sin-bin. England opt to go to the corner.
France 45-39 England
21:52 , Ciara Fearn69 mins: England earn a scrum penalty on the 10-metre line.
Smith kicks the ball into the French 22.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey the phenom
21:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle at the Stade de FranceIt really is quite the sight to watch Louis Bielle-Biarrey in full flow. He spotted the space immediately there as Antoine Dupont surveyed his options at that ruck, pointing where he wanted the scrum half to put it and knowing he’d be quick enough to get there. Jack van Poortvliet did very, very well to even be within clutching distance – that’s a record ninth try of the tournament for LBB.
TRY! France (Bielle-Biarrey) 45-39 England
21:46 , Ciara Fearn65 mins: Four tries now for the electric French winger.
He collects a clever kick over the top from Dupont, beats an England defender to the ball, taps it toward the tryline and puts France ahead.
France 38-39 England
21:43 , Ciara Fearn62 mins: Sam Underhill earns his 50th cap, joining Marcus Smith in reaching the milestone.
France 38-39 England
21:42 , Ciara Fearn60 mins: From inside their own half, Smith finds his club teammate Freeman with plenty of space on the left wing, sending a precise pass.
England advance into the French 22 but are stopped for holding on.
A scuffle breaks out afterward, prompting the referee to issue warnings to both captains.
France 38-39 England
21:36 , Ciara Fearn59 mins: England fumble the kick-off, but just moments later France give away a penalty for coming in at the side of the ruck.
TRY! France 38-39 (Smith) England
21:36 , Ciara Fearn57 mins: Marcus Smith has barely been on the field, yet he’s already surged in to score a try and followed it up by slotting the conversion to put his team ahead!
France 38-32 France
21:32 , Ciara Fearn55 mins: The momentum keeps swinging in this game and it’s now tilting toward England. They earn a penalty on halfway for an off-the-ball tackle.
Coles’ night appears to be done with Pollock coming on as his replacement.
Marcus Smith is on for his 50th cap in place of Daly.
France 38-32 England
21:30 , Ciara Fearn53 mins: England are back to full strength with Genge returning from his time in the sin-bin.
They’ve also made a couple of substitutions, bringing on Cowan-Dickie and van Poortvliet.
TRY! France 38-32 (Chessum)
21:28 , Ciara Fearn51 mins: Ollie Chessum produces a stunning solo try reading a pass inside his own half, intercepting and racing away to the line.
Smith misses the conversion adding to his tally of six missed kicks from the tee.
TRY! France (Attissogbe) 38-27 England
21:27 , Ciara Fearn48 mins: England are feeling the pressure as France start to find their rhythm.
The home side win a penalty near the posts and take it quickly.
Dupont spots Attissogbe with plenty of space on the right wing and delivers a perfect pass, allowing the winger an easy finish.
The conversion is added and England suddenly have a huge challenge ahead.
France 31-27 England
21:24 , Ciara Fearn47 mins: France make a couple of front-row substitutions, bringing Mauvaka and Bamba onto the field.
France 31-27 England
21:23 , Ciara Fearn45 mins: England haven’t helped themselves with moments of poor discipline, but they’ve also been on the wrong end of some harsh calls.
France are inside the England 22 and putting the visitors under pressure, but Itoje steps up with a crucial penalty at the breakdown to relieve the pressure.
France 31-27 England
21:21 , Ciara Fearn44 mins: England are forced to take Earl off temporarily to bring on a loosehead prop while Genge serves his time in the sin-bin. Rodd comes on.
TRY! France (Bielle-Biarrey) 31-27 England
21:19 , Ciara Fearn43 mins: Bielle-Biarrey completes his hat-trick!
A dream start to the second half for the hosts and a nightmare for the visitors. Dupont collects the ball – always a threat – before France swing it wide to Bielle-Biarrey, who finishes brilliantly to claim his third try.
Kick-off! France 24-27 England
21:16 , Ciara FearnThe second-half is underway!
England will be down to 14 players for the first 10 minutes of the second half due to Genge’s yellow card.
Earl is back on after leaving just before halftime to have his head injury treated.
WATCH: Ellis Genge sent to the sin-bin
21:15 , Luke BakerHere’s that slightly controversial yellow card for Ellis Genge. It means the first 10 minutes of this second half will have England down to 14 men.
Ill discipline costs England
21:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle at the Stade de FranceSteve Borthwick was full of frustration at that decision, clearly feeling that Maro Itoje was impeded as Thibaud Flament came back down to floor at that lineout. That rule is so pernickety and, sometimes, inconsistently officiated, but you’d say he has a point – it was a surprise to see referee Nika Amashukeli and TMO Brett Cronan look at it for so long and then rule it licit.
That rather takes the shine off a brilliant half for England as their ill-discipline rears its ugly head again. Playing 10 minutes a man down is particularly tough against a side with France’s capacity to find space, and Ellis Genge has been a real force at both the scrum and in the loose.
France 24-27 England
21:09 , Ciara Fearn
Half-time! France 24-27 England
21:02 , Ciara FearnThat concludes the half with England leading by three though they will start the second half a man down for the first ten minutes.
Penalty try & yellow-card! France 24-27 England
21:02 , Ciara Fearn42 mins: France win another penalty after England are penalised for bringing down the maul illegally with Ellis Genge the player under TMO review.
If he’s sent to the sin-bin, it would appear inconsistent as France had no player sent off earlier in the half.
Genge is shown yellow and a penalty try is awarded to France.
France 17-27 England
20:57 , Ciara Fearn40 mins: England are under pressure inside their 22 with the half about to end, but they’re penalised for offside.
Jalibert opts for the corner.
Penalty! France 17-27 England (Smith)
20:54 , Ciara Fearn38 mins: Smith slots an easy kick from directly in front of the posts.
England make a blood substitution with Pollock coming on for Earl.
France 17-24 England
20:53 , Ciara Fearn36 mins: France are under pressure and concede another penalty with Barassi caught offside.
It’s well within Smith’s kicking range and Itoje signals for the posts.
TRY! France 17-24 England (Coles)
20:52 , Ciara Fearn34 mins: Coles gets England’s bonus point!
From the lineout England drive the maul and France are penalised for bringing it down illegally.
Playing advantage, Freeman charges forward before Spencer swings a pass wide to Chessum who feeds Coles for the try.
Smith’s conversion attempt slips off the tee, but he casually drop-kicks it through the posts to add the extras.
France 17-17 England
20:49 , Ciara Fearn32 mins: A powerful English scrum earns a penalty with plenty of congratulations going to the front row.
England are making ground controlling the mauls and showing dominance at the scrum as well.
Smith kicks to touch inside the opposition 22.
England produce the rugby they’ve lacked
20:49 , Harry Latham-Coyle at the Stade de FranceThis feels like we are watching the type of side that England regularly claim they are, one with the ambition to throw the extra pass and try things in attack. There has been a noticeable punch and purpose in the carry from Maro Itoje, while Ben Spencer has seldom looked this threatening around the fringes. Where has this been?
France 17-17 England
20:47 , Ciara Fearn29 mins: Freeman bursts down the left wing with pace, but his promising run is undone by a poorly timed offload that goes forward off a surprised Daly.
TRY! France 17-17 England (Chessum)
20:43 , Ciara Fearn27 mins: England continue to dominate with another strong catch and drive taking them right to the French tryline.
After a few pick-and-go phases, Chessum dives through a gap to score with Smith converting once more.
France 17-10 England
20:41 , Ciara Fearn26 mins: Play is halted as Ben Earl receives treatment for a nasty head cut. England have been impressive so far, but they remain behind.
France 17-10 England
20:39 , Ciara Fearn25 mins: England secure the lineout and drive the maul forward, powering through the French 22.
France are penalised. The home side are fortunate there wasn’t a yellow card, as the England maul was doing well.
France 17-10 England
20:39 , Luke BakerAn absolutely breathless encounter in Paris but it’s been compelling stuff
Penalty! France (Ramos) 17-10 England
20:37 , Ciara Fearn23 mins: Ramos adds another keeping his perfect record from the tee at three out of three.
No try! France (Jalibert) 14-10 England
20:35 , Ciara Fearn21 mins: TMO confirms that Murley grounded the ball before Jalibert.
France were playing advantage for an offside, so Ramos will still have a chance at goal.
TRY! France 14-10 England (Murley)
20:32 , Ciara Fearn18 mins: Four tries in the first 20 minutes as Murley scores England’s second again from a clever kick.
Spencer chips behind the French defence and under pressure from Smith, a retreating Attisogbe fails to secure the ball allowing Murley to touch down.
Smith misses the conversion once more, but England are right back in the game.
France 14-5 England
20:28 , Ciara Fearn16 mins: England try to strike back quickly but are penalised for crossing in front of the posts.
A frustrating moment for the visitors after a sustained period of pressure during which their forwards had been making serious inroads into the French defence.
Can they kick it?
20:27 , Harry Latham-Coyle at the Stade de FranceA captivating start, with both sides producing some fun, intricate and imaginative attacking rugby. That’s three tries already, all created by a kick – two Thomas Ramos grubbers and a little chipped Ben Spencer contestable. Putting boot to ball need not always be boring…
TRY! France (Bielle-Biarrey) 14-5 England
20:26 , Ciara Fearn12 mins: Bielle-Biarrey is over again! The winger now has 27 tries in 28 Tests. Jalibert’s vision and execution were superb with a perfectly weighted left-foot grubber giving Bielle-Biarrey an easy finish.
Ramos adds the simple conversion.
TRY! France 7-5 England (Roebuck)
20:23 , Ciara Fearn10 mins: England hit back perfectly!
They carry the ball in the French 22 moving left to right with smooth handling along the line setting up Daly’s final pass to Roebuck, who touches down neatly in the right corner.
Smith’s conversion misses, but England respond instantly through Roebuck.
TRY! France (Bielle-Biarrey) 7-0 England
20:21 , Ciara Fearn6 mins: Bielle-Biarrey crosses for his sixth try of the tournament!
Ramos’ grubber kick lands in the England 22 and Daly makes a costly mistake by stepping up had he stayed back the try could have been prevented.
The ball bounces favorably for Bielle-Biarrey rather than Murley, allowing the French winger to score.
Ramos successfully converts.
France 0-0 England
20:19 , Ciara Fearn5 mins: England defend the maul well with George nearly winning a turnover. Itoje goes in for a big tackle, but the referee gets in the way.
The ball goes into touch and from the resulting lineout England give away an easy penalty that pushes play back into their own half.
France 0-0 England
20:17 , Ciara Fearn4 mins: France win a turnover from Cros inside their own half and quickly look to counter.
Ramos attacks down the left supported by Bielle-Biarrey and kicks ahead, but the ball goes straight into touch.
Had it stayed in play, Bielle-Biarrey racing down the touchline could have caused serious problems for England.
France 0-0 England
20:14 , Ciara Fearn2 mins: Atkinson crosses in the corner, but play had already been stopped as the referee spotted a knock-on from Freeman.
Still, it was an encouraging move from England with Daly sending a grubber in behind the French defence that caused plenty of problems.
Kick-off! France 0-0 England
20:11 , Ciara Fearn1 min: Smith kicks things off in Saint-Denis.
France are wearing a light blue strip to mark 120 years of this fixture.
Six Nations title permutations: What do France and Ireland need to win championship?
16:32 , Luke BakerThe destination of the Six Nations title will be decided in the final match of the tournament with three teams in the hunt going into “Super Saturday”.
Scotland, though, are OUT of the title chase after losing 43-21 to Ireland in Dublin, unable to back up a sensational performance against France that threw the tournament open.
It means that Andy Farrell’s side top the table and must wait and see if France can beat England in Paris on Saturday night.
A win of any kind would be good enough for Les Bleus to retain their crown, while a draw with a four-try bonus point would also suffice given the strength of their points difference. An England success would hand Ireland the title.
