Thomas Ramos’ penalty with the final kick in Paris settled the tightest Six Nations title race in tournament history, giving France a 48–46 win over England and securing the championship on points difference.
From 45 metres out, wide on the right, Ramos maintained his perfect record from the tee to finish with 18 points. The kick denied Ireland the title by seconds and left England, who outscored France by seven tries to six, with their fourth defeat of the campaign and statistically their worst-ever Six Nations.
The match closed a championship that delivered decisive results almost every weekend. Italy recorded their best modern-era campaign, Wales finally broke a long winless run, Scotland and France produced high-scoring rugby, and Ireland recovered from setbacks to remain in contention to the final minute in Paris. England, under pressure after losses to Scotland, Ireland and Italy, produced their most complete performance in round five yet still came up short.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey was named man of the match after scoring four tries, continuing a run of at least one try in every game for the second Six Nations in succession. The 22-year-old finished as one of the tournament’s leading try-scorers and again demonstrated his impact in broken play and on kick chases.
England arrived in Paris with no chance of the title but under clear scrutiny. The RFU had publicly backed head coach Steve Borthwick while stressing the need for rapid improvement, effectively framing the final four fixtures as a block on which his tenure would be judged. On this evidence, England showed clear progress in attack, but their discipline and game management again proved costly.
From the start, England played with more variety and intent than in Rome or Edinburgh. They attacked from turnover ball, used contestable kicks to pressure the French back three and kept their forwards active around the corner. The pack, led by Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum, established a solid set-piece platform and a productive maul. Chessum’s intercept try from distance was a key moment, though grounding closer to the posts might have eased the kicking task.
England’s bench also influenced the contest. Henry Pollock made a series of tackles and carries in a short spell, and Marcus Smith, winning his 50th cap, threatened the defensive line with ball in hand. However, missed kicks from Fin Smith and a penalty try conceded on the stroke of half-time underlined a continuing problem area. During Ellis Genge’s sin-bin, France added two more tries, turning a tight contest in their favour.
Defensively, England struggled with kicks in behind, conceding three tries from similar movements as France exploited space in the back field. Those lapses, combined with penalties under pressure, kept the scoreboard moving for the hosts and allowed Ramos to maintain control from the tee.
For France, this result eases pressure on Fabien Galthié after criticism following defeat in Murrayfield. Antoine Dupont directed play effectively at scrum-half, Mathieu Jalibert managed territory at fly-half, and the back three took advantage of England’s defensive weaknesses. France did not dominate throughout, but they capitalised on most scoring opportunities and relied on Ramos’ accuracy to edge ahead at the end.
The broader picture leaves contrasting conclusions. France emerge as champions after a campaign that was not flawless but still the most consistent across five rounds. England exit with only one win yet with evidence of an attacking framework that, if repeated, could underpin future progress.
The key question for Borthwick and his squad is whether this performance represents a one-off, fuelled by external pressure and the occasion, or the start of a reliable standard. For England, this level now has to be the baseline rather than an exception.
