By Mike Henson.
France strutted to a first Grand Slam in 12 years as they ran in three tries to comfortably see off England in front of a jubilant Stade de France.
Tries from Gael Fickou and Francois Cros gave the hosts a healthy half-time lead and left England playing catch-up in the Six Nations finale.
England’s Freddie Steward, deployed on the wing, stepped and swooped to score after Joe Marchant’s break after the interval.
But it was a rare moment of danger from England, who were kept at arm’s length.
France captain Antoine Dupont darted under the sticks soon after and the hosts played out the final 10 minutes in comfort as their fans started the party.
La Marseillaise reverberated round the stands and tricolores fluttered from every seat as the final scrum was set with the clock in the red.
Gregory Alldritt’s kick to the stands moments later was the signal for his team to drop to their knees and savour a clean sweep that has been brewing for the last couple of campaigns.
England finish third in the Six Nations, but this contest revealed the chasm that separates them from the champions.
France were superior in every area. Stronger up front, more accurate in the backs, tighter in defence, more clinical in attack.
For England, defeat is a sobering reality check. There are still 18 months until the start of the Rugby World Cup, but to close the gap on France in that timeframe requires swift, steep improvement.
There was little sign of it at the Stade de France. A campaign that started with Eddie Jones’ side stifled by Scotland, ended with them overwhelmed in Paris, and there have been precious few positives in between.
England had creaked long before the opening score. Fickou knocked on as an intricate pre-planned move prised open a hole for him before Jonathan Danty’s offload went to ground on a dangerous broken-field counter.
The visitors’ luck could not hold. France duly got a grip of the ball and the match. Gabin Villiere’s dart down the left dragged England’s defence out of shape and Romain Ntamack’s looping mispass found an unguarded Fickou, who dived over on the opposite wing.
England’s kick-heavy tactics worked on occasion. Twice in the first half, Freddie Steward chased Marcus Smith’s hoofs and managed to win the aerial battle.
But on both occasions, France were quicker into the breakdown to turn over possession and stem the momentum. The rest of the bombardment was eagerly gobbled up by full-back Melvyn Jaminet and his two wings.
France’s threat was never far from the surface, but England dredged in vain for a way through the defence.
The visitors rarely looked like stringing together a series of profitable phases to build pressure and only clung within range thanks to a pair of Marcus Smith penalties as half-time loomed.
Cros ensured the difference between the sides was better represented on the scoreboard by the break though as he stretched over to make it 18-6 after a sky-hooked one-hand pass from Fickou had sent Villiere scampering clear.
England’s toil suddenly, unexpectedly bore fruit early in the second half. Joe Marchant barrelled through a hole, Smith and Henry Slade combined to get the ball wide and Steward stepped inside the covering Ntamack to score.
Smith converted from the touchline. The lead was trimmed to five points.
It could have been where the Stade de France got twitchy. It could have been there the pressure of ending a Grand Slam drought bore down on the players. This generation is different though. Just as when Ireland threatened a comeback in round two, they found another gear.
Number eight Alldritt picked and went round the fringe and slipped the ball inside to Dupont, with whom he has played on and off since the pair were boys at the small-town southern club of Auch.
World Player of the Year Dupont did the rest, shrugging off two tacklers on his way in.
They are both stars on the biggest stage now. Few would bet against them or their team for the biggest prize either when France hosts the Rugby World Cup next year.