Six Nations 2026: England intrigue increases in defeat by France

“England put in a terrific performance; they had pace, skill, intensity, physicality and a real chance of winning,” former England scrum-half Matt Dawson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I feel bad for the players because they’re going to get beat but I want them to be super, super positive because if they keep playing like that for the next 18 months they’re going to compete in big tournaments and big games and win big games.”

And yet. When the adrenaline level drops, the questions will also increase.

Should England have bludgeoned victory?

With Chessum regrouping, the ball safely in goal, Sam Underhill, Henry Pollock and Chandler Cunningham-South standing up as a potential capsule, and with just two minutes left on the clock, could England keep the ball and extend the time?

Instead, Jack van Poortvliet, who moved slightly away from the bench, preferred to throw the ball away and into the field. Matthieu Jalibert, a broken-down field monster, accepted the invitation to run back and England were under the pump again.

Ending victories were a failure repeated in a series of close defeats in the autumn of 2024. This is a habit England do not want to regain.

What they certainly haven’t kicked yet is indiscipline. Of the 162 team campaigns in Six Nations history, only one – Italy 2002 – has collected more cards than England have this year.

The two came together and Henry Arundell’s eight yellows, a red in the 20th minute against Scotland, disrupted England from start to finish.

Ellis Genge was sent to the Paris sin dump and was adjudged to have cynically dragged down a France knocker sent for the line.

It may have been a marginal call, but England, backing their own ranks, knew the risk was great and the punishment for any transgression would be severe.

In the absence of the prop, France regained the lead.