Rugby is the world's most physical sport after boxing, and in this match it showed. England's Jonny Wilkinson had a bloody lip after just 3 minutes, and Regan hammered a Frenchman with his giant hammer-like fists. This left the French manager calling Regan "a clown" after the game.
England beat France at the Stade de France, in the Six Nations, for the first time since the year 2000 although it was England's second win in succession there - they beat France there in the Semi-Final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup before losing to South Africa in the Final.
The French were hoping for a win to celebrate the Stade de France's tenth birthday - but England spoiled the party.
The English, were bigger, stronger and cleverer than their French opponents. Jonny Wilkinson broke a world record for drop goals scored in international games, and Wigglesworth scored England's winning try in his first full game.
Though the French did still manage to have a fireworks display after the match.
In the Six Nations' other games, Wales beat Italy and Ireland beat Scotland.
Sackey nails the French - winger gets England off to a flyer as it's World Cup revisited in Paris
By IAN STAFFORD
February 2008
Daily Mail
Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship 2008
France 13-24 England (at the Stade de France, Paris)
Paul Sackey scores England's first try against France in Paris last night as the World Cup finalists destroyed France
One world record beaten, another world record equalled, and Jonny Wilkinson capped another remarkable night as England finally woke up in this RBS Six Nations tournament to plunge another dagger into the heart of French rugby.
The supposedly under-pressure England fly-half became the highest drop-goal kicker in Test history, and also equalled Neil Jenkins' mark as the leading points scorer in the international game.
England's Jonny Wilkinson broke a world record for number of drop goals scored in international games last night
But he will be the first to say what really mattered in the Paris suburb of St Denis was that England ended French Grand Slam dreams and even made a shot at the title a possibility.
Wales, gunning for the Slam themselves, may have other ideas, but this victory transformed a disappointing campaign for England into one that could still end in glory.
There were shades of the World Cup semi-final when England, once again, made the perfect start to the evening's proceedings with a fifth-minute try that had much to do with their blitz defence.
France were in possession of the ball on their own 10-metre line when Jamie Noon launched such a big hit on Cedric Heymans that the ball squirted out of the full-back's hands.
Paul Sackey was the quickest to respond, hacking the ball on and then beating Francois Trinh-Duc in the chase to touch down, his seventh Test try in just 14 internationals.
Wilkinson converted from the angle and England, heavy underdogs though they were, found themselves seven points to the good.
This became 10 in the 13th minute when French lock Pascal Pape was penalised for hands in the ruck and Wilkinson slotted home the resulting penalty to give England, after two below displays in the tournament, the sort of start of which they could only have dreamed.
With the English pack also winning the early battles, especially loose head Andy Sheridan, who was making life miserable for opposite tight head Nicolas Mas, all the portents were good for Brian Ashton's team.
For all their attacking intent, this mix of French experience and youth finally had the chance to score some points in the 18th minute but Damien Traille's penalty miss hinted that French coach Marc Lievremont's decision not to field a recognised place-kicker could backfire. Ironically, it was French brawn that got them back into the game.
A limping James Haskell had been replaced by Tom Croft, making his international debut in one of the most intimidating venues in the world, when France captain Lionel Nallet burrowed through a brittle English defence from close range. Traille found his range with the conversion, but Wilkinson hit back with a penalty on the half hour after Thierry Dusatoir strayed offside and then Traille missed with another penalty five minutes before the break.
That was six points already gone begging for the French, and they returned to their dressing-room 13-7 down.
On the face of it, things had gone much better than hoped for from an English point of view. After a home defeat snatched from the jaws of victory against Wales, and a scraped win in Rome a fortnight ago, England came to Paris to face a French team unbeaten in two, playing with freedom clearly lacking in the World Cup, and eyeing up a fourth Six Nations title in five years.
Yet, the second half was still to come and this, on the evidence to date in this year's tournament, has been where it has all gone wrong for the English.
Still, France refused to make it any easier for themselves. Awarded a penalty that not even Traille would have missed, referee Steve Walsh reversed the 45th-minute decision when Dimitri Szarzewski piled into opposite hooker Mark Regan.
The 36-year-old, stupidly, soon got his own back by landing four successful forearm blows on to prop Lionel Faure's head.
The French gave up on Traille, threw the ball to debutant Morgan Parra, and watched as the 19-year-old scrum-half coolly slotted home the penalty as Regan was replaced hastily by Lee Mears.
Wilkinson had a chance to reinstate England's six-point lead but missed, unusually, with a 54th-minute penalty, then missed again with a second chance from an almost identical position on the left three minutes later.
In the 64th minute, however, Wilkinson hit the target with a left-footed drop goal that made history.
By scoring his 29th in internationals, he beat Argentina legend Hugo Porta's world best mark and eased England back into a six-point lead as the game entered its final throes.
Crucially, Wilkinson struck again with a 68th-minute penalty to extend England's lead to 19-10 and, once again, make history. Those three points made it 1090 in his 10- year career playing for England and the Lions.
Substitute Dimitri Yachvili managed to hit back with a 75th-minute penalty but scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth stole in for a try a minute from time after the pack had camped on the French line.
It capped a fine individual display and served up the last rites on a French side that cannot find a way to beat this curious England team.
Wilkinson missed the conversion, but this morning that will be the last thing on his mind.
CURRENT STANDINGS
.....................P....W....D....L....F....A....Points
Wales.............3.....3.....0.....0...103..42......6
Ireland............3.....2.....0.....1...71...50......4
France............3.....2.....0.....1...66...51......4
England...........3.....2.....0.....1...66...58......4
Italy................3.....0.....0....3...38....86.....0
Scotland...........3.....0.....0....3...34...91......0
FRANCE: Heymans; Rougerie (Floch 66min), Marty, Traille, Clerc; Trinh-Duc (Skrela 66), Parra (Yachvili 66); Faure, Szarzewski (Servat 59), Mas (Poux 56), Nallet, Pape (Thion 59), Bonnaire, Dusautoir, Picamoles (Ouedraogo 77).
ENGLAND: Balshaw; Sackey, Noon (Tait 70), Flood, Vainikolo; Wilkinson, Wigglesworth; Sheridan (Stevens 72), Regan (Mears 50), Vickery, Shaw (Kay 70), Borthwick, Haskell (Croft 21), Lipman, Easter. Subs: Mears, Stevens, Kay, Croft, Hodgson, Cipriani, Tait.
Referee: S Walsh (New Zealand).
France 13-24 England: Paul Sackey goes over for a fifth-minute try as England make a dream start in Paris
Jonny Wilkinson slots the conversion and then kicks a penalty to extend England's early lead to 10-0
England lose blind-side flanker James Haskell to injury before France captain Lionel Nallet gets his team's first try
Jamie Noon tackles France's Cedric Heymans as England battle to keep their opponents at bay
England are 13-7 ahead at half-time before their lead is cut by scrum-half Morgan Parra's penalty
But Wilkinson kicks a drop-goal and then another penalty to put England within sight of victory
And Richard Wigglesworth's late try seals England's first Six Nations win in France for eight years
Coach Brian Ashton embraces Wigglesworth and Wilkinson as England celebrate an important victory
England beat France at the Stade de France, in the Six Nations, for the first time since the year 2000 although it was England's second win in succession there - they beat France there in the Semi-Final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup before losing to South Africa in the Final.
The French were hoping for a win to celebrate the Stade de France's tenth birthday - but England spoiled the party.
The English, were bigger, stronger and cleverer than their French opponents. Jonny Wilkinson broke a world record for drop goals scored in international games, and Wigglesworth scored England's winning try in his first full game.
Though the French did still manage to have a fireworks display after the match.
In the Six Nations' other games, Wales beat Italy and Ireland beat Scotland.
Sackey nails the French - winger gets England off to a flyer as it's World Cup revisited in Paris
By IAN STAFFORD
February 2008
Daily Mail
Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship 2008
France 13-24 England (at the Stade de France, Paris)
Paul Sackey scores England's first try against France in Paris last night as the World Cup finalists destroyed France
One world record beaten, another world record equalled, and Jonny Wilkinson capped another remarkable night as England finally woke up in this RBS Six Nations tournament to plunge another dagger into the heart of French rugby.
The supposedly under-pressure England fly-half became the highest drop-goal kicker in Test history, and also equalled Neil Jenkins' mark as the leading points scorer in the international game.
England's Jonny Wilkinson broke a world record for number of drop goals scored in international games last night
But he will be the first to say what really mattered in the Paris suburb of St Denis was that England ended French Grand Slam dreams and even made a shot at the title a possibility.
Wales, gunning for the Slam themselves, may have other ideas, but this victory transformed a disappointing campaign for England into one that could still end in glory.
There were shades of the World Cup semi-final when England, once again, made the perfect start to the evening's proceedings with a fifth-minute try that had much to do with their blitz defence.
France were in possession of the ball on their own 10-metre line when Jamie Noon launched such a big hit on Cedric Heymans that the ball squirted out of the full-back's hands.
Paul Sackey was the quickest to respond, hacking the ball on and then beating Francois Trinh-Duc in the chase to touch down, his seventh Test try in just 14 internationals.
Wilkinson converted from the angle and England, heavy underdogs though they were, found themselves seven points to the good.
This became 10 in the 13th minute when French lock Pascal Pape was penalised for hands in the ruck and Wilkinson slotted home the resulting penalty to give England, after two below displays in the tournament, the sort of start of which they could only have dreamed.
With the English pack also winning the early battles, especially loose head Andy Sheridan, who was making life miserable for opposite tight head Nicolas Mas, all the portents were good for Brian Ashton's team.
For all their attacking intent, this mix of French experience and youth finally had the chance to score some points in the 18th minute but Damien Traille's penalty miss hinted that French coach Marc Lievremont's decision not to field a recognised place-kicker could backfire. Ironically, it was French brawn that got them back into the game.
A limping James Haskell had been replaced by Tom Croft, making his international debut in one of the most intimidating venues in the world, when France captain Lionel Nallet burrowed through a brittle English defence from close range. Traille found his range with the conversion, but Wilkinson hit back with a penalty on the half hour after Thierry Dusatoir strayed offside and then Traille missed with another penalty five minutes before the break.
That was six points already gone begging for the French, and they returned to their dressing-room 13-7 down.
On the face of it, things had gone much better than hoped for from an English point of view. After a home defeat snatched from the jaws of victory against Wales, and a scraped win in Rome a fortnight ago, England came to Paris to face a French team unbeaten in two, playing with freedom clearly lacking in the World Cup, and eyeing up a fourth Six Nations title in five years.
Yet, the second half was still to come and this, on the evidence to date in this year's tournament, has been where it has all gone wrong for the English.
Still, France refused to make it any easier for themselves. Awarded a penalty that not even Traille would have missed, referee Steve Walsh reversed the 45th-minute decision when Dimitri Szarzewski piled into opposite hooker Mark Regan.
The 36-year-old, stupidly, soon got his own back by landing four successful forearm blows on to prop Lionel Faure's head.
The French gave up on Traille, threw the ball to debutant Morgan Parra, and watched as the 19-year-old scrum-half coolly slotted home the penalty as Regan was replaced hastily by Lee Mears.
Wilkinson had a chance to reinstate England's six-point lead but missed, unusually, with a 54th-minute penalty, then missed again with a second chance from an almost identical position on the left three minutes later.
In the 64th minute, however, Wilkinson hit the target with a left-footed drop goal that made history.
By scoring his 29th in internationals, he beat Argentina legend Hugo Porta's world best mark and eased England back into a six-point lead as the game entered its final throes.
Crucially, Wilkinson struck again with a 68th-minute penalty to extend England's lead to 19-10 and, once again, make history. Those three points made it 1090 in his 10- year career playing for England and the Lions.
Substitute Dimitri Yachvili managed to hit back with a 75th-minute penalty but scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth stole in for a try a minute from time after the pack had camped on the French line.
It capped a fine individual display and served up the last rites on a French side that cannot find a way to beat this curious England team.
Wilkinson missed the conversion, but this morning that will be the last thing on his mind.
CURRENT STANDINGS
.....................P....W....D....L....F....A....Points
Wales.............3.....3.....0.....0...103..42......6
Ireland............3.....2.....0.....1...71...50......4
France............3.....2.....0.....1...66...51......4
England...........3.....2.....0.....1...66...58......4
Italy................3.....0.....0....3...38....86.....0
Scotland...........3.....0.....0....3...34...91......0
FRANCE: Heymans; Rougerie (Floch 66min), Marty, Traille, Clerc; Trinh-Duc (Skrela 66), Parra (Yachvili 66); Faure, Szarzewski (Servat 59), Mas (Poux 56), Nallet, Pape (Thion 59), Bonnaire, Dusautoir, Picamoles (Ouedraogo 77).
ENGLAND: Balshaw; Sackey, Noon (Tait 70), Flood, Vainikolo; Wilkinson, Wigglesworth; Sheridan (Stevens 72), Regan (Mears 50), Vickery, Shaw (Kay 70), Borthwick, Haskell (Croft 21), Lipman, Easter. Subs: Mears, Stevens, Kay, Croft, Hodgson, Cipriani, Tait.
Referee: S Walsh (New Zealand).
France 13-24 England: Paul Sackey goes over for a fifth-minute try as England make a dream start in Paris
Jonny Wilkinson slots the conversion and then kicks a penalty to extend England's early lead to 10-0
England lose blind-side flanker James Haskell to injury before France captain Lionel Nallet gets his team's first try
Jamie Noon tackles France's Cedric Heymans as England battle to keep their opponents at bay
England are 13-7 ahead at half-time before their lead is cut by scrum-half Morgan Parra's penalty
But Wilkinson kicks a drop-goal and then another penalty to put England within sight of victory
And Richard Wigglesworth's late try seals England's first Six Nations win in France for eight years
Coach Brian Ashton embraces Wigglesworth and Wilkinson as England celebrate an important victory
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