RUGBY UNION, SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
Rampant England played probably their best rugby since 2003 today as they destroyed France in the Six Nations Championship.
In 2003, England were undeniably the best team on the planet, beating every team who came up against them, and thenwent on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup, beating host nation Australia in the Final.
In recent years, however, they've struggled to find that form with their warriors from 2003 retiring and new, younger players coming in - although they did somehow reach the Final of the 2007 World Cup, before losing narrowly to South Africa.
Most of their performances recently - except the latter stages of the 2007 World Cup - have been pretty miserable, but we mustn't forget that England have a fairly good excuse for this. They are a team in transition, whereas the other teams in the Six Nations Championship - France, Italy, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - are all fielding almost full-strength sides.
So if an England side in transition can totally rip apart a full-strength French team, it's daunting to that of what a fully-functioning, full-strength England side can achieve.
England's greatest defeat over France was a 37-0 whalloping in 1911. That record looked like being smashed today as England ran riot, scoring four tries in just the first half as England led at the break 29-0. They took their foot off the gas in the second half, scoring just one more try, but it was still enough against the lacklustre French.
England are now the tournament's leading try scorers, with one more games (against Scotland) still to come.
By Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport
SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
VS
ENGLAND 34-10 FRANCE(at Twickenham Stadium, London. Attendance: 82,000)
England: Armitage, Cueto, Tindall, Flutey, Monye, Flood, Ellis, Sheridan, Mears, Vickery, Borthwick, Shaw, Croft, Worsley, Easter.
Replacements: Tait for Monye (72), Goode for Flood (40), Care for Ellis (55), White for Sheridan (66), Hartley for Mears (57), Haskell for Shaw (57), Kennedy for Worsley (68 ).
*****************************************
France: Medard, Malzieu, Bastareaud, Jauzion, Heymans, Trinh-Duc, Parra, Faure, Szarzewski, Marconnet, Nallet, Thion, Dusautoir, Chabal, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Fritz for Bastareaud (46), Traille for Trinh-Duc (46), Tillous-Borde for Parra (59), Domingo for Faure (51), Kayser for Szarzewski (59), Bonnaire for Thion (46), Picamoles for Harinordoquy (68 ).
CURRENT STANDINGS
.............P....W....D....L.....F....A....T...Points
Ireland....4.....4.....0....0..104...58...10.....8
Wales.....4.....3.....0....1...85....64....8......6
England..4.....2.....0....2...98....58....13.....4
France...4.....2.....0....2...74....93.....7.....4
Scotland..4.....1.....0....3...67....76....4.....2
Italy.......4.....0.....0....4...41....120.. 1.....0
England stunned France with a magnificent first-half display to run out five-try winners at Twickenham.
Martin Johnson's under-pressure side answered their critics in emphatic fashion and led 29-0 at the break.
Mark Cueto, Riki Flutey, Delon Armitage and Joe Worsley all crossed in an astonishing first period before Flutey added his second.
France improved in the second half and scored through Dimitri Szarzewski and Julien Malzieu but the game was won.
England's attacking ambition took them to the top of the 2009 Six Nations try-scoring list with 13, but they will rue the undisciplined defeat by Ireland in Dublin which robbed them of a tilt at the title.
Johnson's men, berated beforehand for giving away 43 penalties and earning six yellow cards in this year's tournament, still conceded 13 penalties but retained 15 players on the field and came out determined to prove that all the talk about indiscipline was masking their development as a side.
As soon as the second minute, Flutey found himself running at French talisman Sebastien Chabal and ghosted around the big man before timing a perfect pass to Cueto to scamper under the posts, converted by Flood.
France shrugged off the early shock and grew into the game, showing signs of threat with a bullocking run from 20-year-old centre Mathieu Bastareaud.
For a brief spell, it looked as though England's fast start was in danger of being derailed after they gave away a couple of quick penalties, with veteran lock Simon Shaw the culprit. But Morgan Parra missed the first kick at goal and France declined the second.
But rather than the penalty disease that has plagued England in recent matches, this was a mere sniffle and England struck again soon after.
Worsley dived over to make it 29-0 to England at the break
From quick ball off the top of a line-out on the right Cueto took Flood's inside ball before offloading to Flutey outside him to race home.
France were shell-shocked and playing without any of their normal vigour, while England were playing fast, simple, disciplined rugby.
Blind-side flanker Tom Croft raced over soon after but was called back for an Armitage forward pass, before a Flood grubber kick nearly gave Flutey another score under the posts inside the last 10 minutes of the half.
But rather than resting on their laurels, England went for the kill and scored again after recycling the ball wide to Armitage to dive over on the left.
And as an encore, Worsley also went over on the left after scrum-half Harry Ellis's kick ahead had set up a forward base on the right side of the French line.
England were enjoying themselves and struck again straight after the break. Andy Goode, on for Flood who hurt his shoulder as he went for the line in the build-up to Worsley's try, snaffled the ball from Yannick Jauzion's fumble and fed Armitage, who hared off upfield.
The full-back spotted Flutey inside him and delayed his pass to give the centre the room to sprint under the posts for try number five.
French spirit may have seemed crushed but it was Johnson's men who relaxed and the visitors, refreshed by a raft of replacements, scored through Szarzewski and Malzieu as England reverted to a spell of indiscipline and received a lecture from referee Stuart Dickinson.
To France's credit, they subdued England for the rest of the half, though Armitage went close with another searing break behind opposition lines.
But Johnson's tenure as England manager is secured for now and the fans will look forward with more optimism than in recent times.
French fans decend on Twickenham ahead of today's Six Nations clash with England unware of the mauling their team is about to receive
England belt out the national anthem 'God save the Queen' ahead of today's clash with France
England make a great start with wing Mark Cueto scoring a first-minute try for the hosts
England's fine start continues as centre Riki Flutey crosses in the 22nd minute to increase their lead
Proud: Full-back Delon Armitage crosses in the 37th minute and celebrates by kissing his England rose
Flanker Joe Worsley's try just before half-time gives Martin Johnson's side a 29-0 lead at the break
England are in dreamland as Flutey scores his second of the game a minute after the re-start
Scrum-half Morgan Parra sums up France's afternoon as he line flat on his back on the Twickenham turf
Despite a late rally from France, England hold on to record a 34-10 victory much to the delight of the Twickenham crowd
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
Rampant England played probably their best rugby since 2003 today as they destroyed France in the Six Nations Championship.
In 2003, England were undeniably the best team on the planet, beating every team who came up against them, and thenwent on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup, beating host nation Australia in the Final.
In recent years, however, they've struggled to find that form with their warriors from 2003 retiring and new, younger players coming in - although they did somehow reach the Final of the 2007 World Cup, before losing narrowly to South Africa.
Most of their performances recently - except the latter stages of the 2007 World Cup - have been pretty miserable, but we mustn't forget that England have a fairly good excuse for this. They are a team in transition, whereas the other teams in the Six Nations Championship - France, Italy, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - are all fielding almost full-strength sides.
So if an England side in transition can totally rip apart a full-strength French team, it's daunting to that of what a fully-functioning, full-strength England side can achieve.
England's greatest defeat over France was a 37-0 whalloping in 1911. That record looked like being smashed today as England ran riot, scoring four tries in just the first half as England led at the break 29-0. They took their foot off the gas in the second half, scoring just one more try, but it was still enough against the lacklustre French.
England are now the tournament's leading try scorers, with one more games (against Scotland) still to come.
By Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport
SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
ENGLAND 34-10 FRANCE(at Twickenham Stadium, London. Attendance: 82,000)
England: Armitage, Cueto, Tindall, Flutey, Monye, Flood, Ellis, Sheridan, Mears, Vickery, Borthwick, Shaw, Croft, Worsley, Easter.
Replacements: Tait for Monye (72), Goode for Flood (40), Care for Ellis (55), White for Sheridan (66), Hartley for Mears (57), Haskell for Shaw (57), Kennedy for Worsley (68 ).
*****************************************
France: Medard, Malzieu, Bastareaud, Jauzion, Heymans, Trinh-Duc, Parra, Faure, Szarzewski, Marconnet, Nallet, Thion, Dusautoir, Chabal, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Fritz for Bastareaud (46), Traille for Trinh-Duc (46), Tillous-Borde for Parra (59), Domingo for Faure (51), Kayser for Szarzewski (59), Bonnaire for Thion (46), Picamoles for Harinordoquy (68 ).
CURRENT STANDINGS
.............P....W....D....L.....F....A....T...Points
Ireland....4.....4.....0....0..104...58...10.....8
Wales.....4.....3.....0....1...85....64....8......6
England..4.....2.....0....2...98....58....13.....4
France...4.....2.....0....2...74....93.....7.....4
Scotland..4.....1.....0....3...67....76....4.....2
Italy.......4.....0.....0....4...41....120.. 1.....0
England stunned France with a magnificent first-half display to run out five-try winners at Twickenham.
Martin Johnson's under-pressure side answered their critics in emphatic fashion and led 29-0 at the break.
Mark Cueto, Riki Flutey, Delon Armitage and Joe Worsley all crossed in an astonishing first period before Flutey added his second.
France improved in the second half and scored through Dimitri Szarzewski and Julien Malzieu but the game was won.
England's attacking ambition took them to the top of the 2009 Six Nations try-scoring list with 13, but they will rue the undisciplined defeat by Ireland in Dublin which robbed them of a tilt at the title.
Johnson's men, berated beforehand for giving away 43 penalties and earning six yellow cards in this year's tournament, still conceded 13 penalties but retained 15 players on the field and came out determined to prove that all the talk about indiscipline was masking their development as a side.
As soon as the second minute, Flutey found himself running at French talisman Sebastien Chabal and ghosted around the big man before timing a perfect pass to Cueto to scamper under the posts, converted by Flood.
France shrugged off the early shock and grew into the game, showing signs of threat with a bullocking run from 20-year-old centre Mathieu Bastareaud.
For a brief spell, it looked as though England's fast start was in danger of being derailed after they gave away a couple of quick penalties, with veteran lock Simon Shaw the culprit. But Morgan Parra missed the first kick at goal and France declined the second.
But rather than the penalty disease that has plagued England in recent matches, this was a mere sniffle and England struck again soon after.
Worsley dived over to make it 29-0 to England at the break
From quick ball off the top of a line-out on the right Cueto took Flood's inside ball before offloading to Flutey outside him to race home.
France were shell-shocked and playing without any of their normal vigour, while England were playing fast, simple, disciplined rugby.
Blind-side flanker Tom Croft raced over soon after but was called back for an Armitage forward pass, before a Flood grubber kick nearly gave Flutey another score under the posts inside the last 10 minutes of the half.
But rather than resting on their laurels, England went for the kill and scored again after recycling the ball wide to Armitage to dive over on the left.
And as an encore, Worsley also went over on the left after scrum-half Harry Ellis's kick ahead had set up a forward base on the right side of the French line.
England were enjoying themselves and struck again straight after the break. Andy Goode, on for Flood who hurt his shoulder as he went for the line in the build-up to Worsley's try, snaffled the ball from Yannick Jauzion's fumble and fed Armitage, who hared off upfield.
The full-back spotted Flutey inside him and delayed his pass to give the centre the room to sprint under the posts for try number five.
French spirit may have seemed crushed but it was Johnson's men who relaxed and the visitors, refreshed by a raft of replacements, scored through Szarzewski and Malzieu as England reverted to a spell of indiscipline and received a lecture from referee Stuart Dickinson.
To France's credit, they subdued England for the rest of the half, though Armitage went close with another searing break behind opposition lines.
But Johnson's tenure as England manager is secured for now and the fans will look forward with more optimism than in recent times.
French fans decend on Twickenham ahead of today's Six Nations clash with England unware of the mauling their team is about to receive
England belt out the national anthem 'God save the Queen' ahead of today's clash with France
England make a great start with wing Mark Cueto scoring a first-minute try for the hosts
England's fine start continues as centre Riki Flutey crosses in the 22nd minute to increase their lead
Proud: Full-back Delon Armitage crosses in the 37th minute and celebrates by kissing his England rose
Flanker Joe Worsley's try just before half-time gives Martin Johnson's side a 29-0 lead at the break
England are in dreamland as Flutey scores his second of the game a minute after the re-start
Scrum-half Morgan Parra sums up France's afternoon as he line flat on his back on the Twickenham turf
Despite a late rally from France, England hold on to record a 34-10 victory much to the delight of the Twickenham crowd
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
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