'One of the darkest days in English rugby history'

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The lone squad with immoderate wound successful "Le Crunch" was France.

On 1 of the darkest days successful English rugby history, France enactment connected a session by moving successful 7 tries successful a grounds 53-10 Six Nations humiliation of its cross-channel rival astatine Twickenham.

The triumph kept live Les Tricolores' chances of retaining the rubric heading into the last round, but this was astir overmuch much than that.

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England has ne'er conceded truthful galore points successful a location Test match, oregon successful the tournament's 140 twelvemonth history.

It was the team's 3rd heaviest decision ever, lone surpassed by a 76-0 nonaccomplishment for a weakened touring lineup successful Australia successful 1998 and a 58-10 beating by South Africa successful Bloemfontein successful 2007.

It was comfortably France's highest people and largest borderline of triumph successful 110 meetings with England — the erstwhile bests were successful 1972 — and a stark illustration of the gulf successful prime that has formed betwixt accepted bluish hemisphere powerhouses six months retired from the Rugby World Cup.

"We got exposed today," said England manager Steve Borthwick, who replaced Eddie Jones successful December and mightiness already beryllium retired of his depth.

"I thought we would get a measurement of wherever we are astatine — determination is simply a large spread betwixt america and the apical teams successful the world.

"We recognize wherever we are and what we person to do."

Les Tricolores needed a bonus constituent triumph to warrant taking their rubric defence to circular 5 and 2 tries apiece from winger Damian Penaud, fantabulous fastener Thibaud Flament and flanker Charles Ollivon helped them execute it successful stunning fashion, via a substance of French flair and taking vantage of a mistake-riddled location team.

While England is efficaciously retired of the moving for the title aft a 2nd decision successful 4 games, France — with 3 wins from 4 — moved into 2nd spot down unbeaten Ireland lone connected points difference.

The Irish volition look to widen their 100 per cent grounds with a triumph implicit Scotland astatine Murrayfield connected Monday (AEDT).

"It was a precise peculiar crippled for us," Flament said.

"We are successful a bully place, we cognize this tourney tin beryllium won connected the past game."

From the infinitesimal Flament broke England's flimsy antiaircraft enactment successful his ain fractional to assistance acceptable up a 2nd infinitesimal effort by Thomas Ramos, the French looked a people apart.

They past enactment connected a show, embarrassing the hosts arsenic Penaud's brace of tries down the close helping successful the last 10 minutes took France past a fractional period of points and sparked jeers from immoderate location fans, galore of whom were heading for the exits.

In between, Flament and Ollivon crashed implicit for tries earlier halftime — erstwhile the people was 27-3 — and added different each successful the 2nd fractional aft aboriginal occurrence from England led to its lone try, from fullback Freddie Steward.

Any thoughts of an English comeback from 27-10 down were obliterated by a 4 effort burst by Les Tricolores successful 18 minutes, starting with Flament moving onto flyhalf Romain Ntamack's pat down and implicit the enactment from 10 metres retired to people successful the 57th minute.

Ollivon's 2nd effort was somewhat farcical aft England flyhalf Marcus Smith mislaid possession of the shot successful his effort to get backmost implicit his ain tryline aft retrieving a kick.

With the shot escaped astatine the bottommost of a ruck, Ollivon reached implicit a wide of bodies and placed 2 hands connected it for a effort that needed the say-so of the TMO.

It conscionable astir summed up a miserable time for England.

"If I had the answers, I would beryllium determination other earning millions," said Ellis Genge, who captained England aft Owen Farrell dropped to the seat for the game.

"It is simply a spot of a enigma astatine the moment."

Meanwhile, Italy is headed for different past placed decorativeness successful the Six Nations, sinking to a 29-17 decision to Wales successful a lucifer billed arsenic a woody spoon decider.

That's a 4th consecutive nonaccomplishment successful this title for Italy, which needs to triumph successful Scotland adjacent play successful the last circular to basal a accidental of avoiding finishing bottommost of the standings.

The likelihood is, however, the Italians volition beryllium past for an eighth consecutive twelvemonth successful the Six Nations and the 18th clip successful 24 editions since joining the bluish hemisphere tourney successful 2000.

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