France Outclass England XV in Comfortable Pre-Season Victory
A powerful France XV dominated England in their non-Test summer warm-up in Vannes, running out comfortable winners to highlight their superior squad depth.
France XV Overwhelm England in Summer Warm-Up Fixture
A talented France XV showcased their considerable depth by comfortably overcoming England in a non-Test summer warm-up match held in Vannes, handing Steve Borthwick's side a sobering reality check ahead of a demanding Nations Championship campaign.
England's Flying Start Quickly Extinguished
England could hardly have asked for a better opening, with wing Cadan Murley dotting down inside the first minute after a beautifully constructed first-phase move. Seb Atkinson's hard carry created the initial breach, his offload finding Harry Randall and Noah Caluori, who transferred swiftly wide for the Harlequins flyer to outmuscle Theo Attisogbe in the corner — all within just 50 seconds of kick-off.
However, that electric beginning proved a false dawn. France gradually imposed their trademark quick-hands game, and England struggled to maintain their early momentum. Nicolas Depoortere, returning from a shoulder dislocation suffered during the Six Nations, crashed over on eight minutes, before the lively Gregoire Arfeuil glided onto Yoram Moefana's clever inside pass to push France into a 14-5 advantage.
Half-Time Drama Sets Up Tense Second Period
England's reshuffled lineup — missing key figures including Maro Itoje, Ben Earl, Ollie Chessum, and Ben Spencer — showed understandable rustiness through a series of handling errors. Nevertheless, there were genuine bright spots, particularly in the wide channels where Max Ojomoh and Murley combined well, and where full-back Marcus Smith linked intelligently with fly-half and captain George Ford.
A composed finish from Smith right on the stroke of half-time, stepping off his left foot to leave the covering defence flat-footed and touching down beneath the posts, reduced France's lead to just two points at 14-12, briefly reigniting English hopes heading into the break.
France Pull Clear With Clinical Second-Half Display
Any expectation of an English comeback was swiftly dismantled after the restart. Scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, playing on his home ground, darted over for a crowd-pleasing score, before Antoine Hastoy added a fourth try at the end of another sweeping French move that England's defence simply could not contain.
A dismal defensive lapse then allowed replacement Baptiste Jauneau to exploit a gaping hole through the heart of England's defence, sending fellow substitute Fabien Brau-Boirie under the posts to extend France's lead to 33-12 with just two minutes remaining. A consolation try from Ojomoh off a smart flat pass from Ford in the final play amounted to little more than a footnote in France's convincing 35-17 victory.
Context and Positives for Borthwick
Both nations were operating with reduced squads due to domestic play-off commitments. England were without their Northampton and Exeter players ahead of the Premiership final, while France also lost several internationals to Top 14 semi-final preparations, with Toulouse, Racing 92, Stade Francais, and Montpellier all retaining their stars.
However, France's seven starters from European champions Bordeaux-Bèglesgles provided a cohesion that England's patchwork side simply could not match.
Borthwick will nonetheless find encouragement in the performances of Caluori and Murley on the wings, Ted Hill's tireless work at forward, and a lively cameo from replacement scrum-half Raffi Quirke. South African-born Bristol centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg also caught the eye despite agonisingly spilling the ball over the try line after cutting a sharp line from inside centre.
England's Summer Schedule Ahead
England's attention now turns to a formidable Nations Championship campaign, beginning with a daunting away fixture against South Africa in Johannesburg on 4 July, followed by further tests against Fiji and Argentina on successive weekends.
