England U20 v France U20, Recreation Ground, Bath
England U20 (17) 27
Tries: James, Penalty try, Hanson Cons: Coen X2 Pens: Coen
France U20 (10) 10
Tries: Britz Cons: Jurd Pens: Jurd
Player of the Match: George Timmins
England secured a 17-10 half-time lead over France in an entertaining and physical contest despite wet conditions at The Rec. England dominated early, with Kane James scoring the opening try before a penalty try extended their advantage.
France responded with a penalty and a converted try from Baptiste Britz just before the break. England had the upper hand in possession and territory but failed to fully capitalise on their dominance. France showed resilience, with disciplined forward play keeping them in touch. The match remained finely poised heading into the second half.
The second half saw both sides struggle to get a foothold in the game, with the elements doing their best to thwart any attacking rugby.
England sealed the win with a late try, as Coen and replacements Nic Allinson and debutant Dom Hanson combined for a well-worked score. Coen’s conversion added gloss to the result, marking three straight wins in a row over France, and making it 1-0 England in 'Le Crunch' weekend.
Blindside flanker George Timmins was named Man of the Match for his tireless work in defence and at the breakdown. France showed flashes of attacking intent but were undone by handling errors and England’s disciplined defence.
England will travel to Kingston Park, Newcastle as they face Scotland in round three. France will be hoping to bounce back after this tough as they head to Traviso to face the Azzurrini.
Commenting on his side's efforts, Fabien Brau Boirie said: "We knew it was going to be a tough battle, especially with the bad weather making it hard to play our game. We took a lot of big hits, conceded too many penalties, and picked up several yellow cards in both halves. In those conditions, winning was always going to be difficult, and the final score shows it."
"We had prepared for this all week, especially on the mental side, to manage our emotions. We knew they would try to provoke us, and unfortunately, some of us reacted, which led to penalties. They kept playing in our half, putting us under constant pressure. Playing with 14 men made things nearly impossible."
"Now, we have to switch quickly. In the end, we told ourselves that we have to keep working, keep building our game for the next matches. We’ll improve, training after training, match after match, to come back stronger and, most importantly, finish this Tournament on a high note."
