France v England LIVE: Result and reaction as Les Bleus edge thrilling Six Nations finale in Lyon

Ireland could secure successive Six Nations crowns with a positive result of any kind against Scotland on the final weekend of this year’s championship.

Andy Farrell’s side had the chance to lock up another title with a win at Twickenham in round four but were stunned by England, ensuring that the destination of the crown remains in doubt ahead of “Super Saturday”.

Wales and Italy kick things off on the final day of men’s tournament action for 2024 with both sides out of the title chase, before attention turns to the Aviva Stadium for Ireland vs Scotland.

France, who still have the faintest of chances of topping the table themselves, and England conclude affairs with a clash in Lyon.

Here’s what each team needs to seal the crown:

The stats signpost home win

France are odds-on favourites to register their third win of the tournament and there is one statistic that helps explain why. Since becoming the Six Nations in 2000, Les Bleus have performed better than any other side in the final round of games, winning 17 of 24 matches. England, meanwhile, have the second worst record with just 10 victories. Whatever the data suggests, ‘Le Crunch’ is set up to be a humdinger with England lifted by a triumph over Ireland that is their greatest performance since the 2019 World Cup and France impressing against Wales in their last outing.

Ireland aren’t used to losing in the Six Nations. It had been so long since they endured defeat against one of their northern hemisphere rivals that they may even have forgotten what it feels like.

It would be easy to internalise the frustration of being beaten 23-22 by England last weekend and channel it in the wrong way, leading to a downward spiral. But they’re aware they can’t afford to be defined by the pain.

“We’ve been very good at winning and moving on to the next one,” admitted Ireland coach Andy Farrell in the aftermath of the loss. “We’ve got to be really good at losing as well. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and make sure that we turn up with a smile on our face because we’ve got a championship to win next weekend.”

It reflects how both England and France hit their stride last weekend that the two starting sides for Saturday’s encounter in Lyon would have been entirely unchanged if not for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s concussion symptoms. The England wing has been ruled out after entering the head injury return to play process and deserves credit for reporting that he was struggling even after a breakthrough performance; his scratching from Steve Borthwick’s team is England’s sole alteration, and France’s 23 is intact from the win over Wales.

While England’s outstanding performance against Ireland – their best in the Six Nations for half-a-decade at least – took the headlines, France were also quietly content with their showing in Cardiff, recognising that a few defensive errors were to be expected from a backline containing three first-time starters.

Continuity and cohesion, each coach in this championship has been keen to remind us, remain king in international rugby union; it would make no sense to change a winning side at this juncture as both France and England seek a winning finish that could yet secure them the title.

Unleash the big beasts

France’s starting and replacement forwards weigh a combined 1,000kg, a startling total that can be both a strength and weakness for the hosts. They field the four heaviest players in Uini Atonio, Emmanuel Meafou, Georges-Henri Colombe and Romain Taofifenua – each of them over 21 stones. But with such size and power comes vulnerabilities that can be exploited through clever half-back play, a good kicking game and superior conditioning.

Bonus points fiasco

For the first time since bonus points were introduced in 2017, a scenario has arisen whereby the Six Nations winners can claim the title despite accumulating fewer victories than the side finishing second. That is the prospect facing England if they win at Groupama Stadium and Ireland claim at least a bonus point against Scotland. It is hard to envisage any outcome other than Ireland successfully defending their title, but if they do so with their closest rivals beating more teams, it will be a bad look for the tournament.

Ford holds on… for now

Marcus Smith emerged as England’s match winner when Ireland were stunned in round four, landing the deciding drop goal as well as providing a cutting edge in attack. But in a show of faith from Steve Borthwick, George Ford continues at fly-half to complete a full set of starts in the Championship. It is easy to forget amid Smith’s headline-generating intervention at Twickenham that Ford has performed well in this tournament, most notably orchestrating the comeback against Wales in round two and pulling the strings to potent effect last Saturday. But for all Ford’s influence, Smith is the coming man and a stellar performance will be needed against France to hold on to the jersey for the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand.

Farewell to Manu?

Manu Tuilagi’s first appearance of the Six Nations could also be his last for England. Although the Sale centre has remained tight lipped over his talks with French clubs Montpellier and Bayonne, he appears certain to leave at the end of the season, at which point he will be 33-years-old. England teams have been built around his marauding runs for over a decade and the national side are unlikely to field his like again. When he steps off the bench it will be only his 60th cap, a legacy of long spells out injured. Had he been fit for every match since his debut in 2011, he would have amassed 156 caps by now.

The Six Nations title is still on the line on Super Saturday after a shock weekend of results in the penultimate round.

England denied Ireland a bid at consecutive grand slams with their best performance of the Steve Borthwick era at Twickenham, while reviving their own hopes of winning the championship.

Ireland’s title defence remains in their own hands and they will retain their Six Nations crown if they avoid defeat to Scotland, and even then England must secure a bonus-point victory in France.

Wales and Italy will battle to avoid the wooden spoon, with Warren Gatland’s side still yet to secure a victory while Italy are fresh off the back of their memorable home win over Scotland.

The city of Lyon, then Lugdunum, was a place of centrality in the story of the Roman empire, seized after the demise of Julius Caesar and established as the capital of the Gauls. Two emperors were born on the Fourviere hill that now overlooks this marvellous metropolis, one of the great sites of pilgrimage for gastronomes and gourmands, modern tendrils twisting away from the classical rues of the riverbanks.

It was here in the late 2^nd century that one of the empire’s biggest, bloodiest battles occurred, Emperor Septimius Severus quelling the forces of usurper Coldius Albinus to at last establish calm after a period of extreme turmoil. Seeking something similar this weekend in Lyon is Steve Borthwick after England’s own period of unrest, the head coach building from the biggest win of his tenure so far and recognising an opportunity for another significant step forward.

England’s narrow victory over Ireland was proof of the process and progress that Borthwick is wanting from his team. For the first time since 2020, they will finish a Six Nations with more than two victories; regardless of how events in Dublin on Saturday impact upon their title ambitions, a record of four wins from five is a distinct possibility.