Six Nations 2014: 'The bounce of ball didn't go our way,' says Stuart Lancaster after France defeat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Stuart Lancaster expressed his pride in what was a heartening England performance but he knows they will face another battering when they travel to Scotland next Saturday.
The head coach must lift his men quickly for what will be a ferocious test at Murrayfield. He said: "We are disappointed to get back into the game from 16-3 down and then to lose. I am very proud of the effort and skills our players put in and a lot of them were performing here for the first time."
Wing Jack Nowell and centre Luther Burrell made their debuts, while Jonny May won his second cap on the left wing. "It was a great performance in lots of ways, and there are real positives to be taken from the game and we are very proud of the players," said Lancaster.
"Games are not won or lost in one moment and it was a true Test match between two great teams, and we have to get those little moments right. The positives far outweigh the negatives from that performance.
"The final French try was very disappointing to concede, but credit to France for scoring from their own half. Perhaps the bounce of the ball didn't go our way and also losing a winger so early didn't help. Maybe the ball didn't bounce into Danny Care's hands either! We can't rely on the bounce of the ball in matches.
"There were five of our pack making a first start in France and I thought they did extremely well, making numerous line breaks, and the list of good performances goes on and on. We have learnt a lot from this game and dominated the middle third and we clawed our way back."
In the women's international which followed, captain Gaelle Mignot scored two tries as France beat England 18-6. Both scores came from driving mauls after the French won line-outs.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments