Pollock’s pass, Itoje’s infringements and Thomas Ramos: What went wrong for England in final two minutes of epic France defeat?

For some of the England squad, it would have felt strikingly familiar. A dead-eyed kicker breaking their hearts at the Stade de France after summoning a performance few thought they were capable of? For Thomas Ramos and France in 2026, read Handre Pollard and South Africa in the World Cup semi-final in 2023.

Steve Borthwick’s side produced an immense performance on Saturday night, channelling the frustration of the three weeks prior to Paris. Though it came too late in the campaign, it said plenty about the team’s spirit to get themselves into a winning position late on. If it was fitting that this thrilling tournament was settled with the final kick, it perhaps felt apt that England’s chances of averting a first one-win campaign were ended by errors and some rough luck.

There were two and a half minutes left on the clock when Marcus Smith knocked over the conversion of Tommy Freeman’s try, and another 20 or so had ticked away by the time France kicked the restart. After Ollie Chessum’s acrobatic claim, England had possession – here’s what happened in the two minutes that followed.

England felt that they could not simply play phases to the finish with too much risk of conceding a penalty on their own 22. Jack van Poortvliet immediately sets up a box kick and boots long to Thomas Ramos on his own 10-metre line. England end up, though, with a thicket of forwards who lose their connection, and Matthieu Jalibert surges between them.

It takes a sensational tackle from Henry Pollock to stop Antoine Dupont streaking away.

England reform really, really well given the stage of the game, helped by Dupont being out of action for a couple of rucks with loosehead Jean-Baptiste Gros stepping in. France play through the phases with England taking a cautious, but busy, approach to jackalling, not wishing to concede a penalty but knowing that the hosts are within range for a drop goal. As Thibaud Flament carries into contact, he is hit by both Bevan Rodd and Sam Underhill while Pollock targets the ball – France may feel that their ball carrier had already been tackled when England’s replacement wrenches the ball away, but the turnover is deemed legal.

Pollock tears away to the left and escapes Louis Bielle-Biarrey, but is dragged back just as he seems to be bursting into space. He attempts to offload to Cadan Murley, though may have been better served holding on with just 60 seconds at this stage to go. Murley, confronted with a bouncing ball and several arriving Frenchmen, panics slightly, hacking at it hoping to boot it upfield but instead causing a series of ricochets that end up in French hands.

France are given a last chance but are out on their feet, throwing desperate offloads. Dupont is fortunate that one of his tosses is caught on the hop by the relentless Ramos, and advantage for the England knock-on is called over with 25 seconds to go and the visitors solidly formed again as a defensive line near halfway. Their captain’s attacking gifts more often catch the eye but he has a crucial involvement as a ruck resourcer, saving Yoram Moefana from being exposed to Pollock’s jackal with a superb clearout.

At that stage, France appear to be going nowhere – but there is one last twist. Just after Pollock appeared to briefly get hands on ball but not quite earn the turnover, Mickael Guillard probes around the fringes into Itoje, with Chessum colliding with support clearer Hugo Auradou. Referee Nika Amashukeli is quick to rule a high tackle – it is not totally clear against which of England’s players, though either would appear slightly harsh.

With that penalty in their pocket, France can play. An attempt to go wide to the left is shut down by Tom Roebuck, before Ramos steps in at first receiver and tries an inside ball to Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Itoje, in desperation and knowing there is already a penalty coming, slaps it down.

It is that offence that Ramos ends up kicking through the posts to give France the Six Nations title in a mad game of fine margins.