England's Luke Cowan-Dickie scores a try during the Autumn Nations Cup final between England and France. Photo / AP
England's Luke Cowan-Dickie scores a try during the Autumn Nations Cup final between England and France. Photo / AP
England avoided a monumental upset when it overcame France 22-19 in sudden-death extra time to win a drama-filled Autumn Nations Cup final on Sunday.
England was the red-hot favourite just five weeks after pipping France to the Six Nations title. It had 10 times the experience, and home advantage at Twickenham.
But a young France team of second and third stringers led for 65 minutes until the last minute of regulation time when England pulled out a converted try from a lineout drive to tie the score at 19-19.
That forced the final into 20 extra minutes of sudden death, with the first to score the winner.
England captain Owen Farrell had the first chance in the second minute, but his penalty kick from out front spun off the right post.
France tried setting up replacement flyhalf Louis Carbonel for a dropped goal but 12 phases in England's half ended up with a penalty conceded.
England's Owen Farrell holds the trophy after his team won the Autumn Nations Cup final. Photo / AP
In the second half of extra time, England's George Ford kicked into the left corner, France wing Alivereti Raka couldn't escape and Maro Itoje tied up the ruck to force a penalty.
After missing four penalties from seven goalkicks, Farrell lined up the penalty on the French 22 in from the left touch in the 96th minute, and hit it straight through to crown England champion of the eight-team tournament that replaced the canceled end-of-year tours.
England was supposed to win the final out of sight. France was forced by its Top 14 clubs to put out a rookie side, a week after debuting 11. France had no starters from the team which won this matchup 24-17 in February in Paris, while England had 10 starters back and keen to avenge its only loss this year.
But the French rookies matched England's physicality, unleashed gutsy defense, and took their chances. They were seconds away from an extraordinary win.
Farrell kicked the first points from a scrum penalty won by loosehead prop Ellis Genge, a late injury replacement for Mako Vunipola. Vunipola's absence brought down England's total caps in the starting XV to 772, still lopsided compared to France's 68, its second lowest ever.
Fullback Brice Dulin accounted for 30 of those caps and he claimed the first try as France showed its depth of talent from an attacking lineout. Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert burst through a gap, drew the last man, and had three men outside him. He gave the try to Dulin.
England's Jonny May milked a 45-meter penalty for Elliot Daly and England trailed by a point after a quarter.
England errors under pressure began to pile up and Jalibert added two penalty kicks.
Sam Underhill had kicked the ball out of France captain Baptiste Couilloud's hands, then a high tackle was followed by Itoje collapsing a lineout maul.
England had a try lined up right on halftime, and all the big men had a go at the line but France kept them out within two meters of its tryline for 13 phases until Genge lost the ball forward in the tackle of Dorian Aldegheri. It was an incredible tryline stand, and Aldegheri had to leave injured.
England returned from the changing rooms desperate, and pinned France in its half for the entire third quarter.
But all the pressure earned only a penalty goal as Farrell nailed only one of three goalkicks.
France lost the composed Jalibert after an hour, bringing in Carbonel, one of the under-20 stars who made his debut last weekend. He landed two penalties to one by Farrell to leave the score 19-12 going into the 80th minute.
England went for a corner lineout six meters out, crabbed it infield and replacement hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie touched down. Farrell remained the goalkicker and coolly converted with the last action of regulation time.
