England legend’s son declared for France ahead of Six Nations

The 21-year-old fullback made his senior debut for Brive last season after progressing through the club’s academy, and his performances are already turning heads.

But while his father represented England, Noon has different international ambitions.

The Brive youngster has set his sights on pulling on the blue jersey of France rather than following in his dad’s footsteps with England.

While Jamie Noon earned 38 caps for England and built a formidable reputation as a hard-hitting centre, Lewis’s ambitions lie across the Channel. He could one day share the field with Posolo Tuilagi, nephew of England’s own Manu Tuilagi, adding another chapter to rugby’s unique cross-national storylines.

Jamie Noon retired from professional rugby in 2013 after a successful 13-year run with Newcastle Falcons and a final stint at Brive. Reflecting on his career, Jamie tweeted: "After 15 years of top flight rugby I'm retiring at the end of the season. So if anyone wants to give me a job please get in touch." It was a fitting sign-off from a player known for his humour and humility on and off the field.

Lewis’s rugby journey began in the French town of Malemort, where the local rugby field was conveniently close to home. He later joined Brive at the U14 level, steadily developing his own style of play. Unlike his father’s physical approach, Lewis’s game has a lighter touch.

“Lewis has a game based on avoidance. He reads spaces on the field really well and uses that to his advantage,” Jamie explained. "He still has some physical progress to make, but we’re working on it,” he added with a laugh, joking that a classic French diet of foie gras and duck legs might be the solution.

While their styles may differ, father and son share a passion for defense. Lewis prides himself on his tackling and ability to track opponents. “I like tackling hard and marking my opponents. I don’t mind defending at all,” he said, reflecting his father’s commitment to the defensive side of the game.

Although he was born in England, Lewis’s heart belongs to the country he now calls home. "When I was younger, I wanted to play for England because of my father. Now, I want to play for France. I have English blood but a French heart," he said.

His dream to represent France is about more than just a jersey; it’s a connection to where he’s grown up and the culture he’s embraced.

Three teams still have a chance of lifting the title, with two of them set to face each other in a decisive clash in Dublin.

The outcome is in France's control. Since their match against England in Paris is the last game of Super Saturday, they will know exactly what result they need. In most scenarios, a bonus-point victory should be enough, unless Scotland win by 59 more points than France on the final day, which is extremely unlikely.

If Ireland beat Scotland, or if Scotland win without a bonus point, then a simple win would also secure the title for France, as Scotland would still need a huge points difference swing. If Scotland and Ireland draw, even a draw would be enough for France. Their late bonus point at Murrayfield over the weekend ensured the title race remains firmly in their hands.

Scotland travel to Dublin to face Ireland and must win if they want to claim their first ever Six Nations title. If they achieve a better result than France, the championship will be theirs. However, because their game takes place earlier in the day, they will still need England to do them a favour in Paris regardless of the outcome.

Scotland are currently level with France on 16 points but trail significantly on points difference. Although winning in Dublin is a tough challenge, their big victory at the weekend will give them confidence.

Ireland sit on 14 points, two behind both Scotland and France, and host Scotland in Dublin. A win would move them above both teams temporarily, but only by two points, or three with a bonus point, with France still to play England in the final match.

Like Scotland, Ireland must win and then hope France slip up. Their shortage of bonus points compared with their rivals leaves Andy Farrell's side slightly disadvantaged, though they remain firmly in contention. If Italy beat Wales with a bonus point and overturn a 40-point difference, Ireland could slip to fourth, so the simplest way to remove any risk is to earn at least one point against Scotland, but they'll be looking up rather than down.

Italy could theoretically finish third, though it would require Ireland to take no points at all and for the Azzurri to beat Wales in Cardiff with a bonus point. Regardless, Italy will view this campaign as a success, having beaten both England and Scotland and guaranteeing they cannot finish last.

With Wales as their final opponent, a third victory is a real possibility. They currently sit three points ahead of England, so while it is technically possible for England to catch them, Italy face the team currently weakest on paper while England must play the strongest, making it unlikely.

Few would have predicted England sitting second from bottom in the Six Nations and still technically at risk of finishing last. One win and three defeats have increased the pressure on Steve Borthwick. However, they have the opportunity to cause a major upset away in Paris and potentially help either Scotland or Ireland.

If England beat France, the winner of the Scotland-Ireland match would almost certainly take the championship. Although this is not the finish England had hoped for, they could still play a decisive role on the final day.

Wales host Italy in their final match and will be desperate to secure their first Six Nations victory of the campaign. In an extremely unlikely scenario, a bonus point win for Wales, England failing to score any points, and a 100-point swing, England could finish last.

Realistically that will not happen, so Steve Tandy's focus will simply be on delivering a positive performance to build momentum for next year.