France humbled at Twickenham by half hour hat-trick
I’ve often sat and asked why Jonny May is the talk of the town so often and why we always hear about this winger from Leicester more than others. This weekend shut me up and proved to me exactly why he England’s next Jason Robinson and why he is one of the best wingers in the Championship. His hat-trick took 30 minutes, England sealed the game in the first 40. That destructive style is exactly what Eddie Jones will be cherishing this tournament as England look set to go for a third title in four years. They’ll need his form for round three for definite as they face a Welsh side on a record breaking 11 game winning run.
France baffled me in this contest, as their highly talented squad were outrageously bad in several areas of the field. The brick wall that is Mathieu Bastareaud was out of form and out of sorts, as were the likes of Gael Fickou, Louis Picamoles and Morgan Parra. The highlight in a bleak squad was the young Demba Bamba, and he’s only fresh into first team action after triumph with the under 20’s last year. He is an absolute unit and then some, and for 20 years of age, there’s no doubt as to why France broke the record for the weight of the pack with Bamba at the front. The devastating thing for Bamba is that all of his effort has gone totally unrecognised as all the attention, if it wasn’t on England’s electric form, was how bad the rest of his team were. The gaping holes at the back made you wonder why England didn’t come away with a cricket score for a result.
Despite England’s outstanding performance, there was a price to be paid, and that was visible when Tom Curry donned the crimson mask. The French might have been embarrassed, but they left their mark and well and truly battered this England team, and they’ll be praying to the heavens that the week off heals their key men. They’ll need to be 100% fit and ready for a Welsh team that was hardly pushed to it’s best this weekend, especially with big names like George North, Ken Owens, and Justin Tipuric rested for their clash with England. Based on form, you’d assume England would walk over the Welsh, but I wouldn’t be so confident, and this tie could prove to be a bloodbath, but ultimately vital to which team is etched on the trophy March 16.
Team Rating
England 4.5/5
France 2/5