Rugby-France rue missed chances after last-gasp defeat by England
RUGBY-UNION-NATIONS-ENG-FRA/ (PIX):Rugby-France rue missed chances after last-gasp defeat by England
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, - France were left fuming over missed chances in a dominant first half as they lost 26-25 to England on Saturday in their first away game of the Six Nations.
Les Bleus failed to convert several try opportunities before the interval and their lack of efficiency came back to haunt them as England secured a last-minute win thanks to Elliot Daly's converted try.
The result left both sides with one victory and one defeat after two matches, still in position to claim the title although France must still travel to fellow pre-championship favourites Ireland.
"We missed may chances in the first half but at 7-7 at the break we thought we just had to play the same way and just be more precise," France head coach Fabien Galthie said.
A string of handling errors cost France dearly and dashed their Grand Slam hopes after a fast start with a 43-0 victory over Wales.
"The conditions were humid but it was playable. And we found space, so after that there was no reason for us not to score," added Galthie, who has transformed France since he took over in 2020 but has only won a single title in the 2022 Six Nations.
"We lost this game in the first half," fullback Thomas Ramos said.
"When you miss so many scoring chances, they keep hope and then they kill you in the end."
Ramos, however, remained optimistic about France's chances of winning the championship ahead of trips to Italy and Ireland and a home game against Scotland.
"When you have the ambitions to win the Six Nations and lose your first away game, it hurts. But we can still win our last three matches and claim the title," he said.
Captain and scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, who was paired with the hugely disappointing Matthieu Jalibert in the absence of suspended Romain Ntamack, agreed.
"We wasted way too many opportunities," he said. "We should score at least three times in the first half. We put them in danger but did not convert."
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