The XV of France won the Six Nations rugby tournament with full victories (Grand Slam) after defeating England (25-13) this Saturday at the Stade de France in Paris, on the fifth and final matchday.
The 'Bleus' by Fabien Galthié and Antoine Dupont, the authors of three tries against the XV de la Rosa, had not won the Six Nations since 2010, when they also won a Grand Slam.
In total, France has won that title with honors that represents the Six Nations Grand Slam ten times during its history.
In this edition they had previously won Italy (37-10), Ireland (30-24), Scotland (36-17) and Wales (13-9), before this last victory against the English.
In the list of winners, France succeeds Wales, which this time came in fifth place.
After twelve years without lifting the star rugby trophy in the Northern Hemisphere, France achieved this success in the year leading up to the 2023 World Cup, where it will serve as host country.
On the horizon, the French face the challenge of winning South Africa, the reigning world champion, in next November's test-matches.
Since the final of the 2019 World Cup, which for the French ended in the quarterfinals, the 'Bleus' have been able to undergo a profound transformation and, except for South Africa, they have been winning all the great powers of the sport of oval ball.
The French coach, Fabien Galthié, adds this success to the three Grand Slam titles he won as a player (1997, 1998, 2002).
“The work done with passion, with commitment, without concession, has allowed us to go and seek this victory and close this tournament with a Grand Slam. I don't believe it, we're still in full tension,” he told France 2 television.
When asked what difference was there between the Grand Slam as a player and the one achieved as a coach, Galthié replied: “Twenty years apart!”
— Results of the 5th and final day of the Six Nations Tournament:
- Saturday:
Wales - Italy 21 - 22
Ireland - Scotland 26 - 5
France - England 25 - 13
Classification: Sts J G E P pf pc diff Bon
1. France 25 5 5 0 0 141 73 68 2 CHAMPION
2. Ireland 21 5 4 0 1 168 63 105 5
3. England 10 5 2 0 3 101 96 5 2
4. Scotland 10 5 2 0 3 92 121 -29 2
5. Wales 7 5 1 0 4 76 104 -28 3
6. Italy 4 5 1 0 4 60 181-121 0
NOTE: win = 4 sts; draw = e points; loss = 0 points; 1 bonus pt for 4 or more tries, 1 bonus pt for a loss by 7 points or less; 3 bonus st for the Grand Slam (five wins).
The teams tied to points break the tie by the overall point difference, then by the number of tries scored in the whole of the matches. If equality persists, they are classified 'ex aequo'.
mca-lrb/dr