England v France Six Nations 2025: Score, Highlights & Report

England scraped past France 26-25 at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on 8 February 2025 — a result sealed by Elliot Daly’s try in the dying minutes. The match, played in driving rain before 81,000 fans, sparked immediate debate over a late penalty decision.

Final Score: England 26-25 France ·
Date: 8 February 2025 ·
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham ·
Attendance: 81,000 ·
Kick-off: 16:45

The scoreboard confirmed England’s narrow advantage across all seven tries scored between the two sides.

Did England beat France in Six Nations 2025?

England secured a 26-25 victory over France in Round 2 of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The match was decided in the closing stages when Elliot Daly crossed for a try that Finlay Smith converted, pushing England ahead 26-25 with seconds remaining.

Final score

The final scoreline read England 26, France 25. For England, Daly’s try came after the 80-minute mark had started, with Smith’s conversion proving the match-winner. France had led 25-19 after Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s second try at 75 minutes, and Thomas Ramos had added the conversion to put France in touching distance of victory.

Key moments

France struck first through Bielle-Biarrey’s try at the 30-minute mark, with Ramos adding the conversion for a 0-7 lead. England hit back through Ollie Lawrence’s try on 36 minutes, converted by Marcus Smith, to trail 7-10 at half-time. The second half saw France stretch their advantage through Ramos penalties at 50 and 56 minutes, but England clawed back through tries from Tommy Freeman (58′) and Fin Baxter (70′) to lead 19-18 before Bielle-Biarrey’s second score. Daly’s winner completed the comeback (England Rugby official report).

What TV channel is showing England v France rugby?

For UK viewers, the 2025 Six Nations was broadcast across ITV and the BBC, with the England versus France fixture typically appearing on ITV as the primary rights holder for England’s home matches. Both broadcasters covered the tournament, with streaming available through their respective platforms.

UK broadcast options

ITV holds the primary broadcast rights for England’s home Six Nations fixtures. The channel provided live coverage of the February 8 match, with pre-match analysis and post-game reaction. Viewers could also access coverage through ITVX, the streaming service.

ITV or BBC coverage

BBC Sport also provided coverage across its platforms, including the BBC Sport website and iPlayer. The split broadcast arrangements meant that some games appeared on BBC while others were on ITV, depending on scheduling and rights agreements.

What time is the England-France kick off?

The match kicked off at 16:45 GMT on Saturday, 8 February 2025. The late afternoon start time suited the conditions at Twickenham, where rain had been falling throughout the day and created a heavy, testing pitch for both sides.

Match details

The Allianz Stadium (formerly known as Twickenham Stadium) hosted the fixture. The official match time of 4:45pm gave fans an evening start and allowed the pitch to drain somewhat from the morning rain that had drenched the venue. The 81,000 crowd packed the stadium despite the poor weather conditions.

Venue and date

Saturday 8 February 2025 saw England host France in the second round of the tournament. The game followed England’s opening Round 1 fixture and came before France’s subsequent matches against other Six Nations opponents.

Why did France get a penalty against England?

While the 2025 match itself did not feature a major penalty controversy that altered the result, the closing minutes saw a series of penalty decisions that sparked debate among players and coaches. The final moments involved repeated referee interactions as England pushed for the winning score.

Controversial decision

In the dying minutes of the match, France were penalised multiple times as England drove forward. The decisive penalty allowed England to maintain pressure before Daly’s match-winning try. French players and coaching staff disputed several calls in the closing stages.

Nigel Owens analysis

Former referee Nigel Owens has weighed into similar debates in subsequent Six Nations matches, noting that the interpretation of breakdown penalties and advantage play often comes under scrutiny in close games. Analysis from The Times rugby correspondent reported that England head coach Steve Borthwick has been vocal about the need for clear communication from referees during advantage situations.

Can France still win 6 nations?

The defeat to England left France with work to do in the 2025 Six Nations title race. With the bonus-point win going to England, France dropped valuable ground in the championship standings. However, with several rounds remaining, Fabien Galthie’s side still had a mathematical chance of competing for the title.

Tournament permutations

France entered the match as pre-tournament favourites but the loss at Twickenham complicated their campaign. The bonus point for England meant they moved level with Ireland at the top of the table. France would need results to go their way in other fixtures while winning their remaining games convincingly to challenge for the championship (Sky Sports match report).

Impact of loss

Analysis from Sky Sports noted that France were “heavily fancied but off-key” in the defeat, committing numerous errors in the difficult conditions. The loss represented a significant setback for a team expected to challenge for the championship and potentially the 2025 Lions series.

The implications extend beyond this single match. England’s comeback victory demonstrated their ability to win under pressure in difficult conditions, but the penalty controversies that have featured in subsequent encounters between these nations suggest the officials will face continued scrutiny. For France, the defeat exposed vulnerabilities that teams will look to exploit in the rounds ahead.

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