Colin Sheridan: No doubting Thomas when it comes to nailing kicks

Gone are the days of rugby teams carrying a kicker. In a break with the most Gallic of traditions, Ramos is as brilliant with ball in hand as he is with ball on the tee.

France's Thomas Ramos celebrates with team mates after he kicks the match winning penalty.

In all the hullabaloo of the final moments of France v England in Saturday night’s Six Nations finale, one man stood apart from the almost insane theatre unfolding in the middle of the Stade de France pitch. As Antoine Dupont and Maro Itoje remonstrated with match referee Nika Amashukeli about the position of the penalty that would decide the game - and the destination of the tournament trophy - Thomas Ramos, the French full-back, calmly followed them around with a kicking tee, like a dolly grip trying to set up the golden-hour shot for a narcissistic director.

When the point of the kick was finally decided upon - 46 metres out from the posts, a little left of centre - the Toulouse kicker wasted little time, perhaps unwilling to milk the moment for any more drama, but much more likely switching into a metronomic state of hypnotic repetition. He did what he almost always does. He trusted his technique and nailed the kick.