Ramos penalty at death seals wild Six Nations title for France and breaks Ireland hearts
TO THE VICTORS: France's Antoine Dupont lifts the Championship Trophy following the Guinness Men's Six Nations match at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Picture date: Saturday March 14, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Ireland's hopes of being crowned 2026 Guinness Six Nations champions were crushed at the end of a remarkable final round’s rugby as the tournament’s self-styled Super Saturday really lived up to its name.
Championship leaders at the start of the day, France held their nerve on home turf at Stade de France in the last game of three as they edged an 11-try thriller with a 48-46 win over unfancied England that was secured with the last kick of the game, a long-range penalty from Thomas Ramos.
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Ireland had overcome Scotland 43-21 in Dublin in the opening match on Saturday to leapfrog Les Bleus into first place. That had secured the Triple Crown with their victory over the Scots, who slipped to third place, and the Irish held a two-point lead at the top of the table ahead of the late kick-off in Paris.
France had seen their hopes of a Grand Slam ended in round four with a 50-40 defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh but had been expected to rebound against an England side apparently in freefall after three straight defeats, to the Scots, Irish and a historic first loss to Italy in Rome seven days earlier.
A victory for France would see them jump ahead of Ireland in the final standings and retain their champions’ status leaving Ireland to hope for an English win against the odds. Irish captain Caelan Doris had earlier in the day been asked if he had ever cheered for England before.
“We are tonight,” he said. “It's unique as an Irishman to be cheering them on, but we certainly will be tonight. The usual function upstairs, enjoy a few beers, enjoy the Triple Crown, like, it's special.
“We reflected on that during the week and how until the last 15 years or so that it's not a commonly done thing here. So we'll enjoy that for what it is and obviously be watching on keenly later too.”
The Ireland squad watched as Steve Borthwick’s side arrested their slide in dramatic fashion in a high-scoring nailbiter in the French capital, in which France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored four tries in a stellar performance. The game seesawed in an 11-try epic, England’s Tommy Freeman scoring the final try six minutes from time with Marcus Smith converting to give the visitors a 46-45 lead.
Alas for the English, and for Ireland, it would not be enough to loosen France’s grip on the title. Ramos’s nerveless kick saw to that.
England cast off the shackles to deliver their best performance of the championship. Sytill, it was not enough to stop Ramos from landing a last-gasp penalty to ignite French title celebrations.
Freeman had produced a brilliant finish with three minutes left of an exhilarating clash to propel England in front, but Ramos found the posts from long-range in the final act of the Championship.
Steve Borthwick's side were transformed from the side that collapsed to three consecutive defeats, running in seven tries as their attack finally fired with the outstanding Ollie Chessum crossing twice.
It was also the night their pack flexed their muscles for the first time in the tournament by submitting France up front, inspired by Chessum, the relentless Ben Earl and props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes.
But they were hurt by their eighth yellow card of the tournament shown to Genge and the exquisite finishing of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who touched down four times.
It was the type of all-action display Borthwick needed to convince the Rugby Football Union he should continue as head coach just a week after England fell to a historic first defeat by Italy.
A gripping spectacle was only marred by the decision to allow France to play in light blue anniversary kit to mark 120 years of 'Le Crunch', resulting in a colour clash with England's white jerseys.
Ireland's pulsating victory over Scotland that launched 'Super Saturday' presented France with the target of winning in Paris to retain their crown - a prospect that was anything but assured after a breathless first-half.
It looked ominous for England when Bielle-Biarrey finished the first of his two tries after collecting Ramos' kick after just six minutes, but unlike in previous rounds they responded to the adversity by showing their teeth.
Attacking down both touchlines, they quickly went over with Elliot Daly pulling the trigger for Tom Roebuck in a deserved try given the ambition of their play.
It sent the tone for the rest of the half with the rivals regularly exchanging tries, with Bielle-Biarrey the main threat for the hosts through his ability to capitalise on any hesitation in defence.
Matthieu Jalibert's kick allowed him to score his second, but England hit straight back when Cadan Murley touched down a Ben Spencer grubber that slipped through the hands of Theo Attissogbe.
In a rare display of emotion, Borthwick slammed his hand down on his desk in celebration of the try.
For the first time in the tournament, England's pack began to snarl with the maul emerging as a potent weapon with the second of two powerful drives ending when Chessum dived over.
And then their forwards combined in attack with Chessum sending Alex Coles over with Spencer also involved as space down the blindside was exploited brilliantly.
There was so much to admire about England's performance but their 10-point lead faded in first-half added time when referee Nika Amashukeli decided Genge had collapsed a maul, showing him a yellow card and awarding a penalty try.
It then evaporated completely as Bielle-Biarrey completed his hat-trick when France's attack clicked soon after the interval before Attissogbe struck on the other wing after gathering a long pass from Antoine Dupont.
Chessum produced a brilliant read to gallop home for an intercept try and then a build up of pressure created space for Marcus Smith to cross on his 50th cap.
England were stung by a breakaway try for Bielle-Biarrey but when France prop Demba Bamba was sin-binned they pounced for the sixth time through Freeman, only for Ramos to kick the title-winning penalty.
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