By Canadian Press

France wins Six Nations and Grand Slam by beating England

Mar 19, 2022 | 4:00 PM

PARIS (AP) — The French rugby renaissance has reached the next stage: Les Tricolores are the kings of Europe once again.

France won the Six Nations for the first time in 12 years after beating England 25-13 to complete the Grand Slam on Saturday.

And it was achieved in a febrile atmosphere at the Stade de France, the venue in northern Paris where the French will look to win sport’s ultimate prize next year: The Rugby World Cup.

France scored three tries, none more important than the final one scored in the 61st minute by Antoine Dupont — the world player of 2021 — that pushed his team back into a 12-point lead after England reduced the gap to 18-13 following a fast start to the second half.

It eased the pressure on the French in the final quarter as they clinched their first piece of rugby silverware since the Six Nations in 2010 to the backdrop of the home fans singing “La Marseillaise.”

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It was a sixth title of the Six Nations era (since 2000) for France, and a record-tying fourth Grand Slam in that period.

And it marked the next step in France’s evolution under coach Fabien Galthie, who took over after the 2019 Rugby World Cup and led the team to second-place finishes in the last two years.

A big win over the All Blacks in November gave the French the favorite’s tag heading into the Six Nations and they embraced it, with the win over England seeing them finish a point above Ireland.

England finished third.

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More AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press