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England ruffle French feathers in Four Nations opener
Written by: Tim CostelloOct 24, 2009 7:51am
England have withstood a first half scare from Bobby Goulding's French side to record a 34-12 victory in the opening match of the 2009 Gilette Four Nations tournament at Doncaster.
In front of a modest 11,529 crowd, the French side made a quiet start, allowing English centre Lee Smith to score the opener before striking back with two quick tries to set up a surprising 12-4 lead at the break. Poor discipline and multiple errors from England gave France the field position, and it was the brilliance out wide from Clint Greenshields that put winger Vincent Duport in, before Kane Bentley made headway up the middle to score one of his own.
France held well in defence and forced plenty of errors between then and halftime, but would not score again. England came out with strong resolve in the second, and the results came quickly as the French struggled to keep up. A double for Richard Myler and a try for goalkicking lock Kevin Sinfield catapulted the home side quickly back to the lead, and they remained there for much of the remainder of the game.
The visiting Frenchmen had the space and time to hit back and with 15 minutes remaining looked likely to do so - until English winger Ryan Hall grabbed an intercept and set out on a 90 metre run to the line, crushing the French side's spirit and giving England a 28-12 lead. Tom Briscoe capped off a solid game on the wing with a late try to take the score to the final figure of 34-12.
It was far from over however, an elbow to the head of Sinfield from French prop David Ferriol was put on report in the final ten minutes, while Jean Phillipe Baile managed to take Richard Myler high in the final minute to earn marching orders as proceedings wound down. Both could be looking at a suspension, which will concern French officials and supporters as they were two of France's best.
England on the other hand look to have done enough to win after a poor first half tonight, but matches against Australia and New Zealand are a completely different story.
Match Details
England 34 def France 12
Four Nations Round 1 - Saturday October 24th, 2009 06:00am AEDT
Venue: Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England
Referee: Leon Williamson (NZL)
Sideline Officials: Adam Burns (AUS) and Alan Shortall (NZL)
Video Referee: Phil Bentham
Crowd: 11,529
Halftime: England 4 France 12
England 34
Tries: Lee Smith, Richard Myler (2), Kevin Sinfield, Ryan Hall, Tom Briscoe
Goals: Kevin Sinfield (5/6)
France 12
Tries: Vincent Duport, Kane Bentley
Goals: Thomas Bosc (2/3)
LeagueUnlimited.com Player of the Match
3 Points: Richard Myler (England)
2 Points: Gareth Ellis (England)
1 Point: Kane Bentley (France)
LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary
ENGLAND: 1. Shaun Briscoe 2. Tom Briscoe 3. Lee Smith 4. Michael Shenton 5. Ryan Hall 6. Danny McGuire 7. Richard Myler 8. Jamie Peacock (C) 9. Scott Moore 10. Adrian Morley 11. Gareth Ellis 12. Sam Burgess 13. Kevin Sinfield
Interchange: 14. James Graham 15. James Roby 16. Ben Westwood 17. Kyle Eastmond
FRANCE: 1. Clint Greenshields 2. Vincent Duport 3. Jean-Philippe Baile 4. Sébastien Raguin 5. Dimitri Pelo 6. Thomas Bosc 7. James Wynne 8. David Ferriol 9. Kane Bentley 10. Rémi Casty 11. Olivier Elima 12. Julien Touxagas 13. Jamal Fakir
Interchange: 14. Constant Villegas 15. Romain Gagliazzo 16. Sébastien Martins 17. Teddy Sadaoui
Reserves: 18. Mathieu Griffi
Good morning or good evening, wherever you are tuning in - for LeagueUnlimited.com's coverage of the Four Nations opener today between England and France LIVE from Doncaster.
The two nations are lining up in the tunnel, and are making their way onto the field.
Fireworks fly as the teams enter a mostly full Keepmoat Stadium. We will now hear the respective national anthems.
Nerves for the singer as the music for the French anthem music doesn't play. She saves face and goes solo, a superb job. The music is found for the English anthem. That's out of the way now, time for action!
Kickoff - England with first use of the ball. They run up over halfway using their five tackles but a lost ball on the last gives France possession.
2 min: PENALTY England - players in front of the kicker on the last not heading referee warnings. Compounded by another penalty for holding down, now we've got the English just 20 metres out!
4 min: Scrum awarded to the French, Adrian Morley caught accidentally offside as McGuire tries to kick through on the last.
5 min: PENALTY France - two penalties, both for high shots by the Poms, piggy-back France into the attacking zone.
6 min: A chip for the corner on the last goes over the touchline from France. England scrum on their own 10.
8 min: The English opt for a bomb on the last but they can't quite put the pressure on the French backs and Clint Greenshields takes the ball and makes a short run.
9 min: PENALTY England - Leon Williamson getting whistle happy early on, fifth penalty of the game inside the first ten minutes. An attempted intercept in the following set by France sees them knock the ball on, England with another set inside the French 20m zone.
10 min: McGuire's last tackle grubber rolls dead.
13 min: TRY England
England get more possession through a penalty and they run the numbers to the right hand side - Lee Smith goes over for the first four-pointer of the tournament. Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield unsuccessful.
England 4-0
17 min: TRY France
Similarly the visitors get a penalty to put them into position, some superb work from fullback Clint Greenshields puts winger Vincent Duport over in the corner. France hit the lead inside the first twenty. Conversion attempt by Thomas Bosc successful.
France 6-4
20 min: TRY France
England turn the ball over midfield and the French attack goes right up the middle - French hooker Kane Bentley scurries around toward the post and... he's over! It's a try! Conversion attempt by Thomas Bosc successful.
France 12-4
21 min: Disappointing for France, a knock on from tackle one. England right on the attack now.
22 min: Sinfield grubbers it across the field into the in-goal, Dimitri Pelo with plenty to do and he's trapped. Drop-out.
24 min: PENALTY France - a contentious obstruction call costs the English as they look to attack again.
26 min: PENALTY France - coming out of their own end France get a piggy-back penalty, with the England markers not getting square.
30 min: A last tackle gamble mid-field from Bosc and the French have another set of six... they're really taking this game to England!
31 min: Bosc hoists the ball to the opposite wing on the final tackle, there's pressure in the air but England come away with it.
34 min: Ben Westwood is on for England and he's lost the ball in the tackle. Just as soon as it looks like France are making headway out of their own half, it's a PENALTY to the home side as the French pass the ball after Williamson called held.
35 min: James Graham fumbles a simple pass in front of the posts which would've seen him score a certain try for England.
38 min: Play winding down as halftime approaches, France looking happy to wrap up the ball and play some simple footy, England not looking overly threatening.
39 min: France look to go wide with a high pass but it's lightly touched by Briscoe who runs away and gives it to Kevin Sinfield. Sinfield runs with it over the tryline to score but it's no try, French scrum on halfway.
40 min: PENALTY France - 40m out, barely 10m in from touch. France coach Bobby Goulding says "GO FOR GOAL" from the sideline. The rather annoying siren sounds as Bosc lines it up.
40 min: ATTEMPTED PENALTY GOAL France
Bosc can't get the penalty, it's gone wide and it's time for oranges.
France 12-4
HALFTIME: France 12 England 4
This one has a smell of the England v PNG World Cup opener last year - the underdog nation showing up the English. The Poms aren't playing poorly by any means, but poor discipline and handling have let them down multiple times. If the second half continues in the same way expect the French to really apply the pressure. England haven't lost in England for about four years, a statistic they'll be anxious to continue.
Kickoff for the second half and the French will have first possession.
41 min: The fourth tackle kick is charged down and France get six again, moving into the England half.
42 min: Nothing doing for France on the last, tackled about 10m out from the England line and it's a turnover.
43 min: England right on the attack now, they're surging up the field!
45 min: TRY England
Richard Myler finds space up the middle and the England faithful at Doncaster are on their feet and making plenty of noise, it's a try! Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield successful.
France 12-10
46 min: Adrian Morley is his own worst enemy, a knock-on 40m out from his own line. France with some good field position here.
47 min: PENALTY England - James Wynne gets within centimetres of scoring but his path to the line was cleared by a teammate obstructing an English player.
48 min: PENALTY France - offside the ruling as two English players are scrappy with a high cross-field ball.
50 min: TRY England
England getting more confident in possession and looking like they've got some momentum now too, Richard Myler goes for another run, the French defence giving him far too much space - he's got a double! Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield successful.
England 16-12
53 min: TRY England
A penalty puts England in sight of the tryline soon after the restart, Sinfield crosses for one of the easiest tries you're ever likely to see. Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield successful.
England 22-12
55 min: A knock-on deep inside their own half puts pressure on England now as France look to hit back.
56 min: Not much going right for the tricolours, they lose it on tackle three. It's compounded with a PENALTY to England. They boot it into the French half.
INJURY UPDATE: French prop Rémi Casty has a suspected broken finger.
60 min: PENALTY England - a strip in the tackle from the French sees England get free passage out of their own half.
61 min: James Roby spills the ball in front of the line for England, scrum to France on their own 10m line.
63 min: PENALTY France - markers not square and the French now have a set starting on England's twenty. Can they get back into it?
65 min: TRY England
France go wide, they look to have the numbers until Ryan Hall sticks his big hand out, the English winger has the intercept... and 90 metres to run... they won't catch him! Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield successful.
England 28-12
68 min: Nothing working for the French as the last pass goes forward on the wing. England's defensive effort has been much improved in the second half and it's proven difficult to get past for France.
71 min: Greenshields spills a good offload in the middle of the park. Second half riddled with errors for France.
73 min: BIFF! It's taken most of the game but we've finally got some trouble. It appears in the tackle that French prop David Ferriol has dropped an elbow in Sinfield's head. Ref calling them out.
Just a PENALTY to England, nothing more than a reprimand, and Ferriol placed on report.
74 min: VIDEO REFEREE - Possible England try.
Slammin' Sam Burgess, the newest acquisition for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, has seemingly gotten across the line. We're checking grounding with video referee Phil Bentham. Decision pending... NO TRY. 20m tap to France. Now a PENALTY to France, the English players holding down in the tackle. A consolation try for France perhaps?
75 min: Jean Phillipe Baile goes for the line on the fifth for France and he's over, but held up. It'll be a handover to England on the 10m line.
76 min: PENALTY England. A good break from the home side and then a penalty for France holding them down. Bearing down on the line here England...
77 min: VIDEO REFEREE - Possible England try.
Tom Briscoe looks like he's scored out wide off a grubber. He's onside, no worries here...
78 min: TRY England
Briscoe has the try awarded and the icing is on the cake for the England side. Thirty unanswered points now in the second half. Conversion attempt by Kevin Sinfield successful.
England 34-12
78 min: A disastrous restart from France goes out on the full. Jean Phillipe Baile has taken Richard Myler right in the side of the head from the following tackle. Myler's on the ground, blood streaming from his mouth. Surely Baile must be sent off here?
SENT OFF: Jean-Phillipe Baile is rightfully marched for his high shot. As he walks he moves to apologise to Myler who is being carried off, a show of good sportsmanship. PENALTY England in front of the French line.
80 min: A knock-on from Burgess will be the end of the game, no rush to pack the scrum.
FULLTIME: England 34 France 12
The Poms have overcome a shaky first half where they were dominated by France to score 30 unanswered points. A 34-12 win that they will take some confidence out of - but they will need to improve greatly if they're to challenge either of the 2008 World Cup finalists in New Zealand and Australia.
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Edouard
- October 24th, 2009 3:46pmWhy do we have to play over there in the cold.? Why was this game not shown on channel 9 ? France led 12-4 at half time...nearly upsetting the Poms. What Adrien Morley and Petero doing ?
dentonblue
- October 24th, 2009 8:56amYou may think 11,500 is "modest" but it was apparently the biggest crowd for a GB/England vs France game since 1959.
Jimbo
- October 24th, 2009 10:04pmThe french played with plenty of heart and flair, but just didnt have the professionalism or as much fitness in the end. Cant wait until they become a world force in the game again.