Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

France player ratings vs England | 2026 Guinness Six Nations

France's scrum-half Antoine Dupont passes the ball during of the Six Nations international rugby union match between France and England at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP via Getty Images)

France player ratings: Take a breath. Another crazy, topsy-turvy, high-scoring game to sign off one of the greatest Six Nations championships of all time.

ADVERTISEMENT

England came to play and kept swinging, but a late Thomas Ramos penalty broke English hearts after one of the most dramatic finishes in the tournament’s history to seal a 48-46.

Against that backdrop, here’s how France’s players rated.

Jean-Baptiste Gros – 4.5
France never got the early scrum foothold they craved and Gros was part of a front row that got put under the pump more than once. Hooked on 62 minutes with England smelling blood.

VIDEO

Julien Marchand – 6.5
A good bit better than his shocker against Scotland. Throwing was tidy enough and he was busier around the corner in phase play, but replaced at 46 minutes for fresh legs.

Dorian Aldegheri – 4
In the loose he can resemble a supermarket shopping trolley abandoned on a side road, not always clear what hiw purpose is. England got joy at scrum time before the break. Hauled at 46’. A tough outing.

Thibaud Flament – 6.5
Relatively quiet in the open field but, with Cros, was imperious at the lineout. Did his set?piece job and worked hard defensively without a headline moment in the chaos.

Emmanuel Meafou – 7.5
France’s standout forward in the first forty. Absolutely smashed Itoje on nine minutes and later folded Genge with a shot. Dominant in collisions until he came off on 65’. Set a nasty tone that England had to meet.

ADVERTISEMENT

Francois Cros – 7
Tackled everything that moved and offered a cool head at the restarts and lineout. Not the flashiest in a game full of fireworks, but vital glue.

Temo Matiu – 7
Thrown into the deep end on debut and looked anything but out of his depth. One of France’s better forwards in the opening half before making way at the break; physical, disciplined, and on task.

Charles Ollivon – 7.5
Broke the line repeatedly and was among the many Frenchmen hunting offloads. The clutch moment came on 75 minutes, holding England up over the line to keep France alive. A stonking shift.

France player ratings
France’s number eight Charles Ollivon (L) reacts during of the Six Nations international rugby union match between France and England at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT

Antoine Dupont – 8
Quiet-ish by his stratospheric standards in the first forty and flirted with another intercept. Then the switch flicked: always scanning, he slung the long ball to find Attissogbe’s try and kept France playing at irresistible tempo around the 9–10 axis.

Matthieu Jalibert – 9
Sensational. Footwork to beat defenders for fun and the 12’ kick for LBB’s second was Louvre-worthy. He did throw the interception for Chessum’s try on 50 minutes, but he kept coming back – line breaks late helped set the table for the winner. France’s attacking conductor.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 9
A total menace who put the fear factor into England. Needed half a chance to score four tries, soaring under kicks and even handing off his own teammate in the chaos en route to the line. Couldn’t stop Roebuck in the corner early, but his response was devastating.

Yoram Moefana – 7
Quiet and missy defensively in the first forty, then much better after the break. Crisp hands in the sweeping move that put LBB in just after half-time and straighter running helped settle the midfield.

Pierre-Louis Barassi – 6.5
Tackling was questionable early and he struggled to stress the line, but he came alive after the interval with a string of strong carries. One of France’s best second-half momentum players.

Theo Attissogbe – 7
Fragile start and an appalling fumble gifted Murley’s 19’ try, but the bounce-back was impressive: broke the line several time and then finished from close range on 49 minutes. A spectacular fetch on the sideline and plenty of threat with ball in hand.

Thomas Ramos – 8.5
A so-so overall display by his standards – including a poor kick straight into touch that irked LBB and getting run through by Freeman but the nerve at 82 minutes was ice-cold. Slotted the match-winner and added his conversions. Sometimes it’s about moments; he owned the biggest one.

Replacements

Peato Mauvaka – 7
On at 46’ and very good: sharper at the cleanout, more leg drive, and helped stabilise the set-piece. One of the bench wins.

Rodrigue Neti – 7
France’s scrum looked better in phases after the break, particularly once the Genge yellow skewed the numbers, though there was a costly collapse around the 71’ mark that handed England field position. Neti brought energy in contact.

Demba Bamba – 4.5
Explosive power in defence, but the discipline fell apart: three penalties and a yellow card on 75’ that nearly sank the ship. A night to park.

Hugo Auradou – N/A
On at 77’, not enough time for a fair read.

Mickael Guillard – 7.5
Arrived right on half-time and immediately added size and menace. Helped France win more collisions in the tight during that third-quarter surge.

Joshua Brennan – N/A
On at 65’ for Meafou; limited involvement.

Baptiste Serin – N/A
Not used.

Emilien Gailleton – N/A
Not used.

Rugby Europe FinalDon't miss the 2026 Rugby Europe Championship Final as Georgia and Portugal face off live and free on RugbyPass TV this weekend!

*Not available in the following territories: Germany, USA, Canada, Mexico, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Georgia and Portugal.

ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video
LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

4 Comments
u
unknown 52 mins ago

Great..ish performance by France,

but Galthie is paranoid about subbing off Dupont when he is clearly off his feet in the last 10mins

H
Hammer Head 1 hr ago

Did France lose?


But seriously. The lower scores of the forwards over the backline is aligned with my feeling that the French pack are a weakness in this very good French side.


I still don’t think their conditioning is up to scratch - but fortunately they have a backline that can conjure up points with their backs to the wall.

T
Tom 50 mins ago

They've got a soft underbelly for sure. Their defence was very passive at the end, I felt like they'd given up. Was really surprised England managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory but we can't escape our indiscipline. Itoje had a cracker but managed to give away 2 penalties in 5 seconds at the death. 🤣


England and Scotland have both shown how to beat the French. When they've got front foot ball they're unstoppable but hit them hard up the guts and they're a different team.


Jalibert and LBB are absolute class though.

S
SB 1 hr ago

Gros was literally named one of the best players of the match. 4.5 is just ludicrous.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

Comments on RugbyPass

Close
ADVERTISEMENT