For some of the England squad, it would have felt strikingly familiar. A dead-eyed kicker breaking their hearts at the Stade de France after summoning a performance few thought they were capable of? For Thomas Ramos and France in 2026, read Handre Pollard and South Africa in the World Cup semi-final in 2023.
Steve Borthwick’s side produced an immense performance on Saturday night, channelling the frustration of the three weeks prior to Paris. Though it came too late in the campaign, it said plenty about the team’s spirit to get themselves into a winning position late on. If it was fitting that this thrilling tournament was settled with the final kick, it perhaps felt apt that England’s chances of averting a first one-win campaign were ended by errors and some rough luck.
