England beats France 26-25 and shakes up Six Nations title race

LONDON (AP) — Fin Smith's match-winning conversion of the last-gasp try he set up lifted England over Six Nations title favorite France 26-25 in a Twickenham thriller on Saturday.

The score changed three times in the last 10 minutes of a frenetic match.

England led for the first time in the match in the 70th through replacement prop Fin Baxter's try. Smith converted for 19-18, taking over the goalkicking from Marcus Smith, who badly pulled his last two goalkicks.

Five minutes later, France retook the lead after Antoine Dupont and Damian Penaud counterattacked from deep to give Louis Bielle-Biarrey his second try of the match. France led 25-19.

Then England forced a lineout in France territory, mauled it, and Fin Smith fed replacment wing Elliot Daly in a huge gap to charge over beside the posts in the 79th. Fin Smith's conversion completed a remarkable fightback.

Falling to Ireland in Dublin last week meant England dropped six of its last seven matches. This was England's first big win since last year's Six Nations when it beat Ireland. Since then, England has drawn deserved criticism for blowing winning positions in the last quarter.

It finally finished the job with a bonus-point four tries against France and has joined the title race with Scotland visiting next in two weeks.

“We have lost plenty of games and luckily this one went our way today,” Fin Smith said. “It was far from perfect but that group fought for it.”

Giving flyhalf Fin Smith his first test start was a bold call by coach Steve Borthwick. His seven previous caps totaled 122 minutes of test rugby. But he's better at sparking a backline than Marcus Smith, whose maverick brilliance was trusted at fullback.

The bench also delivered, notably former captain Jamie George, Ollie Chessum, and Daly, who was recalled for his first test in a year.

After a shaky first half, Fin Smith grew into the game like England did and was named man of the match.

“I felt like a rabbit in the headlights in the first half,” he said. “But I found my feet in the end. This is cool for a first start.”

France has just started a three-match road trip that goes to Italy next, then defending champion Ireland. This setback was harder to digest for France because it should have buried England by halftime despite wet conditions underfoot.

France shelled so many try-scoring passes that not even captain Dupont was immune.

"We got the oopsies, didn't we?" France defense coach Shaun Edwards said. “Every time we got near the try-line we seemed to just drop the ball. I've never seen that happen before. The French lads are normally magnificent handlers of a rugby ball.”

It took 30 minutes to get Bielle-Biarrey over, only for England to hit straight back in a sign of things to come. Somehow, despite a dropped pass behind Tom Curry and Fin Smith spilling the ball, England got it to midfielder Ollie Lawrence to score and make it 7-7 by halftime.

Thomas Ramos penalties made it 13-7 and England should have gone ahead in the 58th when, in the same movement, winger Tommy Freeman caught Fin Smith's restart then caught his cross-field chip to score. But Marcus Smith bombed the conversion.

Bielle-Biarrey came off his wing to give Penaud his 37th test try, one short of France's record held by Serge Blanco. France led 18-12 going into the last quarter, and Nolann Le Garrec was sent in, moving Dupont from scrumhalf to flyhalf. But Dupont was who England targeted in a lineout peel for the Baxter try that launched the madcap last 10 minutes.

“We were brave — that's the foundation of what we want to be doing going forward,” Maro Itoje said after his first win as England captain.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

France's Damian Penaud drops the ball during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

France's Antoine Dupont runs with the ball during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Tommy Freeman, center, breaks the tackle of France's Antoine Dupont to score a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

France's Damian Penaud, center, drops the ball challenged by England's Henry Slade, left, and Alex Mitchell during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

France's Louis Bielle-Biarrey offloads in the tackle during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Elliot Daly scores a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Tommy Freeman, center, celebrates after Elliot Daly scored a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Elliot Daly scores a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Elliot Daly scores a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Host Italy has a new contender in Alpine skiing with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics three weeks away.

Giovanni Franzoni claimed his first World Cup victory on the famed Lauberhorn course in a super-G Friday — four months after his close friend and former roommate, Matteo Franzoso, died in a crash during preseason training in Chile.

The 24-year-old Franzoni — a former world junior champion in super-G, downhill and Alpine combined — was the first racer on course and took advantage of the No. 1 bib to deliver a near-perfect run.

Reaching a top speed of 140.44 kph (87 mph), Franzoni finished 0.35 seconds ahead of Stefan Babinsky of Austria and 0.37 ahead of downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland.

Franzoni handled the tricky Canadian Corner and Kernen S sections on the upper portion of the course cleaner than anyone else.

“I made the difference on the turn where I crashed a few years ago,” he said, referring to his season-ending fall in a super-G in 2023 that resulted in thigh surgery.

Swiss overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt, a four-time winner in Wengen, placed fourth, 0.53 behind.

The top American was Ryan Cochran-Siegle in sixth.

Franzoni also led both downhill training sessions and could be a contender in the classic downhill on Saturday. His previous best World Cup finish was third in a super-G on home snow in Val Gardena last month.

Now Franzoni will be among the leaders for Italy’s team in Bormio, where men’s Alpine skiing will be contested during the Olympics.

“If you had told me that I would be third in Val Gardena and then win here — on the two courses that I've had the most trouble on — I wouldn't have believed it,” Franzoni said.

The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for Feb. 6.

“I don't know about the future, but the present has changed," Franzoni said. "We always live day by day.”

Marco Schwarz, the Austrian who won the previous super-G in Livigno, Italy, last month, missed the race due to sickness.

Also sitting out this weekend is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Norwegian standout who returned this season after a horrific crash in Wengen two years ago.

“This year," Kilde said on Instagram this week, "it’s just a little too early.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Giovanni Franzoni of Italy takes a jump during the alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Austria's Stefan Babinsky speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)