Thanks Gary. The biggest defeat in the history of English rugby at home, this Saturday at Twickenham against the XV of France (10-53), was eclipsed in the front page of the English press this Sunday by the controversy between the ex-footballer and star presenter Gary Lineker at the BBC and government. But if it does not appear in large in the kiosks of London, the correction suffered by the players of Steve Borthwick did not go unnoticed, on the contrary.
“Humiliation” is the word that comes up most often in articles from the Sun, the Guardian, the Daily Mail… Often with references to the history of France and pungent but legitimate comparisons for an English team below All. “A guillotine falling on us brutally”, or “a French TGV which crushed everything in its path”, writes the Guardian. “We were in Twickenham-su-Seine,” stings the Telegraph.
The “genius” of Dupont hailed
In comparison, Marcus Smith and his teammates have become “Les Miserables”, adds, scathing and in French in the text, the Daily Mail. Which completes Steve Borthwick by recalling that he has therefore become the coach of the biggest English setback at Twickenham, 15 years after having been the captain of the previous heaviest defeat at home, in 2008 against South Africa…
Beautiful players, the English media also bow to the “genius” of Antoine Dupont, writes The Sun. “Sacres Bleus”, even titles the number one of the British dailies. The very serious Times is also on fire for the French performance, even speaking of “rugby from another planet”: “It was glorious, it was superb. It was absolutely devastating and irresistible”.
“England’s darkest day at Twickenham was many things – a pounding, a smash, a disgrace, but it was no enigma,” admits the Telegraph, without pity for its own. And all the British press are also worried about the rest of the XV de la Rose: the trip to Dublin next weekend to challenge Ireland, number one in the world rankings. “Good luck”, tackle “The Sun”, fatalistic.