New-look England end French grand slam hopes

The Six Nations championship was thrown wide open yesterday when new-look England ended France's grand slam hopes with an emphatic 26-18 victory over the holders at Twickenham.

England were unrecognisable from the side thumped 43-13 by Ireland two weeks earlier while France were strangely subdued and both teams, along with Ireland, go into this week's final round on six points.

France remain favourites to retain their title with a home game against Scotland but England, who visit Wales, and triple crown winners Ireland, away to Italy, remain very much in the hunt after the tournament yet again threw up a surprise result.

It was a remarkable turnaround for England who suffered their record Six Nations defeat at Croke Park but came back with a host of new faces and a new attitude.

Only a series of English errors kept France in the game through the penalties of David Skrela and Dimitri Yachvili but the visitors never threatened a try.

England were without injured flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson but it was his two understudies - Toby Flood and Shane Geraghty - who made the difference. The former scored the opening try and kicked 11 points in his first start and the latter produced a great break 10 minutes into his international debut for Mike Tindall's clinching second score.

Mike Catt, the 35-year-old recalled as captain for his first Six Nations start in six years, was also hugely influential and it was his break that set up the match-turning try for Flood.

"The whole emotional side of it is absolutely fantastic," Catt told the BBC. "Individually the boys played to their strengths.

"There's still a hell of a lot we need to learn but for a team who have been put together in five days that's awesome.

"We got on the front foot, we had the guts to go out there and play the way we train, that's the way Brian Ashton wants us to play."