England edged out France in a classic in Verona, winning 29-20 despite playing with 12-men at one stage in what was a frenetic and seemingly endless second-half.

A late red card for Andrew Turner threatened to end the Red Roses hopes of a memorable victory, but a sublime score from Jed Walsh 10 minutes from time secured all five points for Alan Dickens side. 

A brace from Ewan Richards and tries from Conor Oresanya and Walsh were enough to carry England over the line, despite yet another score for France hooker Victor Montgaillard and a second-half penalty try. 

 

Key player: Ewan Richards

It’s not often you see a try-scoring masterclass from a second-row.

But Bath's Richards showed all the instincts of a born finisher when he notched two crucial first-half scores.

It was beginning to look like England would fail to capitalise on their early dominance, with a few entries into the France 22 failing to yield a score.  

Step forward Richards. His first score was a basketball-esque dunk in the corner and then taking confidence from that he crossed again just five minutes later, turning down options on the outside to power over from close-range.

 

Play of the game: England go coast to coast

Less than a minute after defending their own line, England were celebrating their third score. just after half-time. 

While it was not a conventional end-to-end score, there was no shortage of endeavour, as the try put a bit of daylight between England and their fierce rivals.

After a loose pass from Gatien Masse, Fin Smith punted the loose ball clear, inviting Iwan Stephens and Charlie Bracken to hurtle upfield in pursuit.

Their pressure forced Emilien Gailleton to attempt a rush clearance kick, but Reketi Ma’asi-White was on hand to charge down, gather the loose ball and make a genius offload to Oresanya, who had the simplest of finishes. But it was a much deserved outcome for a fantastic chase.

 

Key talking point: A tale of two tries

France were not their usual selves in the first period, but that did not stop them showing glimpses of their quality.

A cute chip and kick from Max Auriac resulted in Jules Coulon crossing. But the play was brought back for the tightest of offside calls, as scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau seeminhad just gone too early when pursuing Auriac's dink.

France did then score courtesy of Victor Montgaillard, as the hooker registered his third try of the tournament.

But, again, it was not without controversy, as a lengthy TMO check was needed to ensure that No.8 Theo Ntamack had not spilled the ball forward earlier in the move.

On this occasion, the decision went France’s way, but both calls could easily have gone the other way on another day. 

 

Key moment: Walsh seals it in style

There was no shortage of game-swinging moments in this game. But it was England’s last score which proved to be defining. And what a score it was.

Offload after offload finished with Walsh crossing as loudest cheer of the afternoon then reverberated around the Payanini Centre.  

Playing with 13 men at the time, it was a remarkable display of endurance and skill to keep the ball alive and was a score deserving of winning any game.  

The Six Nations Under-20 Summer Series takes place from 24 June – 12 July. Fans can watch every match live. For more information visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJHm6BFw-9JRA1CMekNLwMg