Baxter urges England to build on 'marquee win' over France

Fin Baxter (22) has called on England to leverage their remarkable "marquee win" against France in the Six Nations as a foundation for future achievements, rather than allowing it to be merely a singular moment of glory.

England defied expectations with a thrilling 26-25 victory over France at Twickenham on Saturday, marking the end of a concerning streak of seven consecutive defeats against elite teams.

In a match characterized by a lead that shifted three times in the final ten minutes, England ultimately triumphed in a closely contested game, following a series of heart-wrenching losses. The decisive moment came when replacement Elliot Daly scored a try in the 79th minute, which was successfully converted by Fin Smith, who made a notable impact in his first Test start as fly-half.

At that point, Harlequins prop Baxter had also entered the match as a substitute, contributing to England's third try out of four, thereby revitalizing their Six Nations campaign after an initial 27-22 defeat to reigning champions Ireland.

Although the loss in Dublin resulted in a losing bonus point for England, they can now approach their upcoming championship match against their oldest rivals, Scotland, at Twickenham on February 22nd, with renewed confidence.

"That roar at the end was incredible," said Baxter of the reaction of a capacity home crowd of over 81,000 following a much-needed win for Steve Borthwick's men. "I'm going to remember that for a very long time."

Baxter added: "This is a marquee win and a win that we're going to look back on for a very long time, but we're not parking up after that.

"We're going for the rest of them and that's what we've been going with since I've been part of this team.

A significant aspect of Saturday's triumph was the influence exerted by England's substitutes, including Baxter, Daly, former captain Jamie George, Ollie Chessum, and Ben Curry, all of whom made impactful contributions.

Their performances stood in stark contrast to England's recent narrow defeats against teams such as New Zealand and Australia, where the Red Rose replacements were unable to assert themselves.

"The bench consistently aims to create a positive influence, injecting energy and enthusiasm. We achieved that against France and provided that boost," stated Baxter, who also celebrated his eighth cap with a crucial scrum penalty.

France 'far below expectations'
Following a commanding 43-0 victory over Wales, France faced a setback in their Six Nations title aspirations as they failed to capitalize on multiple try-scoring chances, with even their captain and star scrum-half Antoine Dupont among those who mishandled the ball near England's goal line during the rainy conditions at Twickenham.

Despite dominating territory and possession in the first half, France found themselves level at 7-7 at halftime.

This scenario was a stark contrast to the previous encounter at Twickenham two years ago, when a formidable France triumphed with a score of 53-10, marking England's most significant home defeat.