Superb France beat England to claim long-awaited Six Nations Grand Slam

PARIS : France claimed their first Grand Slam and championship title in the Six Nations since 2010 as they beat England 25-13 on Saturday after passing a test of nerves in a contest they largely dominated at a packed Stade de France.

Fabien Galthie's side showed their brilliance in an exhilarating opening half, although some poor passing and handling kept England in the game until the hour.

Les Bleus prevailed through tries by Gael Fickou, Francois Cros and Antoine Dupont with the rest of the points coming from Melvyn Jaminet's boot to finish the championship on 25 points, one ahead of Ireland a year before France host the World Cup.

England answered with a try by Freddie Steward and kicks from Marcus Smith, but were too limited to be a credible threat as they ended up third on 10 points and three defeats.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)