If he says 'yes', you can. France were supposedly a team in pieces, beaten by Tonga just a week ago and with coach Marc Lievremont publicly berating his players, but so clear-cut was their victory that much of the atmosphere had been sucked from the contest long before the end. England still cling to oversized, lumbering forwards, and semi skilled backs, with a game plan that stopped working for them in the '70's. "Both of these sides have looked poor," he says, "but from a Welsh point of view the thought of potentially having to see Chris Ashton swallow-diving over the line to add to some turgid penalties to deny us a place in the final is too much to bear.". 18 min: Stevens concedes England's fourth penalty of the match so far, hitting a man in mid air. Rugby-Union-Weltmeisterschaft fand vom 9. England were in disarray, only Yachvili's failures with the conversions keeping them in the game, and when they finally created space for their wingers Cueto was dragged down metres from the line before another wayward pass from Wilkinson shut the door on Ashton wide out right. It's unfortunate we have had to take this action but ultimately there was a breach of the laws of the game. We know this. He will join an illustrious list of all-time greats who left long-time homes for new teams. Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP, Watch World Cup video highlights, interviews and more. The San Diego Loyal walked off the field in protest Wednesday night, saying a Phoenix Rising player directed an anti-gay slur at one of their players during their USL Championship league match. France set themselves in front of the English posts. Cueto and Ashton combine brilliantly down the left. France, though, have just put together 40 superb minutes of rugby. Johnson's contract expires in November, and four weeks as memorable for scandals off the pitch as any achievements on it will do little to appease the notoriously twitchy committee-men at the Rugby Football Union. By Tom Fordyce Chief sports writer at Eden Park, Auckland. Rugby World Cup 2011: England v France – as it happened ... Les Bleus finally get one over England at the World Cup, and celebrate accordingly. But another infringement at the scrum offered Paterson the chance to extend the lead further, and the full-back curled his penalty over to make it 12-3. 48 min: It's all a bit tatty by both teams at the moment. 69 min: France drive England back into their own 22. Alred and Stridgeon were found to have switched the ball Wilkinson was due to kick with on a number of occasions, without requesting permission from the referee Romain Poite. England stumbled into the World Cup quarter-finals and almost certainly put Scotland out after an error-ridden victory at Eden Park. 51 min: Deacon and Stevens are replaced by Corbisiero and Shaw. This now promises to be a blistering final 20-or-so minutes. Scotland had the territory and the momentum, forcing England into almost twice as many tackles and rattling them repeatedly at set-pieces. 16 min: PENALTY! They'll play Wales for a place in the final. This is really on a knife-edge now. 63 min: Now France come straight back at England, setting themselves up in the English 22. France are looking the business all of a sudden. All-New Non-Exciting France™: Medard, Clerc, Rougerie, Mermoz, Palisson, Parra, Yachvili, Poux, Servat, Mas, Pape, Nallet, Dusautoir, Bonnaire, Harinordoquy.Replacements: Szarzewski, Barcella, Pierre, Picamoles, Trinh-Duc, Marty, Heymans. Easter for Moody (53), Palmer for Lawes (56), Hartley for Thompson (67), Flood for Tindall (71), Corbisiero for Stevens (72), Wigglesworth for Youngs (73), Banahan for Wilkinson (75). He really didn't have to do that. Ashton isn't far from the line, but hit by a big tackle. It then took a desperate piece of defending from Ben Foden to deny Scotland a try in the left-hand corner, the full-back reaching out an arm to knock the ball from Simon Danielli's grasp, Nick de Luca knocking on with the line at his mercy. We feel very good about it. Here's how their quarter-final with Ireland panned out. 12 min: France coming straight back at England. France in their bleu shirts and shorts. They fling a few passes around. Still, at least they've had a nice few nights out, eh. England haven't touched the thing yet. But two penalties and a drop-goal from Jonny Wilkinson, despite a host of other wayward attempts, plus a late try from Chris Ashton were enough to send a misfiring England through. 79 min: England are throwing plenty of passes around, but getting nowhere in doing so, pinned back deep in their own territory. Well, they're certainly up for this second period, running out early onto the pitch. From the right, Dusautoir nearly bursts through. "Have been on the phone to my kiwi mother in law and the ITV coverage is 90 seconds behind the live coverage," reports Paul Lynch. England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage. Last updated on 8 October 2011 8 October 2011. THIS ISN'T OVER YET! They were brilliant in the first half, just as England were dreadful, and did more than enough in the second period. England win their line out and clear upfield. It's not quite coming off yet for them, but gaps were momentarily opening up in the French defence as the long passes were thrown. In other words, even against England, surely, all bets are off. Here's how their quarter-final with Ireland panned out. Flood really needs to get the conversion between the posts, but he can't manage it, sending a dreadful effort wide right. wonders Andrew Cosgrove. Sat 8 Oct 2011 10.23 BST Here's to 1970s-style widespread industrial action! By Tom Fordyce Chief sports writer at Eden Park, Auckland. England 7-19 France. Finally Tuilagi is bundled into touch. What a dismal World Cup they've had on the whole. "England look startled, clueless," writes Scott Maclachlan.