They are now second in the world series table behind Fiji, who they beat on their way to the final, as well as defeating nine time series winners New Zealand.

Isoa Damu put England ahead following when the midfield opened up, before Dan Norton added a second with a neat chip and chase.

Renaud Delmas reduced the arrears but Mat Turner hit a quick fire 10 points in succession to give England a commanding 24-7 lead at the interval.

Though another try from Delmas gave France some hope, Rob Vickerman sealed the win late on with another try of his own.

Coach Ben Ryan was delighted with the victory, saying: "We played well today.

"To play New Zealand and Fiji in the quarter and semi-finals certainly stiffened the sinews and made us stick to a gameplan.

"We played some clever football and we were ruthless and there were some outstanding contributions from individuals."

Frederic Pomarel, the French coach, admitted that England were the better side but said that his team had showed that they were "dangerous outsiders".


In the bronze medal match, Fiji beat Argentina 26-21 in sudden death extra-time, while Australia clinched the plate final with a 17-14 win over South Africa.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]