France hooker  Benjamin Kayser  told Sky Sports: "England are a very good side, they play very expansive rugby and we did well against them to win like we did. They put us under pressure at the end, but we held out. It came down to tiny differences in the end. I felt we deserved it for the way we played for the first 60 minutes. 

"It's a big win for us as a team but unfortunately it means nothing in terms of the World Cup. It's going to be very tough in the World Cup and we have to remember and learn from the way we stood strong at the end when the competition comes round."

Lancaster told Sky Sports: "I wouldn't say there were times when players lost their heads, but we looked rusty at times, in contrast to last week when we looked cohesive. That's disappointing because we had some experienced players out there. 

"We've got to get our discipline at the breakdown, we can't give France easy position like we did. We need to improve on that, because all the little mistakes add up. 

"The bench made a difference, it upped the energy levels and we scored some good tries. I won't gloss over what went on before that, because it was too little too late. 

"There are a few players who have given me food for thought, those guys who came on and gave us the energy we needed and made a difference. I need to have a sleep on this game and think about my final squad. We're two weeks away from playing Ireland and four weeks away from Fiji in the World Cup and we'll expect a reaction next time."

Image source, Getty Images

Ford told Sky Sports: "I thought we might snatch victory at the end, but we had hardly any ball in the first half, and gave away too many penalties. We played some good stuff in the second half.

"In the first half a lot of our undoing was down to ourselves. We just weren't good enough in that first half, and there's no excuse for that. We let them build up the score and that made it hard for us. It was frustrating and we had to think of ways to adapt and that was constantly going through our minds. We tried to get ourselves out of a hole.

"We've got to turn up against Ireland now and make sure that we win. Our basics have got to be world class."

Image source, Getty Images

Robshaw told Sky Sports: "In the first half we were shocking with our discipline. We gave too many penalties away, but give us  credit, in the second half we came out and played well but couldn't quite get over the line in the end. We can't give teams like France and other quality sides head starts like we did.

"Credit to France, they put us under pressure and made us make mistakes. Whether it was rust, or nerves in the first half, I don't know. It wasn't good enough and we've got a big two weeks before the Ireland match, and then looking ahead to the World Cup. 

"We'll look long and hard at ourselves. We let ourselves down in the first half. We played well in phases but you can't wait for 40 minutes to do that." 

Food for thought for Ireland fans after tonight's performance by France - they're both in Pool D and their clash in Cardiff on 11 October will probably decide who wins it. The old master Michalak looked pretty decent this evening at fly-half, as did the big man Bastareaud at centre. Huget with a fantastic finish, French forwards rampant at times, all of a sudden the cock has reason to crow.

One man who did himself no harm this evening was Danny Cipriani. He was only on the field for 15 minutes or so but scored a clinical try and looked dangerous every time he had the ball in his hands. Maybe he's done enough to make Lancaster's final squad. But maybe he hasn't...

"There's still a hell of a lot to work on for England after that display. I don't know what Danny Cipriani's instructions were when he went on but he was a threat on the ball and gave England an added dimension. He made no mistakes, he scored a try and he was excellent."

There were a couple of layers of gloss in the last 10 minutes from England but you got the sense that France had already parked up. Only five points in it in the end, but England were beasted up front, a mess at the set-piece and never looked like potential World Cup winners until right at the end. Much work to be done.

Image source, AFP

England having one last go as the clock ticks past 80 minutes, putting phases together and doing what they didn't do for most of the match, looking after the ball. George makes a half-break... Easter goes... Ford now... inside the French 22... coughed up, France kick it out, that's an encouraging night for the hosts and a chastening one for the visitors. 

Ford finds a good touch from a penalty and England have another good attacking platform. This time George finds his man and England put some phases together. England put-in at the scrum... 

"There's no real structure to the game now as we head towards the final 10 minutes. France know they are going to win and they look very comfortable. England are working hard but they are toiling, and one or two players are now looking pretty leggy."

France giving England nothing here and what they do get, they're managing to chuck away - Care tries to get it away, loses the ball on a boot, which looks like a French one, and it's a knock-on. Off goes Michalak, he's had a good night, to be replaced by Remi Tales of Castres.  

Image source, AFP

Fofana chips through and here comes Brown on the counter. Easter takes a pass from Ford and has a gallop but Joseph kicks it away and France clear their lines. 

La Marseillaise rings out at the Stade de France and it sounds for all the world like it's party time already in Paris. England won't be going, it's early to bed for them after a truly awful performance. If things weren't tough enough for England's forwards, on comes 25 stone prop Atonio. For England, it's time for Danny Cipriani to stake a late claim for a World Cup spot. Although, not much of one. France penalty, and they're going for the posts... over it goes...