The weight of expectation nearly became too big a cross for France to bear as they edged to a Six Nations Grand Slam in Paris.

Les Bleus were deserved winners of the competition and a first clean sweep since 2004 with their 12-10 victory over England at the imposing Stade de France.

But a country renowned for being bottlers on the big occasion did their best to keep that image intact.

France were so negative and so pragmatic throughout that the home fans started booing their own team with 20 minutes to go.

England, meanwhile, took on the role of potential party-poopers and played with style, flair and intent.

They looked the better side in open play and, had their scrum and line-out not malfunctioned so badly, they could and should have won this game.

Led by Leicester Tigers fly-half Toby Flood, England were everything they have not been in the last three games, taking flat balls on the gain-line and running some sumptuous attacking lines on the back of fast ruck ball.

That attitude was epitomised by Ben Foden's sixth-minute try that went through a flurry of backs' hands before the Saints man finished in the corner to put England 7-3 ahead.

Problems in the scrum and indiscretions elsewhere allowed France to go 12-7 up at the interval through three Morgan Parra penalties. But, even then, it was England playing all of the rugby.

When Johnny Wilkinson landed a long-distance penalty on 66 minutes to bring it back to 12-10, you would have got short odds on Flood or Wilkinson winning the game with a last-minute kick.

The French went even further into their shells and they were a pale reflection of the side which won their opening four games playing with verve and panache.

"That is what pressure does to you," said Tigers fly-half Flood, who did a tremendous job on his first start of the campaign.

"When we beat them here two years ago, it showed what pressure can do to a team.

"It doesn't necessarily make you a bad player but it makes you much more calculated.

"Maybe we have been guilty of that earlier on in the tournament. Tonight, there was no pressure on us and we could go out there and express ourselves.

"I think the lack of pressure was important for a lot of the guys.

"There was a huge amount of pressure on us for the Ireland game and, had we won that, it would have set us up for the last two weeks.

"A lot of our guys are hugely disappointed to have played some good stuff, made plenty of line breaks, and lost.

"France realised that all they had to do was eke out a victory for a Grand Slam and credit to them for doing that.

"But, while they just wanted to get a result and didn't play any rugby, we wanted to play and throw the ball around.

"We really wanted to have a go at them and the weather turning out as it did wasn't great for us.

"Maybe it would have been a different story had it stayed dry."

The pressure in the wonderful national stadium was so high with England on the attack and 10 minutes to go that the French band quickly blurted out a rendition of "Les Marseillaise" to bring an end to the nervous silence that had taken hold of its 80,000 inhabitants.

Wilkinson kicked ball away when ball in hand looked the better option, then James Haskell gave away a penalty to let the French off the hook.

The final act epitomised England's intent as they looked dangerous again but knocked-on in contact to release a bottle-neck of French tension that had reached bursting point.

For the French, the spoils. But for England, a glimmer of hope after a largely turgid campaign.

They must go to Australia this summer with the same gutsy selection and attacking attitude and leave any pressure they may be feeling firmly in the dressing room.

Maybe, just maybe, the World Cup is September 2011 does not look too soon after all.