You can never take your eyes off this France team. Even at lineout time, les Bleus are showing off their full box of tricks – if you blinked, then you probably missed this Peato Mauvaka lineout throw.

The 28-year-old Toulouse man caught England unawares in the 18th minute of Saturday’s Six Nations clash at Allianz Stadium. Short throws are nothing new, but have you ever seen a hooker one-arm underarm throw it in?

Read more: Every single Le Crunch clash in the Six Nations era

It was a sublime piece of skill although England might have had some legitimate concerns about whether the throw was straight or not. The new World Rugby laws state that a throw is only to be called not straight if there is no contest at the lineout (the other team don’t go up).

However, this does not apply to a short throw straight to the front. Mauvaka’s throw was reminiscent of the technique of Wasps and France legend Raphael Ibanez, who also used one hand but in an overarm fashion resembling American Football.

France finally opened their account after a scoreless half-an-hour when Bordeaux flyer Louis Bielle-Biarrey darted in down the left. Thomas Ramos, who had earlier missed a simple penalty effort for someone of his kicking pedigree, nailed a sublime touchline conversion to make it 7-0 but Steve Borthwick’s men came straight back at Antoine Dupont and Co.

After a period of sustained pressure in the France 22, Ollie Lawrence crashed over for England with Marcus Smith’s conversion from right under the sticks ensuring that there was nothing to split the two sides at half-time, with the score 7-7.

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