The sinner in Cardiff turned into the matchwinner here. Maro Itoje gave away five penalties against Wales but ended France’s grand slam push four minutes from time when he picked up from a ruck, which had again looked as if it would be the area to cost England, and took two players over the line with him.

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The referee, Andrew Brace, initially ruled that Cameron Woki and Teddy Thomas had prevented Itoje from grounding the ball, but after reviewing the incident on the big screen, decided he had been wrong, agreeing with the television match official, Joy Neville, that it was a try. As they had done in December’s Autumn Nations Cup final here, England denied France victory in the late stages with a try from close range.

Eddie Jones reckoned in the buildup that England would make their superior fitness tell in the final quarter if they were in touch with France, and although they trailed from the 32nd minute, having recovered from conceding a try after 65 seconds, they were never more than seven points behind. It seemed less a conditioning issue with France, who had not played for a month, and more one of trying to hold on to a narrow lead and surrendering the initiative, abandoning the flowing style that had put them in front.

Until Itoje’s intervention, it looked as if England would again pay for the indiscipline which had cost them against Scotland and Wales. Although they did not concede a penalty in the first 24 minutes, they more than made up for that as the game progressed. They were penalised six times at attacking rucks, mostly for holding on due to a lack of support, with three of the infringements coming in France’s 22.

It was a ruck that ultimately cost France, who played with such a swagger in the first half that England were forced to shake off their inhibitions to keep up in what was an enthralling 40 minutes of rugby. Les Bleus attacked from the off and after Virimi Vakatawa and Gaël Fickou created space in midfield, Teddy Thomas’s chip to the line on the left wing with the outside of his right boot was gathered by Antoine Dupont at the second attempt.

Their second try, nine minutes from the interval, may have been a product of the training ground but it was skilfully executed from a lineout which was thrown long for Fickou to catch. The centre used the presence of Thomas inside him to hold the defence as Dupont looped outside. He passed to the scrum-half who found Matthieu Jalibert and, as the defence hastily scrambled to get into shape, the outside-half threw long to the right to give Damian Penaud a run to the line.

It put France 17-13 ahead and two minutes before the break they again swarmed into England’s 22, once more prompted by Dupont. They were looking for quick release from a ruck when the prop Mohamed Haouas, who had sabotaged last year’s grand slam title when he was sent off for throwing a punch at Murrayfield, made a late entrance, charged through to England’s side, went off his feet and was penalised. It was the sort of indiscipline that had cost the champions in the last round in Cardiff, and had France gone into the break 11 points ahead, there may have been no way back for the home side.

England’s response to going behind so early was impressive. They mixed up their game, kicking to contest as much as play for territory and putting the ball through hands. Henry Slade, Jonny May and Anthony Watson all made inroads and they were level after nine minutes. Tom Curry and Mark Wilson, twice, were held up short and the full-back Max Malins, off balance, threw what would have been a try-scoring pass to Watson straight into touch.

George Ford showed how after another series of forward drives when he tempted Thomas into shooting out of the line and a long pass gave Watson a try on his 50th international appearance. England were soon ahead with Owen Farrell kicking two penalties in three minutes as France conceded penalties under pressure at the breakdown.

There had been a somewhat casual air about France, as if the early try made them over-confident, and they paid for running from deep with nothing on but as Brice Dulin, Jalibert, Fickou and Dupont made breaks from their own half, so belief washed over them and some of their play was irrepressible, forcing England to abandon their earlier discipline.

If the first half was free-flowing, the second was more stop-start as the light faded and legs became heavier. Jalibert’s second penalty after 49 minutes when Itoje flopped on the front side of a ruck gave France a lead of seven points, but almost immediately Farrell responded after Charles Ollivon mistimed his jump at a lineout on England’s throw.

It then became a battle of wills. England took the initiative as France defended what they had, knowing their opponents needed more than a penalty to win.

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Elliot Daly made a difference from the bench, regularly finding a way through a rush defence, but England kept conceding penalties after taking the ball into contact.

France should have used the windfall to establish territory, but they too were unable to sustain attacks because of indiscipline, more in the set pieces than the loose, and they did not mount an attack in the second half. It became a question of whether they could hold on against a team not renowned for coming from behind to win; just when it looked as if they would, up popped the second row, Itoje, with the decisive score.