"Just when the critics were sharpening their pens and the doubters gaining ground, Jonny Wilkinson proved that his one-man points-scoring show for England is going to run for a good while yet."

Wilkinson added another 14 to his mountain of international points as Brian Ashton's team kept their RBS 6 Nations hopes alive with a much-improved performance at the Stade de France.

On the way Wilkinson even had time to notch up a world record - his second-half drop goal notching up his 29th in Test rugby to overtake the tally of Argentina's Hugo Porta.

Wing Paul Sackey and Sale scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, on his debut, scored the England tries, in a match which was never pretty, never a classic, but which will give Ashton confidence that his transitional team are at last making sound progress.

In fact, it was England's biggest victory against France in Paris since 1992 when they won 31-13 and their first in the Six Nations for eight years.

For France it wrecked their Grand Slam hopes and was more misery after losing the semi-final of the World Cup to England in this same stadium four months ago.

And if it was not quite the Ashton revolution of creativity for which fans have been waiting then it was a good deal better than the slow, slow, kick, kick, slow, which dominated the World Cup.

England had the scoreboard ticking as early as the sixth minute and it owed much to the tenacity of Jamie Noon.

The Newcastle centre hit French fullback Cedric Heymans so hard in midfield that man and ball flew backwards, allowing wing Sackey to hack on and dive on the ball for the first touchdown.

Wilkinson added the conversion and it was just the sort of start to settle the nerves.

France, however, following wins against Scotland and Ireland, clearly were determined to stick to the dynamic running traditions of French rugby advocated by new coach Marc Lievremont.

You had to admire his daring in putting out an eight, nine and 10 in Louis Picamoles, Morgan Parra and Francois Trinh-duc with one Test start between them.

The ball flew through the hands but adventure comes at high risk and mistakes also gushed from the blue shirts.

A Wilkinson penalty saw England extend their lead, only for misfortune to strike Wasps flanker James Haskell who limped from the field in the 20th minute with an injury to his left ankle to be replaced by Leicester's Tom Croft for his first cap.

France began to find their game and following their first period of extended pressure captain Lionel Nallet burrowed his way over from close range.

It was that sort of game. Thrust and counter-thrust, but too much of the action stifled. Even so the 19-year-old Parra brought a zip to France around the scrum. England's defence more solid than of late.

That will have pleased Ashton, and so will the work of Wigglesworth, whose composure and decision-making on his debut was impressive considering the intensity inside the Stade de France.

A second Wilkinson penalty stretched England's lead to 13-7 at half-time, at which point Ashton must have been wondering quite what to say in the dressing rooms deep inside this spaceship of a stadium.

Against Wales they had enjoyed a 19-6 lead at half-time before imploding in spectacular fashion in the second 40 minutes. Against Italy they almost threw away another big advantage.

Honest men such as hooker Mark Regan had suggested England were struggling to raise the commitment and maintain the focus they tapped into so brilliantly at the World Cup.

Well, it was Regan who pushed the self-destruction button in the second half this time, a flailing punch giving away the penalty which allowed Parra to reduce the arrears.

No doubting Ashton's thoughts, the head coach hooking Regan from the action immediately and bringing on Lee Mears.

England could have folded. They did not.

And while Wilkinson saw two long-range penalties fall agonisingly short, the world record drop goal arrived in the 63rd minute, eased over as ever with meticulous precision.

Another long-range penalty followed and while Dimitri Yachvili replied for France, in truth England never looked in danger.

They played out the last few minutes in total control, the outstanding Wigglesworth nipping around a ruck to score his debut try.

It was well deserved. So was England's victory.