Local hero Paul Grayson kicked 20 points and created a sparkling try as England A opened their international season with a convincing 30-13 win over the French at Northampton.

The 31-year-old Saints fly-half is one of the veterans of the A team set-up but that did not stop him claiming the starring role as he stroked over six penalties before setting up the game's clinching score 10 minutes from time.

England had struggled to make the most of a promising start when their younger three-quarters threatened to run riot in the first 20 minutes.

But they put the game out of France's reach when Grayson launched the move that led to No 8 Joe Worsley crashing over and the visitors were in disarray when Danny Scarbrough finished the game off in style.

Grayson had given his side the perfect start with penalties in the second and ninth minutes before his juniors dominated the opening quarter.

Josh Lewsey and Scarbrough produced two cracking breaks down the right, while teenage Gloucester win Marcel Garvey provided an early burst of pace that let experienced international Christophe Dominici trailing in his wake.

The young guns were blazing away, but it was Grayson who launched the most daring counter attack with a cross-kick in his own 22 that sent Lewsey weaving away on a 50-metre break.

What they couldn't manage, though, was a major breakthrough. Scottish referee Iain Ramage gave no room for error in his punishment of anyone straying offside and France dug in with Toulouse flanker Jean Boulihou leading the defence and his team-mates battering away at scrum and lineout.

Grayson and Gloucester's Ludovic Mercier traded penalties to make it 9-3 nearing the break but France struck at the perfect time to edge in front, driving to within five metres of line. The ball came back to Biarritz centre Guillaume Bousses, who cut inside to score despite English protests that No.8 Patrick Tabacco impeded their defenders.

Mercier's conversion gave France a one-point lead and they were 13-12 ahead early in the second half after a penalty apiece from the two fly-halves.

But England finally established some continuity going into the last 20 minutes, with outstanding back-row forwards Worsley and Alex Sanderson hammering their way up the middle.

France stepped offside looking for an interception and Grayson regained the lead with his fourth successful penalty - then stretched it with his fifth to open an 18-13 advantage.

Then came the move of the match. Grayson rode a tackle on the halfway line and sent Scarbrough away on a brilliant break. The Leeds Tykes star unloaded to Andy Hazell, who gave back-row colleague Worsley the scoring pass.

Then Garvey nearly got over in the corner and France started to buckle and it was left to Scarbrough to finish off by stepping inside his man and into the right-hand corner.