England back row Ollie Chessum revealed fear of being chased down by France's Louis Bielle-Biarrey motivated his 60m intercept try during Saturday's Six Nations finale. The Leicester star scored twice in England's 48-46 defeat, admitting he "pinned his ears back" after picking off Matthieu Jalibert's pass near his own 10m line. Chessum's top speed of 9.3m/s, as confirmed by coach Geoff Parling, ensured he outran French defenders for the dramatic score.

England's final-round improvement couldn't mask a miserable Six Nations campaign that delivered only one victory from five matches and a fifth-place finish. Chessum acknowledged frustration during defeats against Scotland, Ireland and Italy, calling the France performance "more like us and the way we wanted to play." The 25-year-old celebrated his return to London by watching Leicester win the Prem Rugby Cup final, highlighting the team's recent form.

With Leicester fourth in the Premiership, Chessum faces a crucial fixture against Bristol, currently one place higher in the table. Five teams are separated by just eight points in the race for play-off spots. Though made Leicester captain after Julian Montoya's departure, Chessum down speculation about replacing Maro Itoje as England skipper, stating "I don't think it's something you go chasing" as leadership roles find players rather than the reverse.