Jonny May scored a hat-trick in England's 44-8 Guinness Six Nations win over France at Twickenham on Sunday.
Here Press Association Sport assesses the contribution of the Leicester wing and the man of the match.
Quiet man delivers
The attention was on the more charismatic Chris Ashton prior to the match, with England head coach Eddie Jones anticipating the Sale Sharks wing could get an early score. A week earlier the wing focus was on Jack Nowell, who was deployed as an auxiliary forward against Ireland. On both occasions, May outshone his team-mates by doing what he does best, scoring once in Dublin and three times here.
Swift start
⭐ Hat-trick hero Jonny May ⭐#ENGvFRA #CarryThemHome 🌹
[Credit: @SixNationsRugby] pic.twitter.com/B7SC5FFrLs
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 10, 2019
May took his tally to 22 tries in 42 Tests by scoring a hat-trick inside 29 minutes. The 28-year-old is the quickest player in the England squad and showed his speed when touching down Elliot Daly's chip through after 105 seconds. Next, May held Owen Farrell's long pass and stepped away from meek defending from his opposite number to score in the corner. His third score came when Ashton had the presence of mind to kick through and May touched down. He might have scored another, but instead it was Farrell who did so in the second half.
Eccentric views and deeds
Perhaps Jonny is the first person to break Twitter, without being on Twitter.
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) November 27, 2016
May is known for his eccentricities. The former Gloucester wing has made headlines for his interest in the mysterious North Korea, being faster than Usain Bolt – a statistic from a speed test which he downplayed, insisting it was not a like-for-like comparison – and for some of his antics on the field. During the November 2016 Test with Argentina, May was required to bind on to the scrum as a flanker, but unconventionally and temporarily positioned his head through the legs of the loosehead prop. One moment on Sunday showed May's impetuousness as a quick lineout to Ashton became a hospital pass.
Finisher a certain starter
Jones calls his replacements 'finishers', so crucial is their role in the latter stages of a match. Yet May proved his credentials once again for his instinct to finish scores and cross the whitewash for tries. The Tigers wing is now a certain starter for Jones' England in World Cup year.
