Women’s Six Nations champions England’s Test in France was called off in the 63rd minute after the floodlights went out, giving the Red Roses victory.
Concerns over player welfare because of the amount of time it would take for the lights to come back on led to the decision to stop the game.
Because more than 60 minutes had been played, England are awarded the win.
The Red Roses were leading 17-15 thanks in part to Abby Dow’s impressive scores when the lights went out.
England were looking to finish their spring schedule on a high after winning a third Six Nations title in a row against the same opponents last weekend.
They had managed to edge into a narrow lead with 20 minutes remaining before France were robbed of the chance to end the Red Roses’ now nine-game winning streak against Les Bleues.
“It’s really tricky for all these players,” England scrum-half Natasha Hunt said on BBC iPlayer.
“You don’t want to finish a game like this. I have never experienced anything like this – it’s crazy.”
After the lights went out, players initially lingered on the pitch uncertain of what was happening before heading into the dressing rooms to stay warm.
After waiting about 20 minutes, England’s management expressed concerns over increased risks of injury given the long break in play and referee Clara Munarini called off the match.