ENG vs FRA - Match Thread - Team announcement, Chat & Banter etc...

[HERSH]

First topic message reminder :

Last 10 meetings

26 Feb 2011 England 17 - 9 France
20 Mar 2010 France 12 - 10 England
15 Mar 2009 England 34 - 10 France
23 Feb 2008 France 13 - 24 England
13 Oct 2007 France 9 - 14 England -RWC
18 Aug 2007 France 22 - 9 England
11 Aug 2007 England 15 - 21 France
11 Mar 2007 England 26 - 18 France
12 Mar 2006 France 31 - 6 England
13 Feb 2005 England 17 - 18 France

ENGLAND - 5 Wins - FRANCE - 5 Wins

England

1 Matt Stevens
2 Steve Thompson
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Tom Palmer
6 Tom Croft
7 Lewis Moody
8 Nick Easter
9 Ben Youngs
10 Jonny Wilkinson
11 Mark Cueto
12 Toby Flood
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 Chris Ashton
15 Ben Foden

Replacements

16 Dylan Hartley
17 Alex Corbisiero
18 Courtney Lawes
19 Simon Shaw
20 James Haskell
21 Richard Wigglesworth
22 Matt Banahan



France

1 Jean-Baptiste Poux
2 William Servat
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Pascal Pape
5 Lionel Nallet
6 Thierry Dusautoir
7 Julien Bonnaire
8 Imanol Harinordoquy
9 Dimitri Yachvili
10 Morgan Parra
11 Alexis Palisson
12 Maxime Mermoz
13 Aurélien Rougerie
14 Vincent Clerc
15 Maxime Médard

Replacements

16 Dimitri Szarzewski
17 Fabien Barcella
18 Julien Pierre
19 Louis Picamoles
20 Francois Trinh-Duc
21 David Marty
22 Cédric Heymans

[Rava]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical?

Apparently Tindall hasn't recovered from the dead leg!

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical?

Apparently Tindall hasn't recovered from the dead leg!

Zaras knee missed his nuts?

[beshocked]

Peter seabiscuit wheeler I think hugehandoff means that MJ should have picked Flood at 12 before this quarter final match!

I disagree with you both though. Flood is not an international class inside centre. As you know i feel that the best English qualified centre in the AP should have been in the EPS.

Instead England are scrabbling around for 12s.

Flood should be starting at 10.

[hugehandoff]

Peter......I do mean recently as in getting actual match practice in that position, alongside JW, in the last 6Ns or the RWC warm up games or during the pool matches. Going back beyond that is not that relevant although the fact that they have played together before will help.....but at least 1 run out recently would have been nice!

[hugehandoff]

Beshocked.....I do agree with you Sir. Not having another inside centre was an error that hopefully won't cost us?

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

It is tactical as well as the injury having restricted his training readingthe quotes form Jonno

ILooking at this side it seems conservative butclealry adressing Englands problems. Theyve tried a mobile pack, and got beaten up time and again. They are going back to their core skills there. Haskell was a great flanker but lacked the speacilist skills as an 8 so bye bye. Lawes was off the game last week, Palmer Deacon is a formidable combination and strengthens the set piece.
In the backs well Cueto was unlucky tio miss out to Armitage and taht change is forced, noi needs to mess with 11, 13, 14 15 anymore than that ...no problems with them.
At 12 there has been a problem with Tindall. Flood offers more guile, a kicking threat and the ability to pass and get those outside into the game. The problem is can he draw defenders with the crash ball, and can he tackle well enough or on defence is he going to trade with Wilko? The two fly half theory went out in 2007 in most sides, so its a suprise to see it back. Brave decision though, and Floods played well there before albeit along time ago now.
Sticking by Wilko ...well with Flood at 12 then theres not much choice. Youngs over Wiggles...well do you need 9 10 12 all as kicking players? Noep, get teh lively runner in and hope he plays better. Maybe with a stronger more agressive pack he'll have beter options and faster ball and have something to pass to or space to run into.

A suprissing team, but one with logic to it. Its brace to rip up the plan and start from scratch halfway through a world cup ... but shows ambition to not settle for "well we arent losing" when theres clealry areas to improve.

[beshocked]

hugehandoff the stupid thing is that Simpson, Banahan and Hape have barely been used. What's the point of bringing these players if they are just going to benchwarm?

Our options at inside centre have been laughable - Tindall,Banahan,Hape and Flood (not an inside centre).


The question I want to know if England do royally mess this up will Martin Johnson be given the boot?

I would definitely sack him. Certainly based on his appalling selection.

Peter seabiscuit wheeler a makeshift inside centre is never going to be as effective as an actual inside centre. E.g. Bergamasco is not a scrum half. Monye not a full back.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Beshocked.....I do agree with you Sir. Not having another inside centre was an error that hopefully won't cost us?

Aside from Hape?

As it is theres 4 players in the squad who have been started there in internationals and another who has played there for his club ( and possibly as a replacement ..Wilko?)

Im not sure how many centers they needed, other than some good ones. The Barrit issue is a side story

[beshocked]

Peter seabiscuit wheeler it is a huge issue when there is only one proper inside centre in the 30 man England squad - Shontayne Hape. He is isn't even that good!

3 centres in total - Tindall,Hape,Tuilagi.

The 3 Bath men Wilson,Mears and Banahan must be wondering why they are even on the trip.

[Portnoy]

Breaking news: Portnoy can see a glimmer of a silver lining.

Only have to put Jonny at 12 and Toby at 10.

Flood has a more creative instinct and Wilko needs to be bossed to into being less dour.

But there is that wonderful left foot/right foot option. Probably they will interchange during the game. The shape of the midfield either way looks better without the fluctuating form of Prince Michael of Ceeceeteeveeland who could be the first International rugby player to do porridge in the Tower on his return to Blighty.

The shame is I already put my SG chips on France. Hey ho...

[beshocked]

Portnoy I am glad you are not English manager.

[whocares]

think a good fly-half could play centre as he's supposed to know inside-out how the other 3/4ers play.
Flood/Wilkinson actually reminds me of the Catt/Wilkinson partnership which is not a very good souvenir for any french fan... Wilkinsons still has his X factor specially against france : with him on your side, you are almost guaranteed to score 3 points whenever you need the most.
the rest of the team (specially the pack) is vintage england, happy to see corbisiero on the bench and not too sure about the 5 forwards on the bench (cant see all of them getting in).

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

hugehandoff the stupid thing is that Simpson, Banahan and Hape have barely been used. What's the point of bringing these players if they are just going to benchwarm?

Our options at inside centre have been laughable - Tindall,Banahan,Hape and Flood (not an inside centre).


The question I want to know if England do royally mess this up will Martin Johnson be given the boot?

I would definitely sack him. Certainly based on his appalling selection.

Peter seabiscuit wheeler a makeshift inside centre is never going to be as effective as an actual inside centre. E.g. Bergamasco is not a scrum half. Monye not a full back.

To be fair though youd made your mind up before the cup, and since your favourite didnt go youve got an easy position to critisize from because we never will know if Brad Barrit wouldve proven the be the greatest rugby player in history and single handedly won the world cup for Saracens.

[tomhughesnice]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical? I guess so since Flood offers a totaly differnet option to Hape who wouldve been more like for like.Im glad to see Easter back, but its tough on the brand who deserves to be at 7 ahead of Moody.

I never like the 5 2 bench split, and England suffered from this previously not having the chance to make tactical changes in the backs.

So France have no FH, England have 2 and the reserve on the bench. Interesting. I hope they have the guts to let Flood do the kicking and tell Jonny to cut out the DGs unless the possession is dead.

Can you at least read the whole story about the squad before jumping to assumptions. Tindall has not been dropped, he is injured from last week.

Time will tell if Flood is a good call at 12, people are calling for Wilkinson to be dropped.. But Wilkinson has been playing really well at ten its just his place kicking that has been bad. So I can see Flood doing most of the place kicking, which will hopefully sort out the problem England has been having. Flood is also much better distributor than Tindall or Hape, so I can see our back three getting alot more ball in the next match which is a good thing as these guys score alot of tries.

Haskell being dropped to the bench is a change I didnt expect however, but he was only really filling in the 8 role in Easters absence. An Easter looked back at his old self when he came on in the Scotland match.

[Portnoy]

Is Brad Barritt not an out-and-out a foreign opportunist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Barritt

He's good. Very good but I have a feeling that he should become eligible to wear the rose in about 2013-155. He only pitched up here in England in 2008.

[Cowshot]

I wonder how much Haskell has been dropped for being a dick, Easter making it easy by playing well against Scotland. We'll see the brand come 60 mins or so. 50 maybe.

Tindall dead leg - I bet he'd be there if Jonno thought he could, because I think he does a lot of the organising of defence for England. This is a very interesting selection. I think we'll see a lot of Youngs > Flood > Wilko, whatever the numbers on the shirt. Hope so, anyway. With Manusamoa (before whom I genuflect) and the Back Three (ditto) outside, theoretically it's a lot of fun.

Scrum looks hardcore to me. There to fight in the tight. If we win there, we'll win. If we lose there...well, it's going to be a lot tougher.

France have gone ominously quiet. Is it the silence de la morgue or the lull before the Furor Gallicus? Who knows...

[Taylorman]

Putting a player out of position for the first time in quarter final is not a good idea. Under pressure their instincts can dessert them.
Its usually in world cups when suddenly the urge comes- I can't decide who to pick and i cant afford to not have either on the field.
So they put them anywhere as long as theyre on the field.
Isnt it odd how that urge never came before?
But in world cup knockout? Yep why not. Lets try it. Interesting.

[TheGreyGhost]

Has the Wilkinson/Flood thing not been tried before with no great success?

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

What happens if Jonny re-crocks his bruised shoulder? presumably Flood would move in to 10 and you'd end up with Banahan and Tuilagi in the center?

[tomathy]

Has the Wilkinson/Flood thing not been tried before with no great success?

Yes, but mainly down to the players around them. Tuilagi will give them more of an option than Noon, and Flood has improved a lot from those days anyway.

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

As you said, Wilkinson and Flood have played together loads before, and I'm not sure Nonu and SBW count as second fly halves.

What happens if Jonny re-crocks his bruised shoulder? presumably Flood would move in to 10 and you'd end up with Banahan and Tuilagi in the center?

I'd guess so. If the French are having an off day that could be really effective. It could equally get us nowhere.

[TheGreyGhost]

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

As you said, Wilkinson and Flood have played together loads before, and I'm not sure Nonu and SBW count as second fly halves.

Granted, we're not going with that strategy right a the minute, but that was the norm around the days that MJ was playing in the black himself.

[Portnoy]

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

It's certainly is England-esque to play a fly-half/inside centre combo. You'll be playing in white next...

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical? I guess so since Flood offers a totaly differnet option to Hape who wouldve been more like for like.Im glad to see Easter back, but its tough on the brand who deserves to be at 7 ahead of Moody.

I never like the 5 2 bench split, and England suffered from this previously not having the chance to make tactical changes in the backs.

So France have no FH, England have 2 and the reserve on the bench. Interesting. I hope they have the guts to let Flood do the kicking and tell Jonny to cut out the DGs unless the possession is dead.

Can you at least read the whole story about the squad before jumping to assumptions. Tindall has not been dropped, he is injured from last week.

Can you read the whole story, Johnson also says he was dropped for tactical reasons, the injury just made the decision easier.

[HERSH]

I had a dream – England 2011 RWC Winners

It wasn’t pretty but MJ is a genius, his selections may be slightly questionable from time to time but this allows teams into a false sense of security.

The French squad will look at that team and decide to run the ball back at England at every chance they get, England look slow and lacking options on the bench but this is for a reason, the French will believe that they now know the England game plan, kick the ball long and use the forwards to batter away at he French line until they get a penalty or a drop goal chance, how wrong could Les Bleus be.

England don’t have a game plan, that is why MJ is a genius and that is why all teams that come up against England will fail even the mighty All Blacks will fall under MJ’s magical rugby spell.

For years top rugby coaches have been slaving away learning their trade at several levels of the game coming up with master plans and watching hour after hour of videos to spot a weakness with a certain player or teams, MJ has done all his work on a back of a beer mat down his local boozer, the guy deserves a knighthood if they pull it off.

[TheGreyGhost]

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

It's certainly is England-esque to play a fly-half/inside centre combo. You'll be playing in white next...

Agreed. Although a slightly circular argument, since your best IC's are both Kiwis.

[maestegmafia]

When France lost to Italy in the Six Nations, they were devastated and came back to put in a far more accurate performance against Wales.

Considering that the French may well come out all guns shooting, pistons firing and actually put in a sensational performance, do you English lads reckon that this team can deal with a top French performance?

[Effervescing Elephant]

It certainly is Kiwi-esque to play a 1st five eighths/2nd five eighths combo. You'll be playing in black next...

It's certainly is England-esque to play a fly-half/inside centre combo. You'll be playing in white next...

Agreed. Although a slightly circular argument, since your best IC's are both Kiwis.

Barritt and Allen are Kiwis?

[beshocked]

Peter seabiscuit wheeler as it stands I would rather have Anthony Allen or Billy Twelvetrees instead of Toby Flood at inside centre for England. Despite both being completely outplayed by Barritt.

I think Brad Barritt should be in the England team because he is the best English qualified inside centre in the AP. Yes he plays for my club but it is hard to ignore the player who is part of everything good at Saracens.

I could talk about wanting the likes of Robshaw and Sharples in the England squad too but the key position is inside centre!

Portnoy Brad Barritt has an English mother. He has a UK passport. You did't read his wikipedia page properly did you? A bit harder to call him an opportunist because he moved to England as a relatively young man as well. He has played for an English club for 3 years now.

If he stayed in South Africa he could have potentially broken into the SA side.

You could call Waldrom,Hape and Flutey opportunists though.

[englandglory4ever]

Agreed. MJ is playing for another tight game where he hopes to squeeze the pips out of the French up front and sneak a few kicks over. He has gone with a defensive team but the trouble is Moody has been singularly inept in this area. Last game he made two effective tackles the others he tried he just slid or bounced off.

[TheGreyGhost]

Don't worry about the French. They've imploded. There is absolutely no way they will put in a good performance.

They don't care, and the selection is all wrong. On top of which this "fickle world beaters" reputation is entirely undeserved. It's a myth based on one world cup performance in 1999. The 2007 victory over NZ was more to do with NZ injuries and Barnes' refereeing performance than it was to do with France.

England just have to show up and not go to sleep and they'll cruise it.

[englandglory4ever]

Beshocked. You ought to try living in the here and now! Your post is utterly irrelevant to what's happening in NZ.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Putting a player out of position for the first time in quarter final is not a good idea. Under pressure their instincts can dessert them.
Its usually in world cups when suddenly the urge comes- I can't decide who to pick and i cant afford to not have either on the field.
So they put them anywhere as long as theyre on the field.
Isnt it odd how that urge never came before?
But in world cup knockout? Yep why not. Lets try it. Interesting.

Any worse an idea than starting your 13 at 12 and a child slave at 13, then giving your speacilist 12 whos really a 13 a go at and dropping him after playing well? The other option of course was to play the forward/winger/OC/IC at 12.

At least Wilko Flood have played together at international level in this combination and it serves to address a weakness in the side. It isnt so differnet to the Flutey option which they tried out in the spring and which was succesful a few years ago.

Having said all that Im not entirely convinced by it at all and it is a suprise, but itll give the French something to think about.

[beshocked]

englandglory4ever I have already said time and again which team I would pick. I think MJ has done the exact opposite.

I would have picked this team in regards to the restraints of the squad:

1.Corbisierio
2.Thompson
3.Cole
4.Lawes
5.Palmer
6.Croft (c)
7.Wood
8.Haskell
9.Wigglesworth/Youngs
10.Flood
11.Cueto
12.Hape
13.Tuilagi
14.Ashton
15.Foden

16.Stevens
17.Hartley
18.Shaw
19.Easter
20.Youngs/Wigglesworth
21.Wilkinson
22.Banahan

Toby Flood is not an inside centre.
Matt Stevens has had two poor games so should be relegated to the bench.
Moody is neither good enough as captain or player.
Croft should be captain as one of the only players to nail his spot down.
Hape is an actual inside centre and despite not being great would be solid if unspectacular.
Palmer deserves to start, Deacon does not.

[englandglory4ever]

Beshocked. I agree with much of that particularly Moody. He was absent against the Scots and now he's in the side again he needs a big performance.

This Jonny/Toby thing has me worried that MJ is expecting the French to target Jonny again like they did with Serge Betsen and co. Basically, they took Jonny out of the game and won the match. So having 2 x 10s on the pitch will enable them to swap around and hopefully negate the French attempt to get at Jonny.

[bathmad]

The first (Scotland's first 3 points) was when England were marching Scotland back in the scrum, the scrum collapsed and the ref penalised the side going forward?!?!?!?!?!

It was an early shove, Scotland didn't collapse, went backwards referee was right.

Early shove equals free kick not penalty. Ball was already in.

[EnglishReign]

Can you all stop pretending you know more than Johnson?

[bathmad]

The first (Scotland's first 3 points) was when England were marching Scotland back in the scrum, the scrum collapsed and the ref penalised the side going forward?!?!?!?!?!

It was an early shove, Scotland didn't collapse, went backwards referee was right.

Early shove equals free kick not penalty. Ball was already in.

[beshocked]

Englishreign evidently we do!

englandglory4ever the halfback combo of Youngs and Wilkinson was a disaster. Both to blame for it. Flood will also be targetted by the French.

[Geordie]

1 Matt Stevens
2 Steve Thompson
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Tom Palmer
6 Tom Croft
7 Lewis Moody
8 Nick Easter
9 Ben Youngs
10 Jonny Wilkinson
11 Mark Cueto
12 Toby Flood
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 Chris Ashton
15 Ben Foden

I think this is a strong side.

Youngs wont play as badly as last week and has Easter with him who might be a little more solid at scrum time.

Palmer & Deacon is strong....

Moody needs a MASSIVE game...just to prove he is worth a spot in the squad let alone the 1st Team!

Flood at 12....well they played theremany times for us....so they are familiar with each other. Lets hope it works....and neither gets an injury....

[rodders]

I have to say it looks like Johnson has lost the plot with that selection

I'm surprised Stevens has kept his place and could be in for a tough old night in the scrum against Mas.

Very strange time to try Flood at 12 and neither Wilkinson or Youngs has any form at all.

Dropping Haskell and Lawes to the bench seems an odd call too. I think that English backrow are going to really struggle at the breakdown.

[tomhughesnice]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical? I guess so since Flood offers a totaly differnet option to Hape who wouldve been more like for like.Im glad to see Easter back, but its tough on the brand who deserves to be at 7 ahead of Moody.

I never like the 5 2 bench split, and England suffered from this previously not having the chance to make tactical changes in the backs.

So France have no FH, England have 2 and the reserve on the bench. Interesting. I hope they have the guts to let Flood do the kicking and tell Jonny to cut out the DGs unless the possession is dead.

Can you at least read the whole story about the squad before jumping to assumptions. Tindall has not been dropped, he is injured from last week.

Can you read the whole story, Johnson also says he was dropped for tactical reasons, the injury just made the decision easier.

Johnson said in his interview that Tindall has not been available for training all week due to his injury. That is why tindall is not in the team.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Rodders, the thinking seems to be that Haskell will have more of an impact coming off the bench for Easter than vice versa.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Wonder how they will spin Tindalls dropping? Tactical? I guess so since Flood offers a totaly differnet option to Hape who wouldve been more like for like.Im glad to see Easter back, but its tough on the brand who deserves to be at 7 ahead of Moody.

I never like the 5 2 bench split, and England suffered from this previously not having the chance to make tactical changes in the backs.

So France have no FH, England have 2 and the reserve on the bench. Interesting. I hope they have the guts to let Flood do the kicking and tell Jonny to cut out the DGs unless the possession is dead.

Can you at least read the whole story about the squad before jumping to assumptions. Tindall has not been dropped, he is injured from last week.

Can you read the whole story, Johnson also says he was dropped for tactical reasons, the injury just made the decision easier.

Johnson said in his interview that Tindall has not been available for training all week due to his injury. That is why tindall is not in the team.

Without wishing to get dragged any further into this stupidity :

Johnson said Tindall "has been sore all week" and unable to train fully with the team, although the manager hinted that his omission was not entirely down to fitness.

"By Saturday, he would be touch and go, that is part of the equation with Mike, and Toby has played really well," he explained.

Obviously theres also the unspoken possibility that Tindalls off the field conduct may have affected the selection, tehres no way that MJ would talk to the press about this and stoke the fire anymore but that doesnt mean it didnt affect his decision making. Thats pure speculation either way though. I would certainly think it left him no choice in switching to Tindall as Captin if that even enetred his thinking.
If it were purely down to a "touch and go" injury they could have named him in the side and done an assesmnet on saturday morning to make a final decision. As it is hes happy to make the tactical switch, the injury has given him an excuse to do something he was cosnidering anyway.
Thats how I read the situation anyway, rather than just taking one line of the interview out of context then abussing people for not having read the whole story.

[tomhughesnice]

Thats how I read the situation anyway, rather than just taking one line of the interview out of context then abussing people for not having read the whole story.

When have I abussed or abused people? Do you understand what that word means? Please look it up and you will realise my comments do not amount to abuse.

Perhaps you mean 'corrected', or 'educated' people? But we are not talking about people anyway... just you.

[TheGreyGhost]

"Educated" people. Typical English arrogance.

[tomhughesnice]

"Educated" people. Typical English arrogance.

I was born in New Plymouth.

[tazfalklands]

1.Corbisierio
2.Thompson
3.Cole
4.Lawes
5.Palmer
6.Croft (c)
7.Wood
8.Haskell

This would be an awful bunch of forwards, power up the front row great and add the 5 lightest forwards, Deacon may not be obvious in the loose but he adds grunt at scrum time and Haskell plays well in the loose but can't control the ball at the base of the scrum. The French love to scrummage, and they would take this 8 apart. I think Jonno has it pretty spot on with the forwards although I too would go for Corbisiero over Stevens. In the backs I think it should be Hape at 12 and Jonny or Flood at 10 but not both.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Thats how I read the situation anyway, rather than just taking one line of the interview out of context then abussing people for not having read the whole story.

When have I abussed or abused people? Do you understand what that word means? Please look it up and you will realise my comments do not amount to abuse.

Perhaps you mean 'corrected', or 'educated' people? But we are not talking about people anyway... just you.

OK so in this case you have resorted to attacking the poster rather debating the subject again? And bought up the old " ah he made a spelling mistake therefor I can invalidate his entire argument" card. The two lowest forms of internet arguing.
The tone and content of your initial post was antagonistic and insulting, I took it as a written attack or abuse. That the content of it was incorrect on top led me to repsond by refutting the claim and presenting evidence to back up my argument. Get over it and stop trying to pick a fight.
Talk about the topic in hand rather than just quoting the bit of my post where i chided you for your needless aggression.

[TheGreyGhost]

"Educated" people. Typical English arrogance.

I was born in New Plymouth.

Thomas Waldrom was born in Upper Hutt. But he's English.

[Geordie]

Rodders,

I think the decision on Lawes is down to the fact he has been annonymous any game he has played recently. Certainly against Scotland he was non existant....and Palmer made a difference straight way.

He will be a key forward for England for years to come...but i think he's still a work in progress....not quite the real deal yet.

For me Haskell should be at 7...Moody should be on the plane home! Croft and Haskells pace would make up for Easters slower style of game...

[beshocked]

taztalklands the idea would be to actually minimise the impact of scrummaging. We need to win the breakdown battle.We need clean and quick ball for the backs. My selection of pack is infinitely more dynamic than the sluggish pack you and MJ want.

The way to beat the French is to pressure them early on and continue to turn the screw.We need to go on the attack straight away.

We need to utilise our backline well.

Teams have worked out how to play England. You spoil their ball,frustate them and rack up the points when the penalties come.

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