France v England, 22nd August

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FRANCE v ENGLAND
22 August 2015
KO: 20:00 BST (21:00 Local)
Stade de France, Paris

Sky Sports

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey (Ireland) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

A. Head to Head

100 Played 100
38 Won 55
7 Drawn 7
55 Lost 38
1,244 Points 1,572

B. Recent Form

15 August 2015
Twickenham, London
19-14 to England

21 March 2015
Twickenham, London
55 – 35 to England

1 February 2014
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
26 – 24 to France

23 February 2013
Twickenham, London
23 – 13 to England

11 March 2012
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
22 – 24 to England


C. Teams

ENGLAND

15. Mike Brown (Harlequins, 37 caps)
14. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
12. Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 14 caps)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 47 caps)

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 31 caps)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 50 caps)
4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 22 caps)
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 38 caps)
6. James Haskell (Wasps, 59 caps)
7. Chris Robshaw (captain, Harlequins, 37 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 13 caps)

Replacements

16. Jamie George (Saracens, uncapped)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens,21 caps)
18. David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 42 caps)
19. Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
20. Nick Easter (Harlequins, 51 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 51 caps)
22. Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)
23. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby, 21 caps)

FRANCE


Spedding; Huget, Bastareaud, Fofana, Nakaitaci; Michalak, Tillous-Borde; Arous, Guirado, Slimani, Pape, Maestri, Chouly, Le Roux, Picamoles.

Replacements: Kayser, Debaty, Atonio, Flanquart, Nyanga, Kockott, Tales, Fickou.

That's the poorest 40 minutes from England for many a year. Vunipola, Ford and Joseph have been atrocious. Marler, Lawes and Robshaw have been anonymous. The move from the scrum with the 3 behind the pack was not even school boy standard. How on Earth we're only 9 points down is an amazement. The gruelling fitness regime in Denver has shown no impact, in fact we looked knackered. Perhaps time spent on technique would have been far better. In short absolutely woeful.

nathan wrote:looking at the positive, at least this will give england the experience of being completely outplayed and needing to turn it around in the second half

Spot on, winning the game easily wouldn't tell us much.


Keep calm everyone we'll turn it around in the 2nd half if the forwards start playing.

i think we also need to remember is that this is the first game in how many weeks for most of the players so they are not going to be match fit.

This has been the most painful England performance since THAT match against Argentina!

nathan wrote:i think we also need to remember is that this is the first game in how many weeks for most of the players so they are not going to be match fit.

That would be valid if we were playing a SH side in the midst of their season. France are in the same situation as us yet look fitter and far more coherent.

HongKongCherry wrote:

nathan wrote:i think we also need to remember is that this is the first game in how many weeks for most of the players so they are not going to be match fit.

That would be valid if we were playing a SH side in the midst of their season. France are in the same situation as us yet look fitter and far more coherent.

we have players coming back from injury dont we?

The French are playing at home and know they need a performance

What a try. Great running line by houget

lovely try

Jheez that was electric

Get George on asap

Frak sake Barnes, a lineout isn't just down to the hooker

Glad he listens

Oops.... Did Lancaster take the squad away training or on a  jolly...

I don't think we'll win this...

yappysnap wrote:I don't think we'll win this...

nope!

Is there a hooker in the house? Until we find one we'll win nowt.

And a scrummaging prop might be nice

Barney McGrew did it wrote:Is there a hooker in the house? Until we find one we'll win nowt.

perhaps when the hooker doesn have to lead the tackle count....

Well we released Hibbard... He's back at Glaws... any time for him to claim residency

Frak off ref, he was clearly off his feet

hands clearly on the floor which we got penalised in the first half for

A hooker who thinks he's a 6. Lawes who thinks he's a winger. Is this more of Stewie's RL mentality?

Dreadful performance from the forwards. Only one with any credit is Haskell.

Actually, all joking aside, I'm not happy about this. Normally I'd be jumping about seeing England get a thumping. But I would much rather see England thump everyone in the warm-ups and come to the RWC complacent. As it is now, Lancaster will work on them and most probably turn this around in the RWC. If not, its going to be Wales and Aus go through.

mid_gen wrote:Dreadful performance from the forwards. Only one with any credit is Haskell.

you must of been watching another game, they have all been crap including haskell

France have got very lucky with knock ons getting called knocked back this game

I'd agree that Haskell was at least competent, which is more than I can say for the rest

yappysnap wrote:France have got very lucky with knock ons getting called knocked back this game

I would say it's more to do with the pack getting beaten in every facet and the backs looking clueless. The England back row have been dreadful. The halfbacks too.

Nice try but dreadful defence. My worst fears are being confirmed: our alleged 'A' Team, ring rusty and given a very difficult away game to come back together, are getting trampled by limited but well motivated opposition.

how the hell can teams scrummage on this Poopie pitch

He's the only one to compete physically...although we are improving, Lawes is starting to put himself out a bit more.

Lineout is pathetic.

The pitch is a disgrace as well mind.

They should go to uncontested scrums

Going to make sure my diary is clear for when the Welsh are getting tanked by Ireland next week, don't want to miss out on the opportunity of adding my helpful analysis

And I can see the pitch getting a YC soon.

mid_gen wrote:He's the only one to compete physically...although we are improving, Lawes is starting to put himself out a bit more.

Lineout is pathetic.

The pitch is a disgrace as well mind.

T. Youngs was way ahead in the tackle count

Cipriani is warming up

Phew. Electric storm takes out satellite signal and spares me from watching any more of this embarrassment. Shambolic all over the park.

i would laugh if 36 came on and scored a boat load of tries

they are not going to play well when are forwards are cack

And here comes 12T - will the mediocrity never end

Heard a gardener tried to commit suicide somewhere around st denis

should of been a turnover

we're constantly ball watching

Tackle count is irrelevant when you're getting smashed backwards and you're tackling behind the gainline.

Feel for the backs, they've been served a giant poop sandwich.

i really hope this is just lancaster asking the players to play cack so to not give anything away

whocares wrote:Heard a gardener tried to commit suicide somewhere around st denis

You get the sense fatty Barnes is loving this!!

BamBam wrote:Going to make sure my diary is clear for when the Welsh are getting tanked by Ireland next week, don't want to miss out on the opportunity of adding my helpful analysis

All assistance welcomed

I'm taking interest in our opposition.. ... We could meet France in the final

mid_gen wrote:Tackle count is irrelevant when you're getting smashed backwards and you're tackling behind the gainline.

Feel for the backs, they've been served a giant poop sandwich.

So you would prefer to have a forward that made 1 tackle against a forward that made 10?