6 Nations - FRANCE v ENGLAND - 10/03/18 - MATCH THREAD

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FRANCE v ENGLAND - 10/03/18 - MATCH THREAD


Kick off: 16:45pm

Venue Stade de France BBC One & BBC Radio 5 live





England Team Starting XV
15 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 31 caps), 14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 32 caps), 13 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 11 caps), 12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 56 caps) C, 11 Elliot Daly (Wasps 16 caps), 10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 43 caps), 9 Danny Care (Harlequins 79 caps), 1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 47 caps) VC, 2 Jamie George (Saracens 23 caps), 3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 80 caps), 4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 50 caps), 5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 17 caps), 6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 64 caps), 7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 62 caps), 8 Nathan Hughes (Wasps 13 caps).

Finishers
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs 4 caps), 17 Joe Marler (Harlequins 54 caps), 18 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins 8 caps), 19 James Haskell (Wasps 75 caps), 20 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 5 caps), 21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens 29 caps), 22 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 38 caps), 23 Mike Brown (Harlequins 67 caps).



France Team News







Head to head
 P-103 England won 57, lost 39, drawn 7



Fully expect to see a tight game in poor weather conditions.
Must see a reaction from England at all costs, we've been treading water since the tour down-under imho and have seen little or no improvement since, plenty of depth but they must start playing like they own the shirt.

[eirebilly]

Hugh's knee looks gone.

[No 7&1/2]

Back row more balanced but that does not look good for Hughes at all.

[Geordie]

Sorry to see Hughes go off but finally we have some pace in the actual pack!

[eirebilly]

George was very silly there, England still had the advantage and were in a good attacking position.

[Heaf]

Where was the offside for that pen?

[Geordie]

This is dire!!

[eirebilly]

Where was the offside for that pen?

Was for a high tackle by Itoje I think.

[whocares]

I think he meant the previous penalty

[Heaf]

Before that ... offside from a ruck when Eng were all behind the back foot from the overhead shot

[eirebilly]

I actually think that Ford should be taken off, Farrell to 10, Teo to 12 and JJ to 13. I think that would give England more attacking threat right now.

[eirebilly]

Before that ... offside from a ruck when Eng were all behind the back foot from the overhead shot

Oh, yeah I didn't see any offside there.

[Duty281]

Still waiting for a decent half of rugby from England this campaign!

Next week isn't going to be pretty, unless you're Irish.

[mid_gen]

George was very silly there, England still had the advantage and were in a good attacking position.

Silly? Totally braindead more like. We can't afford to blow attacking positions with stupidity like that.

Need to cut the penalties out.

[mid_gen]

France absolutely miiiiiles offside.....no whistle....

[No 7&1/2]

Silly mistake killing england with ball in hand not the ref.

[eirebilly]

England really have to score a try here to have any chance of keeping this championship alive.

[No 7&1/2]

Winninghr game not the champions important billy.

[Heaf]

England really have to score a try here to have any chance of keeping this championship alive.

That horse has bolted - just need a win here ...

[mid_gen]

Silly mistake killing england with ball in hand not the ref.

France being allowed a yard or more offside at every ruck while we get pinged instantly is not helping.

[eirebilly]

Was just getting ahead of myself there lads

[Heaf]

Being pinged when not actually offside is defo not helping either ...

[No 7&1/2]

Brill the traditional lawes can't hold the blooming ball moment.

[Geordie]

Well on thst one....Grand Slam in the bag for Ireland next weekend!

[No 7&1/2]

Gf you're too pessimistic.

[eirebilly]

Absolutely dire and unimaginative half from England. Very poor indeed.

As I said earlier, Farrell to 10, Teo to 12 and JJ to 13. Ford, for all his attacking prowess is adding nothing to the England attack.

[Scottrff]

Tournament over and we get worse every game. Can forget the World Cup.

[whocares]

Well that wasn’t pretty. Starting to look a bit like France-Ireland game. French defending ok and England attack looks a bit toothless.

[Duty281]

France are nothing special, but I'll have a little punt on them at halftime at 5/2.

England have seriously struggled so far.

[No 7&1/2]

Don't worry scott lawes won't be playing 6 by then. Players will be back from injury.

[mid_gen]

Absolutely dire and unimaginative half from England. Very poor indeed.

As I said earlier, Farrell to 10, Teo to 12 and JJ to 13. Ford, for all his attacking prowess is adding nothing to the England attack.

Agreed, Ford is just baggage again. Te'o is looking busy but needs to be inside and on the ball more making space for JJ and the back 3.

[Scottrff]

Don't worry scott lawes won't be playing 6 by then. Players will be back from injury.

Even worse without his 2/3 lineout steals. I'm not sure Eddie even sees the issue, but it's everyone's responsibility, including the players trying to make an extra metre without support.

[No 7&1/2]

That's a question in second row surely. You could play lawes Itoje as the lock for that. As I stated earlier shores up setpiece bur not sure it negates the breakdown. Laws the perfect bench option hough.

[Scottrff]

Breakdown isn't one player though, it's coaching. We don't even compete and never get clean ball. That won't be solved with one personnel change.

[eirebilly]

Martin Johnston 'France will grow some balls'

Not sure the Beeb will like that

[lostinwales]

What a dismal game. Eng well on top but unable to break down the French defense. French attack also devoid of imagination. Points even- and a ref who loves the sound of the whistle

All a bit flat really

[Geordie]

Gf you're too pessimistic.

I'm not mate, I'm just a very realistic person.

We look shot.
No Intensity
No dynamic Carrying
Decision Making...poor
Defence - Disjointed
Scrum..mediocre
Attack looks ponderous and in-dynamic.

[No 7&1/2]

No its a system certainly. Hughes and Lawes don't work together and there's growing evidence that lawes aunt a back row. The poor standard of carrying from a lock at 6 adds to it though. He's not great at the breakdown either which adds to my view he's a lock or nothing

[No 7&1/2]

And hopefully now he proves me wrong with a huge carrying and clear out 2nd half.

[Geordie]

Breakdown isn't one player though, it's coaching. We don't even compete and never get clean ball. That won't be solved with one personnel change.

Spot on mate...its the tactics.

[No 7&1/2]

And selection.

[No 7&1/2]

Which one comes before the other

[Heaf]

No pen for falling over in front of advancing maul?

[No 7&1/2]

England need to understand that he's lenient on the breakdown in rolling away but harsh on releasing. Slowness into rucks is just one thing

[Geordie]

England are putting two men in the breakdown, clear outs....they got smashed doing that two weeks ago.

Theyre getting smashed today.

Ireland will rip them a new one next week.

Why are they NOT ADAPTING. They have to put MORE men to secure the ball. F^%k fast ball...its not good if you keep losing it at the breakdown!

[eirebilly]

England need to make changes very soon, France are building momentum.

[eirebilly]

It is a high tackle but not as bad as it looks. Probably see a yellow card though. Chance of a penalty try?

[Duty281]

Penalty try and sin-bin?

[eirebilly]

That is harsh for me...

[Geordie]

Game over already.

[whocares]

Wow that was very harsh.

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