Six Nations: Talking Points - England vs France

Sport360 staff 23:42 03/02/2017
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  • Where will the match be won and lost?

    The Six Nations kicks off with three mouth-watering fixtures, including England’s opener against France.

    Eddie Jones’ team will take the field on London on the cusp of history, but Guy Noves’ France team will look to spring a surprise and show that recent signs of progress were not an illusion.

    From a miraculous injury recovery to unorthodox team selections, here are the talking points ahead of Saturday’s game.

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    History awaits

    For such a headline statistic, the fact England are one victory away from setting a new national record for successive Test wins has largely escaped notice.

    A win against France and Eddie Jones’ men will eclipse the 14-match mark established by Sir Clive Woodward’s World Cup winners in 2002-03.

    England have furiously distanced themselves from the milestone, instead focusing only on delivering against the French.

    False dawn or French revival?

    France’s sharp decline that began in the last decade has continued its downward spiral since, but there were signs against New Zealand and Australia during the autumn that a resurgence may be around the corner.

    Guy Noves is a respected coach who has been talked up by Jones and a clearer picture of France’s progress will emerge at Twickenham.

    The battle up front

    Joe Marler has downed almost seven gallons of milk in his bid to overcome a fractured lower leg, defying medical expectations to take his place in England’s front row ahead of schedule.

    Now the challenge facing him is subduing France’s giant 22-stone tighthead prop Uini Atonio.

    Daly on the wing

    The only surprise in England’s team announcement was Elliot Daly’s selection on the wing ahead of the in-form Jack Nowell, a call that Jones insisted was based upon a horses for courses approach, and not a slight upon Nowell’s form.

    Daly will be making his first Test appearance since being sent off against Argentina in the autumn and is a player of rich potential, but many will be wondering why Nowell is not present.

    New man at No9

    Noves has mixed things up at half-back and gone with 22-year-old Baptiste Serin at 9, with Camille Lopez outside him.

    It’s a skillful, technical combination which is sure to be pleasing on the eye, if France get enough ball, but one that perhaps lacks a little of the physical presence of their team-mates, and a potential weak spot for England to target.

    The blond-haired Serin certainly looked promising off the bench in November and should catch the eye with often unorthodox passing and pace over the first five yards. Providing, of course, if his forwards do their job.

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