Welcome to the 18th RBS 6 Nations Championship. Over the next two months we will eat, sleep and breath Six Nations and personally I can’t wait. While the phrase ‘this is going to be the most competitive’ ever is often misused, I firmly believe that with so many sides heading into 2017 off the back of productive autumns and with the backdrop of the forthcoming Lions tour we will see an unrivalled Championship.
England have a number of records that they could realise over the course of the next two months. With a Grand Slam series they could become the first side to achieve that back-to-back and in doing so they would also surpass New Zealand’s Test record for successive victories. Unsurprisingly Eddie Jones has spent the week straight-batting questions back about them - sometimes with humour and other times with a look that says ‘really another record question, quit will you’!! I have to say it’s not a train of questioning I ever run down myself because it’s very clear that this side are motivated by continual improvement and not by records. England’s focus is on the here and now and the challenge that France will post at Twickenham today.
Now, I’m not going to lie, when Guy Novès was handed the position as national coach of France I wondered if they’d made the appointment about 10 years too late. My thoughts were that while there was no question that Novès knew a thing or two about winning titles he was coming into his latter years. Needless to say the signs are that I was wrong and the man who had such sustained success with Toulouse has a plan for France and one that could see them getting back to somewhere resembling a strong side. Of course the age old question as to whether France will ‘turn up’ today still lingers, how could it not with the away mentality that is still entrenched at club level? However the signs are clear in Eddie Jones’ mind that France will mean business today:
“Under Novès, I think players want to play for France again. It is something special to play for France and they enjoy that style of game. You watch Clermont play and the principles of the way they play are the same. You watch Toulouse play and again the principles are the same. So if you look at French rugby, there are some general principles there and Novès has brought those into the team, and people want to play that style of game.”
So what of the England XV and bench that have been selected to face this newly organised, and potentially flair filled, French side? Well once again we’re about to see the vast depth of talent that England possesses and the reason why Eddie Jones as so attracted to this role in the first place. A pack that loses Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Chris Robshaw and George Kruis and still looks as bruising and menacing as England’s does sends a message to opponents across the world not just those participating in this Six Nations competition.
England’s fulcrum of Ben Youngs, George Ford and Owen Farrell are ready to ignite the Twickenham turf again with their pace, vision and creativity and the stage is set for Elliot Daly to atone for his error against Argentina. Daly’s selection in front of Jack Nowell has turned a few heads and while the latter did miss training this week for personal reasons Eddie Jones said that, that wasn’t factor in his decision. From England’s point of view they need to harness the benefits that 14 Test victories delivers and those benefits are clear to their head coach:
“Winning gives you confidence and confidence breeds enthusiasm. Enthusiasm breeds more hard work and willingness to be innovative. One of the things that happens when you lose is that you tend to go into yourself and you go back to what you thought was comfortable and right. That’s where you get a cycle of going backwards.
When you win, you get the confidence to keep expanding your game and keep looking at different ways to get better. For instance, our strength and conditioning has probably changed 80 per cent in the last 12 months. As a result of that, our players are infinitely fitter than they were.
That is the result of the players being able to embrace a new way of training and a new way of looking at how you have to be fit for Test rugby. When you win, players are more inclined to do that. When you lose, they are more inclined to going back to the old groove.”
The task for England today will be to put their game on the park from the opening minute and stifle any confidence that France have developed as a result of two weeks preparation time. England’s pack must take it to their opponents while their backs move up a gear and prove that they are the ones with all of the creativity and flair. So many of England's squad will know that this RBS Six Nations Championship is a huge opportunity for them to book their seat on the plane to New Zealand yet that will only come as a result of delivering week in, week out for England.
Personally I expect it to be a good contest in the opening half and then England's superior fitness and bench to take it to France in the final quarter. But, as we all know this is Test rugby and anything can, and probably will, happen!
The task for England today will be to put their game on the park from the opening minute and stifle any confidence that France have developed as a result of two weeks preparation time. England’s pack must take it to their opponents while their backs move up a gear and prove that they are the ones with all of the creativity and flair. So many of England's squad will know that this RBS Six Nations Championship is a huge opportunity for them to book their seat on the plane to New Zealand yet that will only come as a result of delivering week in, week out for England.
Personally I expect it to be a good contest in the opening half and then England's superior fitness and bench to take it to France in the final quarter. But, as we all know this is Test rugby and anything can, and probably will, happen!
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2. Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Tom Wood, 8 Nathan Hughes. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Teimana Harrison, 20 James Haskell, 21 Danny Care, 22 Ben Te'o, 23 Jack Nowell.
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Baptiste Serin; 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Damien Chouly, 7 Kevin Gourdon, 8 Louis Picamole. Replacements: 16 Clement Maynadier, 17 Rabah Slimani, 18 Xavier Chiocci, 19 Arthur Iturria, 20 Loann Goujon, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Jean Marc Doussain, 23 Yoann Huget.
