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Now it's French who have the beef

Gallic centres may lack flair of old but Johnson's men must now be wary of their power

Hugh Godwin
Sunday 20 February 2011 01:00 GMT
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Martin Johnson says of Chris Ashton, 'It's possible the French will try to play him off the ball'
Martin Johnson says of Chris Ashton, 'It's possible the French will try to play him off the ball'

To dive or not to dive: is that any sort of question to be asking around the England camp a few days before a season-defining, potentially epoch-making visit of France to Twickenham? The media noise around Chris Ashton's lavish though hardly unique method of scoring a try may, at a stretch, be significant in that it reflects the newly positive mood in English rugby. But Martin Johnson has weightier things on his mind, including selection of the back row – countless times more crucial to next Saturday's outcome than the "Ash Splash" – and the counter-attacking threat of the French.

"Ireland really came out battling against them last weekend and France handled it pretty well and won the game," said the England manager. "This could be a similar sort of match. The French don't really play the game. They're less competitive at the breakdown and they're very strong on the tackle. Defensively we're going to have to be strong. If we drop off that for even one play, that can be the play that kills you. We talk about this every time, that every play is the most important one. You've got to live in the minute."

If England get through the final minute ahead of the French, it will open a path to a first Championship title, Grand Slam and Triple Crown in eight years. They would also make an Ashton-like leap up the bookmakers' odds for the World Cup.

Both teams have won their opening Six Nations matches – England away to Wales and at home to Italy; France against Scotland in Paris and Ireland in Dublin. Both, too, were defeated in their final match of 2010, but while France's capitulation to Australia was humiliatingly plain, England's 10-point loss to South Africa may be more important.

The French no longer view their best hope of skewering Les Rosbifs as slinging the ball to a Philippe Sella-style magician in the centre. That position is now occupied by bruisers such as Aurélien Rougerie and Yannick Jauzion: men not short of a flourish in a tight spot but whose main role is as an extra back-row forward, punching holes in the channels, making big tackles and winning penalties for the little general of a scrum-half, Morgan Parra, to kick.

South Africa muted Ashton, Ben Foden and Mark Cueto by dominating the physical battle. France may fancy a similar game plan featuring good tackling, a strong scrum and variety in the line-out. Depending on any case made by Lewis Moody and Tom Croft in their comebacks from injury yesterday, England may stick with Tom Wood and James Haskell as the flankers, with Haskell as tail gunner at the line-out.

Haskell says he has played 90 per cent of his club rugby this season – which happens to be in Paris with Stade Français – in this position. Neither he nor Moody has blistering pace to reach the breakdown but the way the laws are refereed means the openside is better suited as the second man in, nicking the ball the instant it is freed up by the tackled player.

"If you turn the ball over against France and give them cheap kicks and cheap kick returns, they are going to tear you apart," said Haskell. "We don't want to let their big men start carrying the ball. That emotional level for them could rocket – and we can't afford to have that." Attack-wise, England must persist with their commitment to rapid offloading and trust the pace of their half-backs and back three to compensate for stodgier centres.

Then there is the driving maul, which produced a try in the Italy match – for the Italians. In Cardiff the week before, a chance for England to score with the same ploy was wasted. Unlike Jonny Wilkinson and all the other England replacements from last weekend, Simon Shaw, the maul master, was kept back from club action yesterday while Louis Deacon, the Leicester lock who started against Wales and Italy, was carrying a knock. "People get knocks. It's that time of year," said Johnson, before allowing himself some levity. "What am I on about? It's always that time of year."

And what of Ashton, whose rugby league full-back running lines thrilled those who saw him for Northampton in the second division three years ago, though he had to wait until last March for his England debut (against France)? "He's a good lad and he's brought something a little different," said Johnson. "It's possible the French will try to play him off the ball but that's what we have officials for. Everything's a bit new for him, like it is for the other young players. They've got France at Twickenham for the first time, it's the middle of the Championship and a big game. It's good fun."

England v France is live on BBC1 from 4.35pm next Saturday

Where England v France will be won and lost

The line-out

The source of five England tries last weekend: three from English throws, two from Italy's. Line-out leader Tom Palmer has been unruffled but he will face fierce French pressure and Imanol Harinordoquy could be troublesome at the tail.

Goal-kicking

Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson versus Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvili. The English pair have not missed one of their 15 kicks in this year's Six Nations but the French scrum-halves have the nerve to boot any opponents to death.

Attack from the back

Ben Foden has been in the form of his life at full-back, while France never seem sure who to pick in that position. If the pacy Clément Poitrenaud gets the nod and England decide to test him with kicks, they must be at their best with the chase.

The referee

The Irish official George Clancy presided over South Africa's physical beasting of England at Twickenham last November. More of the same would suit the French fine.

Hugh Godwin

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