Jonathan Davies: Laporte happier than Woodward with the world view

Any psychological advantage England gained from their victory over France on the opening day of the Six Nations will have evaporated in the heat of the battles they have fought since, and in the context of the World Cup I don't think France will be too bothered about that defeat.

They certainly did not like it at the time, and they have let it affect their form in typically French fashion. But as angry as he has been, their coach, Bernard Laporte, will feel confident that his side can start improving from here and click into top action for the big tests later in the year.

And if you want to gaze into the future, the crystal ball tells us that England and France will meet in the semi-finals of the World Cup in November, and under a hot Sydney sun on a hard, fast pitch, I would not be tipping against France at the moment.

There is a long way to go but, as excitingly as this Six Nations is building up towards its climax, it is impossible to resist looking into the future. Much will depend on which country comes out of this tournament with their confidence high and their team problems low.

Having such a big game between the two favourites at the start of the Six Nations was always going to leave the losers a bit flat. But France did bring a lot out of the Twickenham game. For a start, they scored three tries. Then they had the legitimate excuse of getting the raw end of the referee's interpretation of what was going on in the scrums. But although fewer penalties would have made a difference, there is no doubt that England deserved to win.

Since then, France's enthusiasm and concentration have been nothing like they were when they won the championship last year. Victories against Wales and Italy will help restore their composure, and the summer games will bring their zest flooding back.

They have so much room for improvement. Players who impressed last season, such as Serge Betsen, Imanol Harinordoquy and Damien Traille, have not got out of first gear yet.

England have not kicked on from that Twickenham victory. They beat Wales and Italy decisively but not convincingly. Those last 60 minutes against Italy would have been disastrous against quality opposition. After their promising autumn they have underperformed, apart from patches of good play. Patches aren't good enough.

They can be expected to beat Scotland and they will still be Grand Slam favourites when they go to Dublin, where they will be well advised to think only of winning and not trying to impress.

Being without Matt Dawson for the first two games was a big loss, and they have badly missed Phil Vickery as well as Trevor Woodman in the front row. But I fancy it will be the summer before they can solve all their problems.

The front row will not be a problem when everyone is fit, but the backs need sorting out. Will Greenwood has been outstanding but needs a settled partner. I reckon it will be Mike Tindall or Mike Catt. Full-back looks a straight fight between Josh Lewsey and Iain Balshaw, and they have a difficult choice between Jason Robinson, Dan Luger and Ben Cohen for the wings.

Meanwhile, in the Welsh camp, they have been bemoaning the absence of ball-carriers in the forwards. What's the problem? All a forward has to do to become a ball-carrier is to pick up the ball and carry it towards the nearest hole.

With forwards supposed to be fitter and more mobile than they have ever been, it is hardly rocket science, and they cannot complain about not having enough time to practise.

That is what I like about the Irish. They play a simple game. The forwards know what to do and where they should be, and so do the backs. They do not over-complicate things like the Welsh and the Scots, and that is why they are such formidable opponents and why they are ensuring that this tournament is going to have a thrilling end, when everyone thought it would be all over after the first match. That's what makes the Six Nations such a great championship.