Eddie Jones has warned France that England intend to teach their kids a lesson in “brutal physicality” when the Six Nations kicks off this weekend.
Jones is preparing his World Cup finalists to take on a French squad of which only one player is over 30, the average age is 23 and 19 have yet to win a cap.
“Test match rugby requires experience and France have decided not to take experience in, they've gone with youth,” said Jones. “They might be wrong, they might right, we don’t know.
“But it is going to test those young players because they will have never have played against the brutal physicality and intensity that we are going to play with on Sunday.
“You don’t get that in domestic rugby and in under-20s competitions. That is why you call it Test rugby.
“At stages they are going to be looking at each other wanting to know where the answers are going to come from. But they don’t have the experienced players to call on to say ‘what do you do?’”
Jones remembers how England outmuscled Ireland away in last year’s tournament opener and is intent on again providing a clear focus for a team on a mission to rebound from World Cup Final heartbreak.
He had this warning for France’s three fly-half contenders, of whom the oldest, Matthieu Jalibert, is just 21.
“We are always looking for a weak link,” he said. “We want to target them and make their life uncomfortable.”
Jones noted how beaten World Cup finalists dating back to 2003 have “generally deteriorated” and all failed to get past the quarter-finals four years later.
"The expectation gets higher and the team doesn’t cope with that,” he said. “Because they made the final, they think they are going okay whereas every other team that hasn’t made the final is forensic in looking at where they can improve.
“The fact it’s happened the last 16 years shows you how difficult it is to stay at the top. Players might become comfortable. It is about attitude. You have to have this relentless desire and curiosity to be better.”
* England and Lions prop Kyle Sinckler has confirmed his move from Harlequins to Bristol on a two-year contract.
