The most sizeable of the obstacles still facing England in the final days of this Six Nations Championship is not a huge secret. France may have had an underwhelming season but, as Courtney Lawes succinctly put it, they do still have some “big dudes” with the physical attributes to dent English hopes of lifting the trophy on Saturday.
In theory, everything is in the hosts’ favour at Twickenham – home advantage, a superior points difference, kicking off last – but across the Channel they prefer to imagine an alternative scenario. A French win by eight points or more, coupled with defeats for Wales and Ireland, would deliver the title into Gallic hands and stun everybody from Tipperary to Toulouse.
By the time Saturday’s final game kicks off that remote chance may have already disappeared but the sheer bulk of Yoann Maestri, Alexandre Flanquart, Romain Taofifénua, Uini Atonio and Mathieu Bastareaud, among others, makes them tough noix to crack. In four games France have conceded only two tries and are vying with Ireland for the tightest defensive record in the competition.
Taofifénua and Atonio both weigh more than 20 stone, Maestri is almost 6ft 8in and over 19st, Flanquart is an inch taller and Bastaureaud’s monstrous presence in midfield is well documented. Size is not everything in rugby but England are already braced for a full-on test of their credentials as one of the best packs in the world.
“We’re certainly not going to go out there and expect to get pushed around,” confirmed Lawes, who enjoyed a satisfyingly robust return to Test rugby against Scotland.
“We’re not the biggest pack but we are certainly physical. We like the contact and it’s certainly going to be a big area of the game at the weekend. We’ve got to make sure we bring our physicality and show them they can’t just roll over us. Then hopefully we can get them moving around and maybe our fitness will tell, come the end.”
Lancaster is also waiting to see what his opposite number Philippe Saint-André chooses to do selection-wise, given France have a six-day turnaround between their final two Six Nations games. Their 29-0 win over Italy in Rome may cost them the services of the fly-half Camille Lopez, who limped off with a dead leg, and Jules Plisson, if fit, could yet start at 10.
The No8, Louis Picamoles, is also back in contention after recovering from the thigh injury that has ruled him out of the tournament so far. “We won’t be favourites, but we can win,” Saint-André said. “There is very little difference between the teams in this tournament.”
England are merely contemplating the possibility of “one or two tweaks”, with Tom Youngs and Geoff Parling both pushing hard to start after impressing off the bench against Scotland. Lancaster is also weighing up the merits of including Alex Corbisiero in his matchday squad specifically to counter France’s scrummaging strength but, despite Sam Burgess’s presence at training in Bagshot, there is no chance of the latter making a surprise debut.
The management also believes the recent stability in terms of selection – only 29 players have featured so far – has been among the factors behind England’s rise to the top of the table after four rounds, along with a collective desire to win the title following three consecutive seasons as runners-up.
“It would mean a huge amount for the players and the fans,” Lancaster said. “I know how much hard work people have put in and how much it hurt to come second for three years in a row. But you can’t start thinking about things like that until you get the detail of the game right. It could still be the case France have something to play for, so we won’t start dreaming yet.”
He is also adamant England will not waste time sweating over permutations, concentrating instead on producing a display so good it delivers everything they want.
“Playing last doesn’t give you an advantage, it just gives you knowledge about what you need to do,” Lancaster said. “The emphasis will be on getting our performance right and taking opportunities when they’re there.
“It’s impossible to insulate the players from the result of the previous games because 82,000 people are shouting it at them when they run out on to the field.
“But if you start chasing as many points as you can you’ll undoubtedly become unstuck. Our priority is to win the game.”
