Key events
2 mins. Ben Earl has a carry up towards halfway and the recycle Fin Smith dallies a bit and this allow Alldritt in to charge it down. The ball bobbles all over the place and mercifully back in English hands to kick clear.
An early difficult moment for the young 10, let’s see how he deals with it.
Kick Off!
Ref Amashukeli blasts his whistle and Fin Smith sends the ball into French hands.
The anthems are all done and we are minutes away
The teams are out in a decent south London evening. There will be a minute’s silence for Tom Voyce, the former England player who tragically lost his life in the recent storms.
Officials today
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referee 1: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referee 2: Damian Schneider (Argentina)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Not that Le Crunch is ever a small affair but this one feels huge for both sides. France want a Grand Slam and England really need to assert some dominance again after a faltering year.
What are your thoughts? Send them all to me on email or you could use the Bluesky.
Teams
More selection shifts from Steve Borthwick as he seeks to tinker his way to a victory. Northampton youngling Fin Smith is asked to run the team from 10, while Marcus Smith moves to fullback at the expense of Freddie Steward. The two Curries plan from last week is jettisoned from the back row with Tom Willis replacing Ben Curry, a decision that nudges Ben Earl to the openside. Injury to Cadan Murley brings Ollie Sleightholme onto the wing.
France are without the suspended Romain Ntamack and so the usual backup Mathieu Jalibert slots in at demi d’ouverture. In better news for the visitors, Damien Penaud is back on the wing.
England: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart; Maro Itoje (capt), George Martin; Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Tom Willis.
Replacements: Jamie George, Finn Baxter, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Harry Randall, Elliot Daly.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barrassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont (capt); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Alexandre Roumat, Emmanuel Meafou, François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Alldritt.
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Georges-Henri Colombe, Hugo Auradou, Mickaël Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Nolann Le Garrec, Émilien Gailleton.
Preamble
There are some things that shouldn’t last more than an hour: Roman Catholic mass, zumba classes, meetings, episodes of Strictly Come Dancing to name a few. Unfortunately, some of those often last much longer and Steve Borthwick must powerfully wish that rugby matches were not in this bracket, as for the best part of a year his England team have resolutely struggled with the inconvenient final quarter of games. The latest attempt to sort it will play out in the face of France, a team that traditionally doesn’t trouble itself with such humdrum things as the constraints of the time continuum.
England haven’t beaten France since 2021, and the last time Fabien Galthie’s side rolled into SponsorNameDome Twickenham they dished out a 53-point whomping to a hapless home side. Both squads are in a different place now; England more resolutely organised after two more Borthwick years, and Les Bleus still capable of hammerings (just ask Wales) but more uneven in their form.
France are more fancied, but as Ireland can testify England capable of beating anyone at home regardless of form coming into the match. It’s not too fanciful to suggest this could happen again today. Just keep your eye on that pesky clock when it hits 60 minutes.
Kick-off: 4.45pm GMT.
In the meantime …
