Team for France

[Raggs]

For all that we lose a bit in the scrum, the gain elsewhere with Genge over Moon surely makes up for it.

[Puja]

I am confused as to why people think we'd lose in the scrum with Genge. He's the strongest scrummaging loosehead in the Premiership. Moon has the whip hand of having proved himself against NZ and South Africa while Genge's opportunities have been against lesser lights, but Moon is not the better scrummager on domestic evidencd.

Puja

[Raggs]

I am confused as to why people think we'd lose in the scrum with Genge. He's the strongest scrummaging loosehead in the Premiership. Moon has the whip hand of having proved himself against NZ and South Africa while Genge's opportunities have been against lesser lights, but Moon is not the better scrummager on domestic evidencd.

Puja

Really? I'm confident in Genge's abilities in the scrum, he is very good, but I think Moon has more strings to his bow there.

[fivepointer]

Moon and Cole are the more reliable scrummagers than Genge and Williams. If the French scrum was a dominant force i could perhaps understand the changes, but it isnt so i'm a bit surprised Eddie has gone for a rather conservative (backward looking?) move.

[Stom]

Hush now.

He's not decided on the final makeup of the WC squad behind the #1 props, so is rotating to see which ones are better. I see absolutely no problem and I don't think we should be reading into it.

I would think Genge will get a run-out against Italy with one of the THPs, though which I don't know.

[TheDasher]

I am confused as to why people think we'd lose in the scrum with Genge. He's the strongest scrummaging loosehead in the Premiership. Moon has the whip hand of having proved himself against NZ and South Africa while Genge's opportunities have been against lesser lights, but Moon is not the better scrummager on domestic evidencd.

Puja

I agree, every time I've watched him he's scrummaged extremely well.

We know Moon's a good'un, we've seen that. I'd have thought giving Genge game time off the bench in an England shirt is key. Strange call by Eddie in my view.

We also sent out a bit of a message to our opponents last weekend in terms of the physicality we can bring to the table. I'd have had Genge getting some minutes and adding to that for sure.

[Raggs]

We also need to consider what we're going to do for depth at loosehead with no marler. Mako is the only one with experience, and Genge looks like a more solid bet than Moon in my mind. Giving them small bits of game time, and swapping between the two, really isn't going to help.

Cole's club performances look a lot better, he deserves to be back in.

[Digby]

Eddie of course on record saying domestic form doesn't matter much, so Cole is perhaps back as Eddie's a fan and he's had a rest

[Digby]

Good news with Cole being out for so long people will not have footage of him giving away our lineout code

[fivepointer]

Bristol providing the opposition for England training today. Unusual move but one i like.

[Digby]

Bristol are the new Georgia

[Which Tyler]

A thought on Cole and Moon...
Both are 3rd choice, he may be going to take 5 props to Japan. Maybe they're in a straight shoot out for that 5 the spot?
Otherwise, both are going, in which case both need game time at international rugby (though Cole needs it less).

[francoisfou]

I am confused as to why people think we'd lose in the scrum with Genge. He's the strongest scrummaging loosehead in the Premiership. Moon has the whip hand of having proved himself against NZ and South Africa while Genge's opportunities have been against lesser lights, but Moon is not the better scrummager on domestic evidencd.

Puja

Genge certainly got the better of Sinckler in the Tigers v Quins match in December.

[francoisfou]

Second row Félix Lambey is expected to be in the starting XV on Sunday and fat Bastareaud will replace Ntamack who's sadly relegated to the bench, and will be partnered in the centre by Geoffry Doumayrou. Yacouba Camara is to replace wing-forward Wenceslas Lauret and Yoann Huget comes in for Maxime Médard at full back, who has a shoulder injury. Young prop Demba Bamba replaces fat Atonio and the excellent scrum half Antoine Dupont will take Baptiste Serin's place on the bench.
I still expect and England victory but my gut feeling says that les Bleus will be up for this match and will make England work hard for their win.

[Banquo]

Second row Félix Lambey is expected to be in the starting XV on Sunday and fat Bastareaud will replace Ntamack who's sadly relegated to the bench, and will be partnered in the centre by Geoffry Doumayrou. Yacouba Camara is to replace wing-forward Wenceslas Lauret and Yoann Huget comes in for Maxime Médard at full back, who has a shoulder injury. Young prop Demba Bamba replaces fat Atonio and the excellent scrum half Antoine Dupont will take Baptiste Serin's place on the bench.
I still expect and England victory but my gut feeling says that les Bleus will be up for this match and will make England work hard for their win.

Ntamack looked a little callow and hesitant, so not surprised. He will come again.

The French were woefully organised, even in the 1st half. Hopefully they will remain so. Hopefully Huget's confidence will be utterly shot

[Scrumhead]

Lambey impressed me when he came on and Bastareaud can be a pain to play against. That lineup worries me a whole lot more than their starting XV from last week.

[Spiffy]

Second row Félix Lambey is expected to be in the starting XV on Sunday and fat Bastareaud will replace Ntamack who's sadly relegated to the bench, and will be partnered in the centre by Geoffry Doumayrou. Yacouba Camara is to replace wing-forward Wenceslas Lauret and Yoann Huget comes in for Maxime Médard at full back, who has a shoulder injury. Young prop Demba Bamba replaces fat Atonio and the excellent scrum half Antoine Dupont will take Baptiste Serin's place on the bench.
I still expect and England victory but my gut feeling says that les Bleus will be up for this match and will make England work hard for their win.

Ntamack looked a little callow and hesitant, so not surprised. He will come again.

The French were woefully organised, even in the 1st half. Hopefully they will remain so. Hopefully Huget's confidence will be utterly shot

Ntamack did quite well for a lad of 19 on his first cap. You can see his touches of class. He's quite a tough little bogger but will always have some problems winning collisions against bigger players (i.e everybody else.)
Even if Huget's confidence is not shot, he's a pretty poor/average FB. Ramos, the Toulouse FB, has looked pretty impressive this year, but he also is on the smallish side (but so is Damian McKenzie.)
The French backrow of Camara/Picamoles/Iturria could cause a bit of havoc if they hit some form. Iturria looked very handy v. Italy.

[morepork]

Has Picamoles still got it? He's what, 34?

[Digby]

Has Picamoles still got it? He's what, 34?

His moments of class are class, his work rate rather stalls the next class moment arriving

[Banquo]

Second row Félix Lambey is expected to be in the starting XV on Sunday and fat Bastareaud will replace Ntamack who's sadly relegated to the bench, and will be partnered in the centre by Geoffry Doumayrou. Yacouba Camara is to replace wing-forward Wenceslas Lauret and Yoann Huget comes in for Maxime Médard at full back, who has a shoulder injury. Young prop Demba Bamba replaces fat Atonio and the excellent scrum half Antoine Dupont will take Baptiste Serin's place on the bench.
I still expect and England victory but my gut feeling says that les Bleus will be up for this match and will make England work hard for their win.

Ntamack looked a little callow and hesitant, so not surprised. He will come again.

The French were woefully organised, even in the 1st half. Hopefully they will remain so. Hopefully Huget's confidence will be utterly shot

Ntamack did quite well for a lad of 19 on his first cap. You can see his touches of class. He's quite a tough little bogger but will always have some problems winning collisions against bigger players (i.e everybody else.)
Even if Huget's confidence is not shot, he's a pretty poor/average FB. Ramos, the Toulouse FB, has looked pretty impressive this year, but he also is on the smallish side (but so is Damian McKenzie.)
The French backrow of Camara/Picamoles/Iturria could cause a bit of havoc if they hit some form. Iturria looked very handy v. Italy.

Just saying not surprised ntamack being dropped, looked like a 19 year old making his debut; as I said, will come again. He stopped a few France attacks stone dead.

To answer MP, Picamoles looked good for an hour,seems fitter notwithstanding Diggers dig at workrate

[francoisfou]

Picamole's best days are behind him, in my opinion and he could have been a world class number 8 (now just watch him beat England single-handedly!!)
I'm disappointed that Brunel (didn't his grandad build a wee bridge and a ship?) hasn't persevered with Ntamack and as Spiff says as he has touches of class. However, fat Basta will more than counter the physical threat of Manu and he's one of the best at pinching turnover ball in the tackle, but I'm sure that Manu will relish the opportunity to flatten him!
I firmly believe that England can exploit a French weakness at full-back. I've never been an admirer of Huget and hope Ramos is in the squad to replace him from the bench.

[Scrumhead]

I tend to agree re. Bastareaud. I actually fear him more as a defender than I do from an attacking point of view. He is very good over the ball.

A back row of Iturria, Camara and Picamoles is well balanced and could cause us problems, although I would have said the same about the Irish back row last week so who knows?

Huget is the left wing. Are you getting him mixed up with Medard?

[Puja]

I think the best England move on Sunday will be to keep setting up as if to send Tuilagi and BillyV into the centres and then passing behind them. They won't get much change out of Bastareaud through bosh, but I'm willing to bet our reputation precedes us enough that he'll keep biting in on the dummy runner.

Huget is the left wing. Are you getting him mixed up with Medard?

There was a rumour earlier on this page that Huget's getting moved to 15 this weekend.

Puja

[Banquo]

Picamole's best days are behind him, in my opinion and he could have been a world class number 8 (now just watch him beat England single-handedly!!)
I'm disappointed that Brunel (didn't his grandad build a wee bridge and a ship?) hasn't persevered with Ntamack and as Spiff says as he has touches of class. However, fat Basta will more than counter the physical threat of Manu and he's one of the best at pinching turnover ball in the tackle, but I'm sure that Manu will relish the opportunity to flatten him!
I firmly believe that England can exploit a French weakness at full-back. I've never been an admirer of Huget and hope Ramos is in the squad to replace him from the bench.

Picamoles was excellent early doors v Wales with some big carries, but faded; he did lose his way mid career, putting on too much weight I reckon. Ntamack objectively wasn't very good- hesitant, turned over three times as a result; just looks a season early.

[Puja]

French team confirmed:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dy3i15BWoAA ... name=large

Puja