While both teams are still in with a shout of Six Nations glory as they sit level on points on the standings, it's the French who have the easier run-in as they have already played current tournament leaders Ireland.
England v France
Saturday 11 March
Twickenham
16:45 GMT
England 21/20 | Draw 22/1 | France 3/4
We are three games into Steve Borthwick’s tenure at the helm of the English national side and there are more questions than answers with Borthwick’s decision to bring fly-half George Ford muddying the waters of the great England fly-half debate.
On paper, his short tenure has been okay if not spectacular with the English beating Italy and Wales while going down to Scotland. In reality, however, a ten point victory over a struggling Welsh outfit, and far from fluent 17 point victory over the Italians and a six point home defeat to the Scots does not make for good reading.
Like his predecessor, Borthwick is having issues with the English midfield as Owen Farrell continues to put in sub-par performances while Marcus Smith has failed to really mount a solid challenge for the ten jumper.
It looks like Borthwick is set to go with George Ford at ten this weekend. Borthwick is a Leicester Tigers man through and through and coached the side to Premiership glory last season. Key to this successful campaign was George Ford who marshalled the Tigers with aplomb. In fairness to Borthwick, he is not the first and won’t be the last coach to bring a ten he trusts back from the wilderness.
France, while nowhere near as poor as their opponents for Saturday, have also been subpar during the first three rounds of the competition as they managed a narrow five point win over Italy courtesy of a late try and then went down 32-19 to the Irish in Dublin. They did put in a very polished performance in Round 3 as they beat a handy Scotland side 32-21.
While I think England will put in an improved showing here, I can’t see them getting one over this French outfit.
France should take this one in London.
