SM
Barcelona vs. Valencia: 11 hrs 3 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Five talking points ahead of England's Six Nations clash with France

:Headline: Five talking points ahead of England's Six Nations clash with France: ID:438875: from db_amp
Will England's indiscipline be their undoing again at Twickenham?

'Le Crunch' delivers its 108th instalment when England and France meet at Twickenham on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the round four showdown.

Under the pump

How affected have France been by their disrupted build-up? Even they will not know for sure until Saturday when they play their first match in a month. Twelve front line players, including Antoine Dupont and captain Charles Ollivon, tested positive for coronavirus. Apart from the distraction of the investigation into how the outbreak started amid revelations that some players left the squad's bubble in Rome to eat waffles and on the same weekend head coach Fabien Galthie attended a game to watch his son in action, there is the question over what shape the affected personnel will be in. It is an imponderable that will be answered at Twickenham.

Must stop Dupont

If he is fit and firing, then Dupont will be the key to France's hopes of maintaining course for the Grand Slam. The player of the 2020 Six Nations is the irrepressible force at the heart of Les Blues' welcome resurgence who has taken scrum-half play to a new level. Electric running skills that combine pace, power and vision are matched by his generalship and shrewd defence. The 24-year-old is one of Test rugby's smallest players, yet also its most influential on recent form. Jones has outlined the need to "keep him in a little box" – good luck trying.

amp_article__438875 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-03-12 10:16:36:
html db last update - 2021-03-12 12:10:53 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .