SM
FCSB vs. Man United: 21 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 10:16:36 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool22165154213353
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2313553327644
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle23125641271441
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth23117541261540
8Aston Villa2310763435-137
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2381053531434
10Fulham238963431333
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
16Everton225891928-923
17Leicester CityLeicester2345142549-2417
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2344153252-2016
19Ipswich TownIpswich2337132147-2616
20Southampton2313191653-376
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.



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