FRANCE AND ENGLAND meet again in Paris tomorrow night (KO 8pm Irish time, Sky Sports 1) and Joe Schmidt is sure to be a keen observer.
Ireland’s final group stage fixture at the World Cup against France looks to be the key to deciding who tops Pool D and avoids New Zealand in the quarter-finals (barring a shock for the Kiwis in Pool C).
Two brilliant tries from Anthony Watson and another from the electric Jonny May gave Stuart Lancaster’s England a 19-14 win over les Bleus last weekend as both sides began their World Cup warm-ups in Twickenham.
Philippe Saint-André has rung the changes this week, however, and Schmidt will have further opportunity to assess the French.
La pussiance de Picamoles
Previously a pillar of the French pack, a lung infection and other injury issues meant Louis Picamoles didn’t play international rugby in 2014/15. Now back to full health, the Toulouse number eight looked in ominously good form last weekend.
Clearly benefiting from France’s extensive training schedule in recent months – crucially uninterrupted by the Top 14 – Picamoles was destructive on the ball against the English, and we know he possesses skills to back up his power.
29-year-old Picamoles looks like he may be a key man in the World Cup for the French, meaning Schmidt and defence coach Les Kiss will be devising a plan on how to limit his impact.
La charnière
After the wonderfully talented François Trinh-Duc and Morgan Parra had a shot last week, Saint-André has opted for a new halfback pairing tomorrow in the shape of Frédéric Michalak and Sébastien Tillous-Borde.
Saint-André has always had time for the much-maligned Michalak, and though he still has shaky moments there is a strong chance that he will be France’s first-choice number 10 in the World Cup. 71 international caps are on his side, even if Trinh-Duc is the people’s choice.
Tillous-Borde has been an underrated part of the recent success enjoyed by Toulon, his defensive strength complemented by quick service and good communication. Parra and Rory Kockott have their own starting intentions, just underlining the depth of quality at France’s disposal.
Jouez!
France have been the most difficult international team to analyse for some years now, simply because they don’t have as much structure and shape as the vast majority of sides.
Saint-André has instead backed his players’ ability to create in open play, trusting that their attacking instincts and physical power can thrive without the restrictions of mapped-out multi-phase plans.
It hasn’t always worked for les Bleus and one senses that the amount of collective time Saint-André’s squad have had together this summer may mean they have worked a little harder on inserting structure and organisation into their game plan.
The prospect of finally seeing the French fully harness the individual ability of their players into a unified and consistent effort is a worrying one.
Les trois-quarts
Alexandre Domoulin and Rémi Lamerat were fully deserving of their runs in the centre last weekend on account of excellent Top 14 performance last season, but the big guns return in midfield tomorrow night at Stade de France.
Mathieu Bastareaud is at 13 after a long, hard slog of conditioning in recent months and having released an extremely honest autobiography in June. Alongside him, Wesley Fofana comes off a 2014/15 season where he simply didn’t deliver what he needed to, even if he wasn’t provided with the stream of possession he thrives on.
Now 27, the Clermont man must stand up as a leader on the pitch for France, so expect determined application from him.
In the back three, Yoann Huget comes into the XV despite many feeling he should be serving a ban for an horrific stamp late last season, while the daring Nao Nakaitaci will provide spark out on the left wing.
No scrum, no win
Saint-André has a totally changed front row too, and there remains some doubt as to who France will back as their starters in jerseys one to three when the pool stages of the World Cup roll around.
Stade Francais’ Rabah Slimani gets his chance at tighthead, although the gigantic Uini Atonio lies in wait on the bench. At hooker, the mobile Guilhem Guirado of Toulon starts and he was superb during this year’s Six Nations. Flowing-locked Dmitri Swarzewski and the clever Benjamin Kayser are the other options in that role.
Eddy Ben Arous comes in on the loosehead side, offering his set-piece strength and a brilliant ability to win turnovers at the breakdown. Vincent Debaty often gives a tour de force off the bench on that side of the scrum, but will Saint-André back him as a starter?
The balance of this front row battle will ebb and flow before Ireland face les Bleus, but it is a six-man duty in the modern game. France have the strength to face up to the likes of Mike Ross and Rory Best, as well as the depth to attempt to conquer the Ireland back-up trio too.
France:
15. Scott Spedding
14. Yoann Huget
13. Mathieu Bastareaud
12. Wesley Fofana
11. Nao Nakaitaci
10. Fréderic Michalak
9. Sébastien Tillous-Borde
1. Eddy Ben Arous
2. Guilhem Guirado
3. Rabah Slimani
4. Pascal Papé (captain)
5. Yoann Maestri
6. Damien Chouly
7. Bernard le Roux
8. Louis Picamoles
Replacements:
16. Benjamin Kayser
17. Vincent Debaty
18. Uini Atonio
19. Alexandre Flanquart
20. Yannick Nyanga
21. Rory Kockott
22. Rémi Talès
23. Gaël Fickou
England:
15. Mike Brown
14. Jack Nowell
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Luther Burrell
11. Jonny May
10. George Ford
9. Ben Youngs
1. Joe Marler
2. Tom Youngs
3. Dan Cole
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Courtney Lawes
6. James Haskell
7. Chris Robshaw (captain)
8. Billy Vunipola
Replacements:
16. Jamie George
17. Mako Vunipola
18. David Wilson
19. Dave Attwood
20. Nick Easter
21. Danny Care
22. Danny Cipriani
23. Billy Twelvetrees
