France v England: preview stats and teams
England open their Guinness Six Nations campaign on Sunday as they take on France. We bring you key facts, stats and teams.
George Furbank will make his England debut against France on Sunday, while Will Stuart could do likewise as a finisher.
Owen Farrell is named at inside centre and will captain a side with 675 caps in the starting XV. George Ford starts inside Farrell at fly half with Manu Tuilagi at outside centre. Ben Youngs will play his 96th Test at scrum half.
France have named two uncapped players in their starting XV with Montpellier's Anthony Bouthier at full-back while club team-mate Mohamed Haouas, 25, is at tight-head prop.
Flanker Cameron Woki, 21, and lock Boris Palu, 23, could make their international debuts off the bench, while France are led by Charles Ollivon.
- When? Sunday, 2 February
- Kick-off? 1500 GMT
- Where? Stade de France, Paris
- Coverage? Live on BBC 1, match centre on EnglandRugby.com
Views from the camp
Eddie Jones said: “France can expect absolute brutality from England, we are going to go out there to make sure they understand what Test rugby is.It is about being brutal, it is about being physical and it is about dominating the set piece.”
Fabien Galthie said: “We also have a plan. Expect a ferocious pack. Expect a ferocious battle to win the ball. Expect my players to stand their ground with ferocious tackles and collisions.
“They will play with passion and go beyond their limits.”
Previous encounters
2011: France 19 – 12 England - (Eden Park, Auckland)
2012: France 22 – 24 England - (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
2013: England 23 – 13 France - (Twickenham, London)
2014: France 26 – 24 England - (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
2015: England 55 – 35 France - (Twickenham, London)
2015: England 19 – 14 France - (Twickenham, London)
2015: France 25 – 20 England - (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
2016: France 21 – 31 England - (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
2017: England 19 – 16 France - (Twickenham, London)
2018: France 22 – 16 England - (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
2019: England 44 – 8 France - (Twickenham, London)
Key stats
In the sides’ 20 meetings in the Six Nations, England hold the advantage winning 13 clashes, with France gaining victory in the remaining seven matches.
The previous meeting between the sides in the Guinness Six Nations saw England run out 44-8 victors. It was the biggest margin of victory in their Championship history and the only time France have been limited to fewer than nine points by England in the competition.
In terms of Guinness Six Nations games held in France, the French national side have outscored England 200-186 claiming wins in six of their ten meetings. France’s sole Guinness Six Nations victory over England, in England, came in 2005.
England and France have met on the opening weekend of the Guinness Six Nations on three separate occasions-in 2003, 2014 and 2017. In the game that was held in France, the hosts ran out 26-24 winners in2014, having lost their three previous meetings with England in the Championship.
They would also go on to lose the three meetings immediately thereafter, also. –There has been a converted try or less between the sides in exactly half of their Six Nations meetings, with seven of those games ending with three points or fewer deciding the outcome of the match.
Of England’s 20 Guinness Six Nations openers, they have won 17 – losing only to Wales (2005 and 2008) and France (2014) by a combined losing margin of just 11 points. They have won the remaining 17 opening fixtures by an average of over 18 points.
England have lost three of their last four away games in the Guinness Six Nations. They haven’t lost four times in a five-game span away from home in the competition since they were defeated in four consecutive games between the 2006 and 2007 editions (including losing in France in 2006).
England scored 119 points in the first half of games in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations, which is more than any other team managed to score in total in their five games combined.
England were responsible for 50% (6) of the 12 tries originating from counter attacks in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations. Their six tries from that source were twice as many as any other nation.
Teams
England
15 George Furbank (Northampton Saints, uncapped), 14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps), 13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps), 12 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 79 caps) C, 11 Elliot Daly (Saracens, 39 caps), 10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 65 caps), 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps), 1 Joe Marler (Harlequins, 68 caps), 2 Jamie George (Saracens, 45 caps), 3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 31 caps), 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 34 caps), 5 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 12 caps), 6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 81 caps), 7 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 15 caps), 8 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
Finishers
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps), 17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps), 18 Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, uncapped), 19 George Kruis (Saracens, 41 caps), 20 Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 6 caps), 21 Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps), 22 Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap), 23 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 47 caps).
France
Anthony Bouthier, Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa, Gaël Fickou, Damian Penaud, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Grégory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon (captain), François Cros, Bernard Le Roux, Paul Willemse, Mohamed Haouas, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille.
Replacements
Peato Mauvaka, Jefferson Poirot, Demba Bemba, Boris Palu, Cameron Woki, Baptiste Serin, Matthieu Jalibert, Vincent Rattez.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and watch the England squad train at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 14 February at 3pm. Tickets for the event are free and available on a first-come first-served basis. You are entitled to book up to four tickets each, with a £1 booking fee included for each. Click here for more information.
