RBS 6 Nations: France v England

[Philtaz]

So, what predictions for today? France have made an un-enforced change in their half-back pairing as Parra and Trinh-Duc appear to have been deemed too ineffectual against Ireland last week. It's a brave call from Saint-Andre but I'm sure he has his reasons for bringing in DuPuy and Beauxis.

England were unchanged but apparently Strettle has picked up an injury late on so is replaced by Sharples, whom I believe is making his debut.

I hope England can play with the same flair, belief, passion and intensity that they did against Wales last week. France IMHO haven't impressed that much in this campaign, though playing at the Stade de France usually gives them an edge, as it does most home teams.

I like Lancaster, he's obvioulsy got England playing well and playing for each other, to the extent that he has earned a crack at the job full-time. Farrell has been a revelation, nothing appears to faze him and I expect him to have another good game today.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say England by 5 points.

Anyone else?

[Philtaz]

Brilliant work by Croft sees him ghost through a big gap for the try! Some of the French tackling has been weaker than Katy Price's knicker elastic.

Farrell knocks over the conversion and it's England by nine now.

[Philtaz]

Dowson is obviously harder than a big bag of hard things. Concussed making a tackle he then gets stood on by Croft, right on the schnozz.

France go over in the corner, conversion to come from a yard in from the touchline and...................

it's straight down the middle! 22-24, 4 mins left.

Hang on to your seats............!

[Philtaz]

The French are rampant....

Possible drop goal to decide it?

[Philtaz]

Trinh-Duc misses the drop, 30 seconds to go.......

[Philtaz]

Scrum to England, forward pass, clock in the red. If England win the ball it'll be kicked towards Sarkozy!

[Philtaz]

What a fantastic game of rugby and a well deserved victory for England. Oddly enough Farrell didn't quite repeat his form from the Wales game but he was solid none the less.

Well done England and Stuart Lancaster.

[WyeDyed]

Phew! That was close. Well done England.
The referee was dreadful, mostly against England but France paid too for his random decisions.

[coccinelle]

Final score? I couldn't watch it as TV not working.

[Frank97]

22-24

[Philtaz]

22-24.

[coccinelle]

Thank you. Looks as if it was a good game...

[WyeDyed]

Best game of the tournament to watch so far, spoiled only by the Ref.
I seem to remember having issues with him last year. He can't ref a scrum, the two "deliberate" knock ons (one from each team) were abysmal.

All that aside, makes for a good three matches for next week.

[Philtaz]

Best game of the tournament to watch so far, spoiled only by the Ref.
---------------------------------

Now where have I heard that before...........?

[DTCwordfan]

Wow - missed the middle third as I was at my sister's for lunch and she got a call just after the Foden try that her partner's 96 year old mother had died. He was out at his company and so I cleared out before he got back to give them the space - just in time to see the final 4 minutes of the rearguard action when Sharples was off and to see that sublime Croft try.

A glass of Croft's Port to be raised to the boys in white this evening!

[WyeDyed]

^^^
Philtaz - Fair point, maybe I've spent too long in Wales ;0)

[Kiki-frog]

Oh good, we won. I was so miffed after the dodgy yellow card for Sharples that I went outside and potted up my geraniums in protest. Harrumph!

[sunny-dave]

What a prat he is - 'referee superstar' is by definition an oxymoron.

Perhaps someone could point out to Monsieur Rolland that people pay to watch the players, not the referee, and that a good ref is as close to invisible as possible.

[Exmothian]

When will the IRB recognise that when Alain Rolland referees , he's as good as the French 16th man .... Time after time after time he makes appalling decisions at critical moments of the game. Fortunately today England overcame both the French and Rolland ... His French father will be disappointed in him !
Best side won .. Just , despite Rolland.