How England should line up against France next weekend with Marcus Smith at fly-half - Ruck

How England should line up against France next weekend with Marcus Smith at fly-half

In a climactic showdown slated for Super Saturday, France and England are poised to clash in ‘Le Crunch’ at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium, marking the culmination of the 2024 Six Nations Championship.

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content powered by ISUZU.

This past weekend, the rugby world witnessed Marcus Smith’s heroics, as his last-gasp drop-goal propelled England to a stunning victory over Ireland, dashing their hopes of consecutive Grand Slams in a nail-biting Six Nations showdown at Twickenham.

With England now eyeing the championship, a win over France in Lyon coupled with a try bonus point, along with Ireland’s defeat to Scotland sans a bonus point, would crown England as Six Nations champions. Such a triumph would elevate England to 17 points, while Ireland, falling without a bonus point, would languish at 16.

Yet, the path to victory is laden with challenges, notably recalling France’s resounding 53-10 thrashing of England during the 2023 Championship, marking England’s most significant home defeat.

The historic rivalry between France and England spans 110 rugby test matches since their inaugural encounter in 1906. Of these encounters, England has emerged victorious in 60, while France has clinched victory in 43 matches. Additionally, the two nations have played out seven draws.

As anticipation mounts for the pivotal clash, let’s delve into how England fans want their team to lineup against France.

Front-row:

1. Joe Marler for Ellis Genge

2. Jamie George

3. Dan Cole

Second-row:

4. Maro Itoje

A frustrated Maro Itoje of England during the Guinness Six Nations match between England and France at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on Saturday 11th March 2023 | Photo: James Fearn/PPAUK.

5. George Martin

CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO