England v France predictions, betting tips, best odds and free bets (Six Nations - Rugby - 4.2.2017)
- Written by Simon Bettarini
ENGLAND v FRANCE BETTING PREVIEW
England enter the 2017 Six Nations tournament in impressive form. Their first Grand Slam in 13 years was followed by a 3-0 test series win over Australia, and they became just the second team ever to win all the matches in a whole calendar year. Eddie Jones' men will register a national record 15th successive win if they dispatch Les Blues and will surpass New Zealand's milestone of 19 wins in a rowif they repeat last year's Grand Slam.
Eddie Jones will be unable to call on the Vunipola brothers and Chris Robshaw, all out through injuries. Elliot Daly has been named on the left wing after Jack missed Tuesday's training sessions due to personal reasons. Maro Itoje will make his first start at blindside flanker while Joe Marler has quickly recovered from a fractured leg to take his place at loosehead prop. Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes start in the second row, after George Kruis was ruled out with a knee injury.
Last year France finished with a disappointing fifth place last year despite winning their first two games of the tournament. They managed to beat Italy at home courtesy of a last-gasp drop but they recently showed promising signs of a new style of French rugby. In fact, Les Blues triumphed in a double header over Argentina in the summer before narrowly losing to Australia (23-25) and New Zealand (19-24) in November.
A major talking point is the string of injuries sustained in one weekend of Champions Cup rugby: France lost two centres and three of their pack all in a matter of days.
In the front row, tighthead prop Uini Atonio and loosehead Cyril Baille, convincing in November, will assist hooker and captain Guilhem Guirado. Damien Chouly will complete the back row alongside Louis Picamoles and Kévin Gourdo while Sébastien Vahaamahina will pack down with Yoann Maestri at lock.
ENGLAND v FRANCE STARTING LINEUPS
England XV: Mike Brown; Jonny May, Jonathan Joseph, Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley (captain), Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury; Courtney Lawes; Maro Itoje, Tom Wood, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Jamie George, Matt Mullan, Kyle Sinckler, Teimana Harrison, James Haskell, Danny Care, Ben Te'o, Jack Nowell.
France XV: Scott Spedding, Noa Nakaitaci, Remi Lamerat, Gael Fickou, Virimi Vakatawa, Camille Lopez, Baptiste Serin, Louis Picamoles, Kevin Gourdon, Damien Chouly, Yoann Maestri, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Uini Atonio, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Cyril Baille.
Replacements: Clement Maynadier, Rabah Slimani, Xavier Chiocci, Arthur Iturria, Loann Goujon, Maxime Machenaud, Jean Marc Doussain, Yoann Huget
ENGLAND v FRANCE BEST ODDS
| PICK | BEST ODDS | BOOKMAKER | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGLAND | 6.00 with |  | Bet £10, win £60.00 |
| THE DRAW | 36.00 with | | Bet £10, win £360.00 |
| FRANCE | 8.00 with |  | Bet £10, win £80.00 |
ENGLAND v FRANCE PREDICTIONS
| OUR PICKS | BEST ODDS | BOOKMAKER |
|---|---|---|
| Winner: England | 6.00 | |
| Winning Margin: England by 16-20 | 7.00 |  |
| Total tries: Over 3.5 tries | 1.55 |  |
| Anytime Tryscorer: Ben Te'o | 7.50 |  |
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