Eddie Jones has a plan.

"We beat France in our last two matches so we know how to take them," promised the XV de la Rose coach at the end of the match lost against Ireland (32-15).

"If you want to beat France, you have to play more and better on foot than them, that's the first thing. Then you have to fight more than them, especially around the rucks. Finally, you have to prevent Dupont from express themselves", further detailed the Australian technician.

The English indeed remain on two successes in front of the men of Fabien Galthié: 22-19 after extra time during the 2020 Autumn Cup of Nations and 23-20 a few months later in the Tournament.

Their only defeat (24-17), on the other hand, came at the Stade de France, in the 2020 Six Nations Tournament, for Galthié's first match as coach.

On the side of the XV of France, we await this shock at the top with delight.

"Playing the Grand Slam against England was obviously what we wanted. Now we're going to enjoy being still in contention for this Grand Slam. We will inevitably have less to calculate than the two previous seasons. This is the ideal scenario, the one that we had checked”, also assured the opener Romain Ntamack.

Romain Ntamack tackled by English pillar Ellis Genge during the Six Nations Tournament on February 2, 2020 in Saint-Denis FRANCK FIFE AFP / Archives

Because the Blues have been chasing a Grand Slam for twelve years.

With four wins in a row, they are only 80 minutes from the Holy Grail.

Rehearsal before the World Cup

"France are one of the most in form teams at the moment, it will be a complicated match. The result of the last match does not change anything for us, we are coming to Paris to win and I hope everyone believes us. We was always going to be ready for this meeting and there, we are even more ready”, promised the English left pillar Ellis Genge.

Proof of the importance of this "final which is not one", the XV of the Rose upsets its plans and arrives in France on Tuesday, to settle on the side of Roland-Garros.

Marcus Smith scores a penalty against Ireland on March 12, 2022 at Twickenham Glyn KIRK AFP/Archives

"We have always considered this match as (...) a general rehearsal before the World Cup", admitted Eddie Jones.

The Blues are warned: you must always be wary of the English, even affected in their pride.

Saturday, at Twickenham, against Ireland, the teammates of the talented young opener Marcus Smith (23), author of 15 points alone (5 penalties), were heroic in their self-sacrifice in a match where nothing changed. turned in their favor early in the game.

- Ireland supports... the English -

In the first twenty minutes, they indeed lost two players, second row Charlie Ewels for a red card after 82 seconds and third row Tom Curry through injury (15th), then conceded a try from James Lowe (6th) .

But like starving, the English, in full mutation, resisted, clinging to the Irish calves until the 70th minute before logically yielding.

Not without having demonstrated that they had to be reckoned with until the end.

English second line Maro Itoje takes a ball into touch against Ireland on March 12, 2022 at Twickenham Ben STANSALL AFP

With the tireless second line Maro Itoje, the vista and the kicking game of Smith, the power of Ellis "Baby Rhino" Genge or the support of scrum half Harry Randall, the English and their dominating closed scrum have arguments to assert.

The worst?

Even Ireland, the only team to be able to overtake the French in the event of a victory over Scotland, will support England.

"Can England win in France? We hope so!", even whispered the coach of the XV of Clover Andy Farrell, himself English.

© 2022 AFP