Cédric Chasseur / Photo credits: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP 9:25 a.m., March 15, 2024, modified at 9:30 a.m., March 15, 2024

The XV of France arrived this Thursday March 14 in Lyon.

The Blues will train one last time, at Groupama Stadium, before the France – England match which will take place this Saturday at 9 p.m.

The Blues will try to win this last match of the VI Nations Tournament.

A match that is never like the others.

A year after the humiliation experienced at Twickenham against the XV of France (10-53), the players of the English selection will be keen to wash away this affront.

In any case, this is what William Servat, the trainer in charge of the conquest and specific tasks, believes.

He who experienced France – England as a player is convinced that this match is still in the back of his opponents’ minds.

>> Find Europe 1 Matin in replay and podcast here

“For us, it’s a match from the past”

"We always remember the matches we played. I think that the extra motivation on the English side will be there. Even if for us, this match is a match of the past. A good number of people, to name but a few that the staff (Patrick Arlettaz, in charge of the three-quarters, Laurent Sempéré in charge of the conquest), have never played England", declared William Servat, the coach of the XV of France in charge of the conquest and specific tasks.

The newcomers will therefore discover an English team in full renewal.

A team which went as far as the semi-final of the last World Cup and which has just beaten Ireland, despite being promised a new Grand Slam.

Hence the distrust of coach Fabien Galthié.

"We find an explosive, powerful, solid English team... A team full of confidence, which is in the process of becoming the great English team again. To win this match, we will have to move forward: in the scrum, with the kicking game, on collisions. We will have to reverse the pressure,” reported the coach of the France team

It is therefore a major challenge that awaits Fabien Galthié's squad, which has still not won at home in this Six Nations Tournament (defeat against Ireland in Marseille, draw against Italy in Lille).

The coach, and this is a first since the start of his mandate, who chose to renew the 23 winners of Cardiff to face England, in search of a first victory on French soil since 2016 (21 -31 during the VI Nations Tournament).