The hosts are on the brink of winning the grand slam but Eddie Jones’s team need to go back to basics and get a result
If you look at the England team Eddie Jones has picked to face France, it does not take an expert to work out that the ball is going to see a lot of air time on Saturday. What fascinates me, however, is how different both sides’ approaches are to kicking and whichever side can impose their particular style will go a long way towards winning the contest.
Jones has picked George Furbank at full-back, which may have come as a surprise to some because he had a difficult time on his debut at the Stade de France two years ago and because Freddie Steward is so reliable under the high ball. France, however, really don’t kick to compete that much. They kick long, they want to lure their opponents into running the ball back, when they back themselves to turn the ball over, or they want to engage in a game of kick tennis, when they can be lethal if their opponents do not execute properly. As a result, Furbank’s decision-making will be key, and significantly more important than his ability to claim the ball in the air.
