6N Preview: France v England

by setanta.com staff , 18 March 2010

England coach Martin Johnson has dropped Jonny Wilkinson for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash with France in Paris.


Toby Flood will start at fly-half against the Grand Slam-chasing French as Johnson makes six changes to the side which drew 15-15 with Scotland.

The Toulon number ten was forced from the field after taking a heavy knock to his head at Murrayfield but he had been cleared to play this weekend.
However, he will start the game in Saint Denis on the bench after being axed for only the third time in his 12-year international career.

Flood joins a back-line that includes Ben Foden, debutant winger Chris Ashton and Mike Tindall.

Foden gets the nod at full-back ahead of the out-of-form Delon Armitage, who has been dropped from the squad completely. Ashton, meanwhile, will make his Test debut on the wing in place of neck injury victim Ugo Monye. Tindall returns to the England team in place of Mathew Tait at outside centre after four months out with a hamstring injury.

James Haskell goes to the bench, with Lewis Moody back in the starting XV at openside flanker in a change which sees Joe Worsley move to blindside.

Simon Shaw returns to the second row from Louis Deacon after missing the Scotland game through injury.

France boss Marc Lievremont has recalled Mathieu Bastareaud for the visit of 'Les Rosbifs'.

Bastareaud, who was in sensational form for Les Bleus in the opening three rounds of the Championship, was consigned to the role of substitute for last weekend's rout of Italy because of a minor calf strain.

However, the Stade Francais centre has made a full recovery and has reclaimed his midfield berth from David Marty, who has been benched despite scoring two tries against the Azzurri.

The rest of the side remains unchanged to one which produced some mesmeric rugby against the Azzurri.

France: C Poitrenaud; M Andreu, M Bastareaud, Y Jauzion, A Palisson; F Trinh-Duc, M Parra; T Domingo, W Servat, N Mas; L Nallet, J Pierre; T Dusautoir (capt), J Bonnaire, I Harinordoquy.
Replacements: D Szarzewski, J-B Poux, S Chabal, A Lapandry, D Yachvili, D Marty, J Malzieu.

England:
B Foden; M Cueto, Mike Tindall, R Flutey, C Ashton; T Flood, D Care; T Payne, D Hartley, D Cole; S Shaw, S Borthwick (capt); J Worsley, L Moody, N Easter.
Replacements: S Thompson, D Wilson, L Deacon, J Haskell, Ben Youngs, J Wilkinson, M Tait.

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