France vs. England: 5 Key Battles in International Match
England travel to Paris for their second rubber against France as both sets of players scramble for places in their respective World Cup squads.
There are changes aplenty for both sides as coaches hand out chances to impress, which will doubtless result in that uncomfortable scenario where team function and individual aspiration rub up against one another.
In this assessment of the key confrontations, those with their places in the final 31 on the line come into sharp focus.
Let's have a look at the biggest duels.
1. Wesley Fofana vs. Luther Burrell
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England's No. 13 shirt may well be sewn up by Jonathan Joseph after his Six Nations performances, but the No. 12 jersey is possibly the most fiercely contested in the side.
Following Sam Burgess' bow last week, the return fixture sees Northampton's Luther Burrell reinserted into the position. The Saints man made a huge impression during his first season in the side but has since seen his progress hampered by injury and an overpopulation of candidates for the role.
Burrell brings direct running, an eye for a try and the ability to make space for others, but he does not have the flair of his opponent this weekend.
Wesley Fofana, when on his game, is the best No. 12 on the planet. With the pace to outstrip people down the outside, the guile to make holes up the middle and all the tricks in the book, the Clermont man is a gem.
Burrell has two jobs on Saturday: impress England head coach Stuart Lancaster with his own attacking ability and shut down the French danger man before he can start causing problems.
2. Yoann Huget vs. Jonny May
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England's Jonny May looked sharp against Les Bleus last week, scoring and creating tries from his left wing berth in the 19-14 victory.
The Gloucester man has come under scrutiny after a poor try return for his efforts in his career so far, but we know what he can do given half a chance, as evidenced by that scintillating try he bagged against the All Blacks last autumn.
He faces the new bad boy of French rugby in Yoann Huget, who can consider himself lucky to have escaped censure for what looked like a stamp to the face during the Top 14 campaign.
The Toulouse man is an uncompromising character on the field and has had success for France against England. Last time they met in Paris, he plundered two quick tries, using his height as an advantage to claim balls in the air.
He is a far bigger man than May (214 pounds to 198), and we might expect this discrepancy to be exploited by France, especially with the accurate boot of Freddie Michalak providing the crossfield ammunition.
May could do with a one-on-one against Huget to show his twinkling footwork, but he will also need to show he can defend against a bigger wing.
3. The Front Row
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In the scrum last week, England struggled until later in the contest when the bench was emptied. Both sides have made changes, and the familiar trio of Joe Marler, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole are back in harness.
It would be surprising if this were not the starting three for the World Cup's crunch games, perhaps with a fully fit Alex Corbisiero the main threat to Marler's No. 1 shirt.
A strong display against the French could all but ink these players in.
France have picked the combative Eddy Ben Arous at tight head and Rabah Slimani on the other side. The Stade Francais man was the best prop in the Top 14 last season, providing much of the grunt that propelled the Parisians to the title.
Sandwiched between them is Toulon firecracker Guilhem Guirado, who loves to run with the ball, but he will first need to ensure he can hook cleanly should Youngs get to him.
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4. Louis Picamoles vs. Billy Vunipola
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French No. 8 Louis Picamoles makes his second start in as many games, a rare feat in these merry-go-round days of World Cup warm-ups.
He faces a different opponent in white this week with the selection of Billy Vunipola.
The Saracens man was one of the best players in Europe last season, regaining that extra bit of destructive power he seemed to have lost in the autumn.
He has also improved his engine to last 80 minutes at Test level. Vunipola has the edge in this battle in terms of running strength, but Picamoles is a wily campaigner and can get his team going forward from any situation.
It should be some collision.
5. Scott Spedding vs. Mike Brown
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In a lineup that feels very much like a first-choice side, there is perhaps no Englishman with more to prove than Mike Brown.
That is nothing to do with his value to the side as a dangerous counter-attacker with a huge left foot. Those qualities have been weighed, measured and very much approved by the England coaches.
No, Brown's task is to prove there is no shadow left from the concussion he suffered against Italy that left him with headaches into early summer.
Per the Telegraph, the Harlequins man is back and over the issues, and he now needs to show that his game has lost nothing as a result.
He faces Scott Spedding, a naturalised Frenchman who loves to run the ball back. Brown has the ability to test that preference by putting some aerial ordinance his way and closing him down quickly.
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