No injury worries for England ahead of France clash
England look to have avoided the injury scourge that has blighted their RBS 6 Nations campaign ahead of tomorrow’s showdown against France.
The World Cup finalists lost four players – Mike Tindall, Lewis Moody, David Strettle and Tom Rees – to injuries during their opening weekend defeat against Wales.
Then both props – Andrew Sheridan (heel) and Phil Vickery (stomach bug) – were sidelined ahead of a 23-19 victory over Italy 12 days ago.
But head coach Brian Ashton is set to field the team he announced earlier this week after arriving in Paris yesterday.
Wing Paul Sackey (thumb), centre Jamie Noon (tight hamstring) and lock Steve Borthwick (knee) all missed last weekend’s Guinness Premiership action for their clubs.
England though, have reported no last-minute injury concerns ahead of a game they must win to keep alive Six Nations title hopes.
Ashton said: “The players are well aware of the importance of this game.
“Not because it is England versus France, not because it is the third game of the Six Nations, but because we really need to see signs now for 80 minutes that the team is starting to move in a different direction.
“They are certainly in the mood to put that into operation.
“We constantly talk about the process of how we want to play the game, and that never changes.
“If we get in front, we have got to be more ruthless in terms of just applying ourselves to the detail of how we want to play the game.
“The first-half performances (against Wales and Italy) have been okay. I have been disappointed in the second-half performances, obviously.”
Although England knocked France out of last autumn’s World Cup semi-final on home soil, they have not beaten them in Paris in the Six Nations since February, 2000.
And, the World Cup apart, their away form is also a major cause for concern, with just two wins – both against Italy – recorded from the last 17 Tests.
