Rugby Blog / Editor's Blog

Months of hard work finally paid off with a devastating display of attacking rugby from England against France but despite the red rose's scintillating performance, selecting a Lions XV made up of Celts remains a feasibly simple exercise for the British & Irish Lions first Test against South Africa.

Lions tours are all about momentum and form and on the basis on the Six Nations so far, Tom Croft, Delon Armitage and Riki Flutey could all state strong cases for a starting berth.

Croft's versatility and superior athleticism marks him out as a unique option for Ian McGeechan on the blind-side. Ryan Jones and Stephen Ferris have their qualities but the tantalising opportunity of unleashing Croft on the hard tracks in the Cape could swing the balance in the Leicester Tiger's favour.

Armitage and Flutey were only just flashing upon England's radar eight months ago, but the pair's outstanding contributions during Europe's spring rugby festival, most of all their natural instincts and the ability to beat their man on the outside, should at least see them somewhere near the airpot check-in desk.

Mark Cueto, a previous Lions tourist, and Harry Ellis have been bricks in Johnson's team-building blocks while Ben Foden, a hotly tipped left-field pick, with McGeechan a well-known admirer, offers match-winning class in abundance.

And then there is Jonny Wilkinson, who for the umpteenth time, seems to be planning his timely comeback from injury to perfection. If he’s fit, you can bet your house on England’s golden-boot wearing the number ten shirt.

Ireland and Wales will undoubtedly share most of the jerseys but given a slice of luck and a strong showing in Saturday's Calcutta Cup clash, a few of England's dreamers could well find themselves over in the Rainbow Nation come June instead of walking out at Old Trafford against Argentina.

Anyone heading to Twickenham expecting to see the show, Beauty and The Beast on Sunday can forget about it. France arrives on English shores packing one of their beefiest-ever teams and are primed to take Martin Johnson and his tyros on head-to-head.

With Sebastien Chabal at openside, Lionel Faure packing down in front of Romain Millo-Chluski, France's heavyweights ticks the scales at a combined 885 kilos. And with mutant Mathieu Bastareaud in the centre, the tricalores have put the champagne rugby on ice, choosing instead for a far more bruising bunch to meet stubborn with stubborn.

France showed against Ireland they no longer travel light and underprepared, whereas their overbearing forward dominance in Paris against Wales - something they have sorely lacked when bullied by England in recent meetings - reverberated around Europe like an earthquake.

At their devastating counter-attacking best, France bless the pace, power and jaw-dropping improvisation to savage the tightest defensive ship, capable of creating overlaps and space for their flying back-three with aplomb.

England's atrocious kicking must improve. Delon Armitage's bomb of a right boot should be used more effectively and positioning Toby Flood and Riki Flutey on either side to split the back-line could breed better success.

In Maxime Medard, France have unearthed a gem and giving him a 10m headstart from which to kick his heels would be criminal.

England has a habit of frustrating French flair and ironically forced them into mistakes and indiscipline, more accustomed with the men in white in 2009.

As game-plan's go, England have based their negative pattern on defence - make your tackles, kick deep and suffocate quick ball - and their limited endeavor albeit largely criticised can be extremely effective against teams that thrive on their natural instincts.

English rugby cultures is weighed down by the fear of failure at present with discipline and trust a real issue. If they believe they can win the mini-battles and find some self-belief, then we could start seeing more fluency, seemingly waiting to burst out.

England must keep hold of their possession; or rather stop France from wracking up the phases. England need a win, a point will do, because if it wasn't Martin Johnson with his grand old reputation, heads would've rolled by now.

Earlier in the week, I was pricing together a jolly to Paris to watch RBS and the Six Nations committee test its waters under Parisian Friday night lights, but after the Euros ticked over the 400-mark (I lost count), I was soon reminded what Friday night's are best for - early finishes, beers, food avec friends.

So after a week's vacation, the RBS 6 Nations carousel spins into round three, always looking after number one - the consumer, or is it the customer? - and it all kicks-off a good 16 kilometres outside the Paris city centre, otherwise known as an industrial estate. Ooo la la! Gay Paree at its best.

Anyone that's had the luxury of swanning around the various boulevards near St. Germain, Monmartre and the Champs-Elysées at 8pm on a Friday will understand the catastrophic implications on flagging a tuk-tuk, let alone a cab or grabbing a seat on the Metro.

Could it be that Sir Fred Goodwin's last dying wish at RBS before jetting off with his lavish £693,000 pension fund, was to inflict yet another economically depressive scheme upon the world.

As a passionate English rugby fan, I very rarely take pity on the Welsh, but i'm glad it's not me (that's the best you're going to get).

So to the top brass at the RBS 6 Nations - it not only takes out the enjoyment of bouncing down to the corner shop to grab your Saturday morning read and mull over the form all morning, but what's next? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday perhaps? Everyone and everything has a price these days.

It's not rocket science. Friday night sport is scheduled there for a reason - lower division football, Newcastle Falcons home games and Late Night Poker - because no gives a monkeys.

It may as well become an IPL-esque auction if more of England's top players are lured, like Wasps trio Riki Flutey, James Haskell and Tom Palmer, by France's bottomless pit of cash.

In a country where most are happy to work their 30-hour week for nothing more than a pichet of wine, some stinky cheese and a loin of pork, France's premier rugby competition, le Top 14, is now in pole position to race clear of the global market.

If Dan Carter's signature was the first, then the domino effect is likely to include Sebastien Chabal, Jonny Wilkinson and Lionel Nallet all trading up for a move to Paris' west border and Racing Metro 92.

With one of France's most decorated players, Pierre Berbezier, in charge, the enviable marketability of Paris' 'second club' could potentially trump all those around Europe.

Chabal's package, a reported cool £1.1 million according to the Daily Telegraph, includes sponsors' endorsements and image rights, which may not quite rival Brand Beckham but the caveman is equally as recognisable down every rue nationale in France.

All this for a bloke who doesn't even hold down a regular spot for Les Bleus illustrates the alarming 'money talks' model that shows no sign of halting.

Flutey will link up with Andy Goode at Brive while Messrs Haskell and Palmer can look forward to Moulin Rouge dancers and the rest of Max Guazzini's razzmatazz at Stade Francais.

The lack of a salary cap and stadiums funded by the local state reserves large chunks of revenue for high profile transfers.

England's clubs can't compete off the field and with Martin Johnson seemingly tearing up the agreement between Premier Rugby and the Rugby Football Union by selecting Brive's Andy Goode against Italy and Wales, a dangerous precedent has been set.

England's future could now rest in France as the free-ticket to fame, fortune and apparently 50 international caps proving just too hard to ignore.