Off the back of a 27-22 defeat in the opening round of the Six Nations, England are preparing to host tournament favourites France in what feels like a make-or-break game for Steve Borthwick’s squad.
The selection tweaks made by Borthwick have thrust the magnifying glass further into the face of an England side aiming to avoid an eighth defeat in 10 Test matches.
And if they are to achieve that feat, they will have to overcome a fully loaded French outfit who dispatched Wales in last week’s curtain raiser. Les Bleus will also have fond memories of their most recent visit to the Allianz Stadium when they condemned England to a horrific 53-10 loss.
Henry Slade is one of the few players in England’s starting team who was part of that record-breaking home defeat, and the inside centre is well aware of the threat the French pose.
“The size of the occasion at the weekend is massive, and when you play at Twickenham, it is always big,” Slade told TRU.
“We are playing against France, one of the top teams in the world, which makes it even bigger, and the boys are excited.
“We haven't mentioned it [the 53-10 defeat]. It's a very different squad, and it's a very different team to who played that weekend.
“If we're worrying about what happened two years ago, eyes are going to be off the ball so we're all focused on what's going to come in this one.”
As Slade notes, it does feel like ‘a very different England team’. The Exeter Chief will play in an altered backline on Saturday, with Borthwick making the call to hand Fin Smith his first start at 10 and switch Marcus Smith to full-back.
“I feel like he [Fin Smith] sees space really well,” Slade explained. “He’s a slightly different ten from Marcus. Marcus has got that X-factor in terms of beating a man one-on-one and all that stuff, but I think Fin is very measured.
“He speaks very well and, as I said, finds space very well. That’s a big part of a number 10’s role..moving the team around to where they need to be on the pitch. I think he’s been really good at that.”
Despite Slade’s unsurprising confidence in F.Smith, the Northampton Saints playmaker has only accumulated 122 minutes of international experience so far but assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth doesn’t feel like it is a gamble to start with the 22-year-old.
“Fin has had less chance than the rest at the moment, but he is really clear with his game,” Wigglesworth said. “He is confident without being arrogant and wants to get better.
“He has all the things that you associate with top 10s. He is really clear with what he wants and how to best position the team.
“Fordy [George Ford] can’t speak highly enough of what he’s done behind the scenes, how he is training, how he is helping all those guys around him.”
Away from ‘The Smiths’, England’s tinkering has also filtered onto the wing with Ollie Sleightholme coming in for the injured Cadan Murley whilst Saracens No.8 Tom Willis has been promoted to the starting XV in place of Sale’s Tom Curry.
The task for Borthwick’s troops is to shut down the multiple threats of France including flyers Theo Attissogbe and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (who both scored braces against Wales last week) as well as the returning Damian Penaud.
And then, of course, there is the small matter of nullifying the best player in the world - Antoine Dupont.
“Been asked this a few times today - how do you stop Dupont?” Wigglesworth explained. “And I think if someone had that answer, they’d be a very rich man, or they'd be in charge of a team that doesn't lose!
'100% one of the all-timers, if not the best ever' ?@samwarburton_ on the incredible Antoine Dupont.
“He kicks off both feet, is strong and competitive, and makes good decisions, but it’s his ability to get out of trouble. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You always want to challenge yourselves against the best players in the world, and they have got some unbelievable players and they are a very strong collective team,” Slade added.
“We have to be aware of them trying to get people one-on-one. They're dangerous guys so if they get space in the outside channels up against one defender, then it's tough to stop.
“We've got to be making sure we're working for each other and running for each other really hard so that we don't get left one on one.”
In their tournament opener last Friday, whilst dismantling Wales, it felt like France didn’t fully hit their stride which is a frightening prospect for an England team that will be desperate to avoid a fourth successive loss on home turf.
The form of Borthwick’s side since their spirited 33-31 loss away to France in the final game of last year’s Six Nations has sparked significant debate around the direction of the squad.
The results have often been difficult to take at face value - with a source of frustration being England’s frequent collapses in the final quarter of matches - but in professional sport, results are paramount and Wigglesworth didn’t shy away from that fact.
“If you keep giving them shots, and this is them earning those shots as well, then you’re going to end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard because you’re giving top teams chances,” Wigglesworth said.
“To stop it? Education, experience. Learning from mistakes - all things we’ve got to do faster than we’re doing at the minute.”
Urgency is a key thing for England fans who are growing increasingly restless with the disappointing results.
However, Wigglesworth drew interesting comparisons between the current state of this England side and the football team he supports; Manchester United.
“I am fascinated by this coach [Ruben Amorim] and, with my limited knowledge of football, just from watching him as a coach and how he speaks, he's the real deal,” Wigglesworth explained.
“They have kept doing this thing where they're changing, they're changing, they're changing, and now they're in their worst moment ever. As a fan, I think someone has to be given time to grab this and sort it out otherwise the whole thing starts again. Staffing and players all change.
“That is proven not to be the way to do it. You need the right man. To me, he looks incredibly impressive so given time, resources and a bit of luck that everyone always needs, it would be nice to see him turn it around.”
It’s clear that the calls for change in the England set-up eerily mirror the situation United face and Wigglesworth had sympathy for the frustrated England fans.
“I would never criticise fans for having an opinion which is out of passion. We want to win. You know me - I value winning. We are working to make that process happen, but there is evidence to back up the best way of creating good teams over time. We're going to get there.
“I'm not avoiding the fact that if you don't win, then people are passionate about it. They want to leave the game happy, and they want to watch a team, leaving with that feeling - as I am with Manchester United and as I was when I was a fan and not a player or coach of England rugby.
“But becoming a coach changes your perspective massively because you think about the people in it, the hard work, the challenges they must be facing and the little bits of upside that you see.
“We are seeing green shoots of this England team. We play fast and aggressive. There is stuff coming, but I'm not avoiding this [winning]. I'm really not.”
England team vs France: M. Smith, Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme, F. Smith, Mitchell, Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Itoje (c), Martin, T. Curry, Earl, Willis.
