Points of Interest: England vs France

Stuart Lancaster has named an experimental side to play France this weekend, clearly with an emphasis on examining the potential merits of his fringe players, rather than honing the chemistry of his 1^st XV.

With that in mind, we have highlighted a number of players, as well as areas of the game, to keep a close eye on at Twickenham this Saturday.

Mako Vunipola vs Alex Corbisiero

Both Vunipola and Corbisiero have had their bad luck with injuries over the last 12 months, but that’s where the similarities between the two players end. Vunipola bounced back from his injury in excellent form, having refined his scrummaging technique and enjoyed a very productive season for both Saracens and England. Unfortunately for Corbisiero, he never hit full stride following his shoulder injury early in the season and enjoyed a far less fruitful 2014/15 campaign.

There’s a good chance both props make England’s Rugby World Cup squad, but the battle to backup Joe Marler should gather pace against France. Vunipola has been given the nod to start and will test himself for 50+ minutes, whilst Corbisiero will have to make his impact from the bench later in the game. As of right now, Vunipola looks to have a substantial lead on his former British and Irish Lions colleague, but if Corbisiero can rediscover his 2013 form, then he will push the Saracen all the way.

Rob Webber’s form

With Dylan Hartley unavailable and Tom Youngs assuming starter responsibilities, Webber becomes the senior backup in the squad. Lancaster trusts Webber and has a relationship with him going back to their days together at Leeds, but the hooker’s form has been well below his usual high standards this season. As a result, Bath often opted for Webber’s former understudy, Ross Batty, in their bigger Aviva Premiership and European games.

If Webber can hit his jumpers with consistency at the lineout and contribute significantly in defence and with ball in hand, then he could save Lancaster the headache of deciding whether or not to pick two very inexperienced hookers to backup Youngs in his final 31-man squad.

Speaking of inexperienced hookers, Luke Cowan-Dickie’s expected debut off the bench should be celebrated by England fans and could well signal a new era at hooker for England following the RWC. He could yet play his way into contention for significant game time at the competition, but even if not, he represents one of England’s brightest prospects heading into the next RWC cycle.

The breakdown

An area of the game which almost always contributes significantly to the final result, the breakdown will come under plenty of scrutiny on Saturday. With Dan Cole and Joe Launchbury, two expert tight five pilferers, seen as certainties for the final squad and therefore not included to play France, the breakdown workload will fall heavily on the shoulders of Tom Wood and Calum Clark.

The duo have proven an excellent tandem at Northampton, both capable of rucking with force and accuracy, as well as proficient at latching on to contested ball on the ground. Whilst Wood, who has assumed captaincy duties for the match, is playing for a spot in England’s starting back row, Clark’s primary goal will be just to make the squad and build from there.

Owen Farrell returns at fly-half

Following Farrell’s impressive return to form (and fitness) for Saracens in the Premiership final, the fly-half gets an opportunity to make a statement as to why he should regain England’s 10 jersey going into the RWC. His experience and versatility make him all but certain to be a part of England’s final squad but a strong showing against France could put some heat on George Ford.

It’s worth noting that Farrell has played starring roles in victories over Australia and New Zealand in recent years and has a tendency to rise to the occasion in big games, something which Ford has yet to show consistently. Farrell will have a new-look and experimental centre combination outside of him on Saturday, but if he can help spark them, then his pre-RWC stock should rise dramatically.

 Sam Burgess and Henry Slade in the centres

Joining Farrell, and completing that aforementioned new-look midfield, are Burgess and Slade. Between the two of them, they have accounted for the vast majority of conversation and debate on the England squad over the last week and whatever your personal feelings on the pairing, there’s an undeniable fascination about seeing how, or even if, the pairing can work.

Burgess obviously comes with more significant questions hanging over him, having excelled at blindside flanker for Bath, but now returning to the midfield, whilst Slade has already shown his ability at outside centre for Exeter this season. Had Hartley been available and Lancaster had been confident of England’s lineout, chances are he may have considered Burgess in his favoured position of flanker, but with the Rugby League convert not currently an option as a jumper, the Northampton hooker’s absence may have forced Lancaster’s hand.

The duo of Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph seem to be well-entrenched as England’s starters, whilst Luther Burrell offers cover at both 12 and 13, potentially leaving one spot open for Burgess or Slade (or Billy Twelvetrees, who is on England’s bench this weekend). With Burgess able to move to blindside if necessary and Slade a natural fly-half, both offer intriguing and versatile options for Lancaster and their performances should draw the most attention at Twickenham.