Brian Moore tells England the THREE changes they must make to beat France

Today at 03:13 PM

England must make bold selection calls if they want to topple France in their upcoming Six Nations clash, according to former England hooker Brian Moore.

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Writing in his latest column, Moore outlined three key adjustments Steve Borthwick should consider to stand a chance against Les Bleus.

Rip up the centres

Moore believes England need to rethink their midfield combination, particularly if they are not going to fully utilise Ollie Lawrence's power game. “Their attack has to increase his number of chances to make use of his power in one-against-one ball carries, like the one that set up Tom Curry's try,” he wrote.

He suggests that pairing Lawrence with Tommy Freeman could provide England with a more dynamic and effective centre partnership.

Kick less, run more – and double the Smiths

France have made it clear in recent seasons that they have no interest in playing rugby in their own half, frequently engaging in “the tedious spectacle of 'kick-tennis'” to gain territory. Moore suggests that, rather than playing into their hands, England should counter by selecting two playmakers – moving Marcus Smith to full-back while giving Fin Smith the No. 10 shirt.

“Borthwick could, for this sole match, move Marcus Smith back to full-back and play Fin Smith at No 10, thereby increasing England's counter-attacking threat,” he explained.

Ditch the twin Currys attack

England's current back-row selection, featuring multiple breakdown specialists, may not be the best approach against a side likely to kick the ball away often. “Instead of having three breakdown specialists watching the ball go backwards and forwards over their heads, it is going to be more important to have ball carriers who can make the most of limited counter-attacking opportunities,” Moore argued. He believes that Chandler Cunningham-South should be brought in to provide balance and add much-needed carrying ability.

Moore also criticised the reliance on England's current back-row trio, suggesting that it hinges on “specific, flawed variables.” He pointed out that Ireland exposed this vulnerability last weekend, and that England lack the necessary bench depth to sustain their current strategy for a full 80 minutes.

With France's pragmatic kicking game and physical dominance, Moore insists England must adapt – or risk being outmanoeuvred once again.

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Four players Wales must drop – and who should replace them

With Warren Gatland's team completely outclassed in Paris, questions are already being asked about his selections. Here are four players who should be axed ahead of Wales’ next match.

Ben Thomas

Rugby Pass 5/10: “Cannot be faulted for trying to play with width, but he was not without errors in doing so and a few poor decisions- particularly a strange first-half chip when Wales were in a promising position. Looked more comfortable when shifting to inside centre, where he proved to be slightly more threatening when attacking the line.”

Wales Online 5/10: “Showed glimpses of his attacking threat in the first-half with a couple of half-breaks while his kicking out of hand was decent. But Wales’ attack ran out of ideas in the second-half, albeit behind a beaten pack.”

Planet Rugby 5/10: “You can see the potential but once again it was a mixed bag from the playmaker. There were a few good moments early on but he became ragged and took some poor decisions as Wales unravelled in the Six Nations opener, despite getting more playmaking support when Dan Edwards came on for Watkin in the first half.”

Replacement: Dan Edwards

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