Best possible French team:



[iMorgan Escare



Fouad Yaha, Anthony Gigot, Vincent Duport, Jordan Sigismeau,



Thomas Bosc

Theodore Fages



Jason Baitieri

Gregory Mounis, Benjamin Garcia,

Remi Casty, Eloi Pelissier, Olivier Elima[/i



[uInterchange[/u: [iKane Bentley, Julian Bousquet, Mickael Simon, Antoni Maria[/i



Injury replacements: [iGadwin Springer, Mathias Pala, Jean Philippe Baile, Luc Albert, Damien Cardace[/i



Duport is most unlikely to play, and Casty also is recovering from surgery so doubtful.





For me the crucial factor for France being able to hold England to less than 18 or not is the coach.

Are you dismissing Kevin Larroyer and John Boudebza from the French squad?

Non Monsieur.

In short, no. Evidence of recent years suggests that the French are a tier below England, more on a par with Wales, Scotland and Ireland.



They might catch an England side with its eyes on a bigger prize cold in a one-off game, but that's their best hope.

No. I am instead suffering from post-Grand Final fatigue. I just plain forgot about them!



Boudebza should be on the interchange bench ahead of Bentley, and Larroyer ahead of Maria.



Apologies to Hull KR fans and to French fans and selectors.

Probably the best French team for awhile but England are still in a position were they can experiment with debut players and different positions and still win.



England never really raise there game with France and usually players tend to get carried away trying silly things. I don't agree with it personally and it's down to bad coaching but hey ho point stands, France are in the 'warm up game' category and wether they win on occasions or not won't challenge England consistently.



I hope there's more teams than just France who improve in that respect. International standard needs to improve.

Best possible French team (revised):



[iMorgan Escare



Fouad Yaha, Anthony Gigot, Vincent Duport, Jordan Sigismeau,



Thomas Bosc

Theodore Fages



Jason Baitieri

Gregory Mounis, Benjamin Garcia,

Remi Casty, Eloi Pelissier, Olivier Elima[/i



[uInterchange[/u: [iJohn Boudebza, Julian Bousquet, Mickael Simon, Kevin Larroyer[/i



Injury replacements: [iGadwin Springer, Kane Bentley, Antoni Maria, Mathias Pala, Jean Philippe Baile, Luc Albert, Damien Cardace[/i



Duport is most unlikely to play, and Casty also is recovering from surgery so doubtful.





For me the crucial factor for France being able to hold England to less than 18 or not is the coach.

No

They could beat England in a one off friendly just like the Italians did before the World Cup if England don't turn up to play. But it wouldn't be a true indicator of where they are.

Of course they can, with a great team effort and excellent tactics. Will that occur? Probably not.



The French were extremely close to England after half-time in the quarters of the RLWC 2013. They need a much better start to the game, with better tactics to take it to the English at the commencement, and they could make it a very close game. They have some good quality players in key positions these days.

2004 against Australia should continue to be the model France should work towards. They nearly pinched a win that match.

I know, because I was at that match, and at the after match reception. On that day France had Maxime Greseque and Jamal Fakir in their primes. Maxime scored one try and created another with a magnificent bomb that no Australian player was willing to try and catch on the full. Frederic Zitter got the favourable bounce and scored. Jamal Fakir ran straight into Darren Lockyer, knocking the Australian champion back several feet and to the ground, enabling Jamal to score a try.



France today has some players of the calibre of Greseque and Fakir. Benjamin Garcia is probably much more talented than Jamal Fakir, and half Luc Albert (still very young -- just 1icon_cool.gif is potentially going to emerge as better than Maxime Greseque. Full back Morgan Escare is an exciting talent, and Eloi Pelissier is probably one of the top dozen hookers in the world. Rookie 18 year old Fouad Yaha is beginning to look like becoming the best winger France has ever produced. It is all looking up for France, if only the national team could find a decent coach!