Both France and England picked up impressive wins in round four for different reasons and both sides head into this weekend’s Le Crunch showdown in Lyon with massive points to prove – and a potential shot at the title at stake.
2024 Six Nations – France v England
Saturday 16 March 2024 – 22:00
Groupama Stadium, Lyon
Both of these sides are still in with a sniff of claiming the Six Nations Championship but will need help from Scotland who face Ireland a few hours earlier.
To Win Match
France 9/20 | Draw 22/1 | England 19/10
Handicap
France (-6.5) 9/10 | England (+6.5) 9/10
After a tightly contested opening half in Cardiff, France ran away with it at the end of last week’s clash with Wales. At times in that second half, it almost looked as though Fabien Galthie’s men were back at their very best – marrying brutal physicality up front with sparkling backline play.
While they remain in contention for the championship title itself heading into the weekend, it’s far from likely and the result of the Ireland/ Scotland game before kick-off will ultimately decide their fate. Focus instead will surely fall on emulating their performance of a week ago with an eye on a second-place finish.
Marcus Smith’s late drop goal earned the English a famous win at Twickenham, and they’ll require every ounce of that newfound confidence to deliver a performance worthy of matching their hosts on Saturday.
A bonus-point win for Steve Borthwick’s charges will win them the title should the Irish fail to collect a point against Scotland but, much like France, their attention will surely be on improving the game plan they executed so well in punishing Ireland last week.
Verdict: England (+6.5) 9/10
Get on England to continue their momentum and narrowly miss out in Lyon.
