By the time France and England run out at the Stade de France, the hosts will already know what they need from this match to defend last year's championship title.
France
There are plenty of possible scenarios, as many as eight, but the hosts are in the strongest position before the final round. They top the standings. Although they are level on points with Scotland, a rout of Wales (54:12) and convincing wins over Ireland (36:14) and Italy (33:8) have given them a comfortable advantage in points scored and conceded. Even the unexpected defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh (40:50) did not knock them off first place. It helped that the hosts came to life in the last 15 minutes: they secured a crucial four-try bonus point and reduced their points difference from -33 to -10. Without that spell, Scotland would now be leading, or trailing by only 30 points rather than the 58 they need to overturn in the event of a tie on match points.
England
Judging by the bookmaker odds (above 5.0), the visitors are more likely to be spectators than a real force capable of influencing the tournament. And what can we expect from them after their first-ever defeat to Italy (18:23) in 33 meetings? Even after that humiliation, Steve Borthwick has barely altered his starting side. There is only one change in the starting XV: injured flanker Tom Curry is replaced by Ollie Chessum.
France vs England Prediction
The visitors are still trying to find their identity and will attempt to beat the leaders without the experience of Owen Farrell and George Ford at fly-half. It is hard to believe they will manage it: we cannot see how they will stop the very fast Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who leads the competition with five tries, or cut out all of Antoine Dupont's passes and kicks. In 2024 the match in France was high-scoring, and the hosts won 33:31. This Saturday we again expect an open contest, and we are almost certain that the hosts will win.
