France v England - Teams and Prediction
SIX NATIONS, ROUND FIVE: Head coach Fabien Galthie says France have a Six Nations to win and that is motivation enough for their clash with fierce rivals England in the tournament finale on Saturday.
The reigning champions’ hopes of a Grand Slam went up in smoke last week as they were blitzed by a dazzling Scotland performance, which ensured that three teams come into the final weekend in contention to win the title.
Scotland head to Ireland with both knowing that victory could be enough to win the championship.
But France remain in pole position as a bonus-point victory over England would almost certainly be enough to retain their title.
The preview continues below…
The drama of this championship…unrivaled 😮💨#GuinnessM6N #Since1883 pic.twitter.com/RgmhXXkMAl
β Guinness Men’s Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 12, 2026
And Fabien Galthie’s team have their eyes on the prize.
“We have given ourselves the right to play for victory at the Stade de France,” said Galthie.
“What fires us up is that we’re playing for the title.”
England began the tournament with a 12th straight victory as they hammered Wales 48-7, but their form has since unravelled with three successive defeats – including a first-ever reverse against Italy.
Galthie insisted, though, that Steve Borthwick’s team are still to be feared.
“The English are going through a difficult period – their results haven’t met their expectations.
“They are ambitious. They are still formidable. They have very good players… with coaches who work very well.
“Their results show how hard this competition is.”
The preview continues below…
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β France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 13, 2026
England head to Paris as clear underdogs, but captain Maro Itoje is not reading anything into that.
“The last time we played France, they were heavy favourites,” Itoje said about England’s 26-25 victory in last season’s tournament, thanks to a last-gasp converted Elliot Daly try.
“I’m sure we were the favourites last week, and I think a lot of people have lost a lot of money at [horse racing festival] Cheltenham betting on favourites.
“Being the favourite is neither here nor there.”
Players to watch
For France: Wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey is an exceptional talent in the backline, and he needs a small amount of space to do maximum damage. France head coach Fabian Galthie has a monster second row in the form of Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament, and if they bully the English up front, then 90 percent of their job will be complete with the Six Nations title in sight.
For England: Sometimes you need your captain to lead by example, and Maro Itoje has not delivered when it mattered. He needs a big performance, and it could inspire his team to an upset win. England’s backline doesn’t scream “world class” based on the last few weeks, but if Fin Smith can dictate play from flyhalf, then it could spark something.
Prediction
Rugby365: France by 17 points.
Teams:
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (captain), 8 Charles Ollivon, 7 Temo Matiu, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Mickael Guillard, 21 Joshua Brennan, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Emilien Gailleton.
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tommy Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie Georgie, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.
Date: Saturday, March 14
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 21.10 (20.10 GMT)
Expected weather: It will be chilly and clear with some wind gusts.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
AFP & @rugby365comΒ
