BEWARE, EDWARDS WILL MAKE FRANCE FEARSOME IN DEFENCE
IF Shaun Edwards can pass on his hard-nosed mentality to the French team, then the rugby world should be scared. Defence is simple: work ethic and mindset. In effect you’re going out to smack people. If you want to do it you will 100 per cent do it. Edwards, Paul Gustard and Andy Farrell are like car salesmen because they inspire in the way they communicate. A jarhead mentality. They make players believe and belief in rugby is a powerful thing. It makes players want to put their bodies on the line for the team. The French players do not need to be told how to attack, I can assure you! Defence is largely a psychological battle and I fear for the rugby world if they get that sorted. They’ve already got pride, technical ability, attack and flair. The mental strength needed to defend can migrate to other parts of their game and if they apply that consistency they will be a hell of a team. A lot of these French players such as Damian Penaud, Romain Ntamack and Demba Bamba are in their early 20s and they haven’t formed any bad habits yet. They’ve only done one or two seasons so they’re still like sponges and will take in all of Edwards’ roast beef ways. He will be in the changing room before kick-off pumping up his players’ tyres. He will be telling his team to get off the line aggressively, take the space, put the attack under pressure and when you get your chance to hit, physically dominate. England, however, won’t want to give them anything to hit early on. If France have got nothing to hit then they’ll get frustrated. Owen Farrell and George Ford may try to counter the line speed by dinking the ball behind, playing territory. England are technically proficient in attack and won’t want to get caught up in that arm-wrestle. If they succeed, France won’t be able to assert that physical presence that Edwards will be trying to implement. Then, second-guessing will come into the French players’ heads, which will free up England to make good decisions in attack.