Eddie fires up England for bruiser in France

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EDDIE JONES has ordered England to play ‘brutal’ rugby against France today to keep their Six Nations hopes alive.

The pumped-up French, who have lost the last three editions of Le Crunch, have taken heart from England’s Calcutta Cup flop against Scotland two weeks ago.

But coach Jones has challenged England to show they are men in Paris today and take their bid for a third Six Nations title running into next week’s Twickenham showdown with Ireland.

“We have to be brutal against the French,” said coach Jones. “You know every time you play against the French it is a test of your manhood.

“When you play them at the Stade de France or Marseille it is always a big physical game.

“They are the European version of the South Africans. They are big, they are physical – they want to hurt you.

“You hear those old stories from club rugby when at the kick-off they deliberately kick into touch because they want to scrum you.

Frantic

“It is not like that now but it is still an area that will decide how much energy they have got in their game and so we have to beat them in those areas – on the gain line and in the scrum.”

As if Owen Farrell did not have enough on his plate as England’s heartbeat, goal-kicker and now captain, there could be the added complication of a frantic bonus-point chase at the Stade de France.

If Ireland beat Scotland in Dublin today England have to at least match them.

The final score from Dublin will come through just as England are completing their warm-up, and if leaders Ireland pick up maximum points, it means England will have go for four tries to take the race into the final weekend.

Having never scored four tries in Paris in a Six Nations game that is a big ask, especially on what will be a muddy pitch, for a side that has managed only three touchdowns in their last two games.

But Jones (right) said: “It is a Test match and our first priority as always is to win it.

“If we are in a position where we need to push on for a bonus of course we will do that, but we do that in every Test match anyway.”

Winger Elliot Daly said: “First and foremost we’re going out there looking to get a win and to bounce back from the last match.”