Launchbury: We’re aiming to put on the Ritz in Paris

JOE Launchbury says England are confident of beating the French and setting up a Six Nations showdown with Ireland.

The Wasps giant insists he and his team-mates can quickly put last weekend’s Murrayfield misery behind them and bounce back with a vastly better performance in Paris.

Launchbury insists: “What happened at Murrayfield is done. We need to put in a great performance in Paris.

“We still have two games to go and we have to look at it in a positive way. If we win those two games we can still win the tournament.

“It’s how you react to a setback that matters most. It’s how you respond to something going not so well, and go out next time and put things right.

“We have a massive spell now leading up to the game in France to make sure we get the preparation right.

“It’s a shame there has been a gap between the two games because when you lose you just want to get out there again as soon as possible to put things right.

“We came into the tournament aiming to win as many games as we can. We have had one setback, but this is a journey and we have a lot of growth left in us.

“We just need to use the defeat by Scotland as a harsh lesson for what can

happen if you don’t play your very best.

“There was a lot of disappointment around in the dressing room at Murrayfield. We thought we were ready for it and had plenty of time to prepare for what was always going to be another very emotionpacked and passionate game for both sides.

“But we started poorly, gave ourselves a mountain to climb and could not do it. We were proud of ourselves to come out for the second half and show some fight but it wasn’t enough. You cannot afford to have first-halves like that in the Six Nations, where you fall so far behind, because every team is capable of beating you.”

Meanwhile, Lawrence Dallaglio fears France are about to spark into life.

He said: “France have been the disappointment of this year’s tournament. They beat Italy fairly comfortably but their opening loss to Ireland and then that defeat in Scotland put paid to their title chances. They were not far away in both those games and could easily now be three from three had they had the ability to get over the line in tight games.

“I don’t think we have seen the best of them yet, and I always felt they would get better as the tournament progressed because they are in transition.

“They have one big performance in them, and if that comes up against England it could be a very tough afternoon for Eddie Jones.

“We all know just how big the rivalry is between the two nations. We’ve had so many monumental battles against them over the decades.

“The French have the talent in both the backs and their pack to give England a very difficult time and I expect it will be yet another very tense and close affair.

“England will need to improve in some key areas if they are to win.

“The breakdown was a problem in Edinburgh and the defence certainly wasn’t as consistently strong and solid as it needs to be to beat the very top teams.

“The Scots played very well but England were their own worst enemy in that first-half with missed tackles and lapses of concentration.”