Stop Bastareaud to win by 12 points says Teague

RORY TEAGUE has backed England to bounce back from the disappointment of Murrayfield and revive their Six Nations title hopes next Saturday with a convincing victory against France.

As England’s former skills coach under Eddie Jones and now manager of Top 14 outfit BordeauxBegles, Teague is ideally placed to deliver his verdict on the game everyone across the channel loves to call ‘Le Crunch’.

Stop Mathieu Bastareaud and douse the emotion of the occasion, and Teague believes England will win by two scores.

“Week in week out in the Top 14 Bastareaud wins the gain line and hurts defences. He has done a great job for the French team and made a real difference against Italy,” the 33-year-old said.

“If you nullify his strengths, and I’m sure England will bring some tactics to do that, and nullify the French emotion, which is the biggest thing for me, then it all points in favour of an England win – by 12 points, I’d say.”

Teague, right, the cousin of Gloucester and England legend Mike, was given a reminder of how much the French love to see England lose when he turned up to take Bordeuax training the Monday after Scotland’s

famous 25-13 victory and was greeted by choruses of Flower of Scotland.

“Everyone loves to jump on it when England lose one game. They quickly forget how well they’ve done in the last few years,” said Teague, who is wellversed on the rivalry between the nations having spent five years in France as a player before moving into coaching.

“The French would happily just beat England and not win the Championship, because of the history.

“The French can embrace that emotion and put in a big one-off performance, what they lack is consistency in their game.”

Teague is convinced that plenty of good will come out of the wreckage of Murrayfield.

“It will fuel England’s drive to become the best team in the world. I don’t think it was down to much more than Scotland making the most of the opportunities that were presented to them and then hanging on.

“I’m sure Eddie and the guys will leave no stone unturned and come in against France with a reaction in mind after the Scotland game. I think you’re going to see a very well-prepared and finely-tuned England team. “I’m sure they will come out all guns blazing and test this French team which is still in its infancy and take them to a place where they might not have been taken before. “I think England will really take the game to France. The difference will be the physical quality England have collectively and their ability to apply pressure and stay in the game will be too much for the French.” Had fluent French speaker Teague not chosen to leave Eddie Jones’ staff last May, he would have been helping England to plot Les Bleues’ downfall in Paris.

He has no regrets about turning his back on England though.

“The opportunity to work in France, coaching in a foreign language with a different type of player captured my attention,” said Teague, who joined Bordeaux as backs coach before being promoted to the manager’s job when France came calling for Jacques Brunel.

“Things have definitely changed for me in the last six months but I’m enjoying the new challenge and don’t have any regrets.”