Eddie: We must stay ahead of France

EDDIE Jones has warned that England are in a race to keep ahead of a France squad with their sights fixed on becoming the next world champions – and that today’s Autumn Nations Cup final at Twickenham provides another opportunity to stay a step in front.

The England head coach said that even though his side will face a reservestrength French line-up, the 2023 World Cup host nation would draw on every bit of inspiration they can, including France coach Fabien Galthie learning from their 2018 Football World Cup-winning team.

Jones said: “France are on a mission. I spent a lot of time looking at what they did in 2018 with their Football World Cup, and they learnt a lot from that and they are putting it into their project for the 2023 World Cup.

“We know they have talented players, so we have to make sure we keep ahead of them.”

Jones said there is method behind what France are doing.

“In 2018 they were systematic about putting a squad together and they developed a style that suited the French players. Galthie is doing the same and the clubs are buying into it to a greater extent than they have ever have.

“Obviously there have been restrictions about how many they can pick in the autumn, but they are getting great access to be able to train the squad. They’re developing a style of play that suits the French mentality. They’ve gone back to playing more like a French team, understanding how you’ve got to do it under the modern game, where you use the kick to create unstructured opportunities. That allows them to play with their notorious French flair.”