LUKE BENEDICT’S FIVE REASONS TO FEAR THE FRENCH

TIME TOGETHER

France are scary enough when they are a disorganised rabble but, after their latest domestic revolution, head coach Philippe Saint-Andre has had the players in camp for a fortnight for the first time. They haven’t even been released to beat each other up on club duty — so they are fresh and, possibly, united.

SCRUM RULES

The new engagement laws favour a ‘squeeze scrum’ rather than the traditional hit. Dan Cole’s opposite man, loosehead Thomas Domingo (right), is six inches shorter than the Leicester lump and loves to pop his rivals up and out of the front row. Cole will need to stand firm or cue ‘penalty France’.

LIONS LEGACY

A surprise legacy of the Lions in the professional era (post-1995) is that France have won every single 6 Nations following a Lions tour, presumably because the best of British are battered and bruised.

Worse still, France have lost only one match in 15 the year after a Lions tour, at Scotland in 2006.

SELECTION SHOCKS

In an unexpected turn of events, France have made the bewildering decision to field a scrum-half at scrum-half, a fly-half at fly-half and centres in the centre. They are also, on average, four years older per man than England so have wisdom and experience on their side.

FRESH START

Last year was the annus horribilis for French rugby in which they finished last in the 6 Nations and won only two out of 11 of their Test matches — a winning ratio of 18 per cent. They can’t possibly be that bad again, can they?