How England should line up against France next weekend with Marcus Smith at fly-half

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content 

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This past weekend, the rugby world witnessed Marcus Smith's heroics, as his last-gasp drop-goal propelled England to a stunning victory over Ireland, dashing their hopes of consecutive Grand Slams in a nail-biting Six Nations showdown at Twickenham.

With England now eyeing the championship, a win over France in Lyon coupled with a try bonus point, along with Ireland's defeat to Scotland sans a bonus point, would crown England as Six Nations champions. Such a triumph would elevate England to 17 points, while Ireland, falling without a bonus point, would languish at 16.

Yet, the path to victory is laden with challenges, notably recalling France's resounding 53-10 thrashing of England during the 2023 Championship, marking England's most significant home defeat.

The historic rivalry between France and England spans 110 rugby test matches since their inaugural encounter in 1906. Of these encounters, England has emerged victorious in 60, while France has clinched victory in 43 matches. Additionally, the two nations have played out seven draws.

As anticipation mounts for the pivotal clash, let's delve into how England fans want their team to lineup against France.

1. Joe Marler for Ellis Genge

2. Jamie George

3. Dan Cole

4. Maro Itoje

5. George Martin

6. Chandler Cunningham-South for Ollie Lawrence

7. Sam Underhill

8. Ben Earl

9. Alex Mitchell

10. Marcus Smith for George Ford

12. Ollie Lawrence

13. Henry Slade

11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

14. Tommy Freeeman

15. George Furbank

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.