France captain Antoine Dupont is wary of the potential threat Fin Smith and Marcus Smith will pose in England’s attack on Saturday.
England have rolled the dice for the round two fixture by giving Fin Smith his full debut at fly-half and moving Marcus Smith to full-back, changes they hope will ignite their attack.
The playmakers, both traditional 10s, finished last Saturday’s 27-22 defeat by Ireland in those positions and Dupont fears Marcus Smith will be a big threat running from deep.
“It went rather well at the end of the game against Ireland, with Marcus Smith at full-back. It went well against us last year when he came on early,” Dupont said.
“We know his quality, with the ball in his hands and that he is able to create overlaps in almost any situation. He’s a threat whether he’s a 10 or a 15.
“There will be another No 10 on the pitch to drive the game. They will surely want to keep the ball. It will be up to us to adapt.”
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Fin Smith said ‘It’s a dream’ ahead of his first Test start at fly-half for England against France
Dupont relieved not to face Toulouse team-mate Willis
Dupont leads France into their Six Nations showdown at Allianz Stadium where he will be looking to kill off the hosts’ title aspirations by clinching a fourth successive victory in the fixture.
The world’s best player believes the goal has been made easier by England’s rule of only selecting players from the Premiership, denying them access to the likes of Joe Marchant, Henry Arundell and Willis.
Willis’ move to Toulouse in 2022 has been an unqualified success and he is contracted to the Top 14 and Champions Cup double winners until 2029.
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Sky Sports’ James Cole speaks to England coach Richard Wigglesworth ahead of their massive Six Nations clash with France and the concerns around their fitness and consistency in the late stage of matches
When asked about England overlooking their stars competing in France, Dupont said: “I’m a bit surprised, but I’m quite happy not to be playing against Jack. We know the nightmare he is in the ruck area.
“Their rules are different from ours and it’s like that for the moment. I don’t think they will change it soon.”
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Sky Sports News’ Geraint Hughes outlines the new rules that will transform this year’s Six Nations tournament
England team to play France
Starting XV: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 George Martin, 6 Tom Curry, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Tom Willis.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Elliot Daly.
France team to play England
Starting XV: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (c); 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Alexandre Roumat, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 6 Francois Cros, 7 Paul Boudehent, 8 Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Mickel Guillard, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Nolann Le Garrec, 23 Emilien Gailleton.
Six Nations fixtures: Round Two
Saturday February 8
Italy vs Wales (2.15pm)
England vs France (4.45pm)
Sunday February 9
Scotland vs Ireland (3pm)
British & Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
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Sky Sports’ Jack Wilkinson takes a look at the top five players that have staked their claim for the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer after their performances in the first round of the 2025 Six Nations
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
