/ 14 February 2003

Tensions high ahead of England-France match

Revenge will drive both England and France in their opening Six Nations match at Twickenham on Saturday. Defending champion France was the only team to beat England in last year’s tournament on its way to the Grand Slam.

But that 20-15 victory came at the Stade de France in Paris. In France’s last visit to Twickenham in 2001, England thrashed the French 48-19.

Saturday’s game is already being billed as the potential title decider. ”This is the biggest game against France that I’ve ever been involved in, and like all the other teams in the Six Nations, we want to start well,” England coach Clive Woodward said.

”We have got to go out and attack France in every passage of play — we are not going there to make up the numbers.”

France lock Fabien Pelous said his last visit to Twickenham was one of the worst memories of his career.

”We managed to compete for one half, and then we collapsed

physically,” Pelous said. ”The only thing I remember is the numbers on the players’ shirts, simply because we had spent the whole match chasing the backs of them.”

England has an 18-game winning streak at Twickenham. But Pelous said the French team had changed significantly since 1999.

”The task on Saturday will be hard, but not impossible,” he

said. Also Saturday, Italy hosts Wales, while Ireland plays at Scotland on Sunday.

To avoid having the two favorites meet in the first game again, the Six Nations board will schedule the final game of next year’s championship as a matchup between the winner and runnerup of the previous year.

”The tournament needs suspense and it is not good for television and sponsors if the outcome gets decided too early,” Six Nations chairman Jacques Laurans told The Daily Telegraph.

Laurans said the board agreed in principle with the seeding

system. A final decision will be made in April.

Woodward made a surprise team selection by naming flyhalf

Charlie Hodgson at centre. Hodgson has struggled to start ahead of the inform No.10 Jonny Wilkinson. ”Although Charlie plays flyhalf for Sharks, I believe that he will perform well in his new position,” Woodward said. ”I think we have a very strong back line.”

Hodgson has never played centre before — not even as a schoolboy — and it’s his first Six Nations match.

”It’s not that alien to me,” he said. ”I’m used to being close to the action and I’ve trained there a few times when I’ve been with England. Clive always said it doesn’t matter what number you have on your back.”

Hodgson said his midfield partnership with Wilkinson would

confuse the French.

”Last year (against France) Jonny got a bit of a hammering so both of us playing might put some doubt in their minds,” he said.

”They won’t know who is kicking.”

Injury to Phil Vickery has forced a reshuffle of England’s front row. Julian White is set to play after a late scare with a knee injury, along with Jason Leonard, who will earn his 100th cap. ”Phil is injured and Saturday’s game provides an opportunity for me to get out there,” White said. ”I certainly felt some frustration that I could have missed out due to a niggling injury.”

Leonard (34) is the first forward to reach 100 caps and joins Frenchman Philippe Sella (111) and Australian David Campese (101) in the century club.

The biggest surprise on the French side is the absence of Thomas Castaignede. The center has recently returned from two years out with Achilles injuries, but is suffering from back pain. He’ll be replaced by Xavier Garbajos.

”Xavier Garbajos is the French centre who’s most in form,” French manager Jo Maso said. ”We want competition to pull the team’s level up, so it’s interesting to rotate the players this way.”

Prop Pieter de Villiers, likely to miss the entire championship after a positive drug test for ecstasy and cocaine, has been replaced by Christian Califano.

Gerald Merceron will take the penalty kicks, with Francois Gelez on the bench.

Scotland captain Bryan Redpath said his team was the underdog against Ireland despite its recent run of good form. Scotland won three internationals last November, including its first win over South Africa since 1969.

”This game will be more difficult than South Africa,” Redpath said. ”There is no question that Ireland are capable of winning the championship.”

Ireland standoff Ronan O’Gara was ruled out Thursday with an ankle injury. David Humphreys replaces O’Gara, with Paul Burke named on the bench.

Ireland is seeking to end an 18-year losing streak at

Murrayfield. ”It is the key game for us,” Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan said. ”I cannot explain our repeated failures in Scotland, except to say there is a mental dimension.”

Wales has recalled former rugby league star Iestyn Harris to flyhalf because of injuries to Stephen Jones and Neil Jenkins. ”For the first time I feel like a rugby union player rather than a rugby league player playing union,” Harris said.

Italy flyoff Diego Dominguez was named in the Italy squad after Ramiro Pez dropped out through injury. Italy has one only one Six Nations game since joining the competition in 2000. – Sapa-AP