France vs England Prediction: Six Nations 2022 Week Five
| Timetable | Saturday 19th of March at 20:00 GMT |
| Prediction | France to Win |
| Odds | France to Win @ 1.33 |
| Bookmaker | betway |
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What better match could rugby fans hope for, to end the Six Nations 2022, than France vs England? This game holds the title in the balance: if France win, it's a Grand Slam for them; if England win, things could very much go Ireland's way. Who do I think will take the win? Well, I think fans of France rugby will enjoy what I have to say.
Background on France vs England
Much water has flowed under the bride since the first France vs England game, back in 1906. Below, I have outlined the wins for both sides, to see which team has historically dominated the fixture.
| France Wins | England Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | 60 | 7 |
England have held the reigns for most of the over-100-year history of their rivalry, so you would be forgiven for thinking this match may hail another chapter of glory for the away side. I believe this dominance shows that this bout will certainly be a hotly contested rugby match, but I am still predicting a French win at this stage. Want to know why? There are many factors on paper that I think will tip the balance, so let's take a look at them.
Factors on Paper
There are quite a few key notions that may theoretically influence this big match. I have outlined these below.
The Advantage of Playing at Home
The French have a proud national rugby identity, and that is none better seen than at a home match, at the Stade de France. If France wanted the best controllable conditions for this game, they have got them. The stadium will be loud and proud in favour of the French, and England are going to feel a lot of pressure to perform, after two more welcoming weeks previously. I can see this factor giving France the edge they need in the match.
Recent Six Nations Results
Another important influence in this match is recent form. The best way to analyse this is to take a look at the results from the first four weeks, which I have presented below.
Six Nations 2022 Standings from Week Four
| Points | Nation | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points Difference | Bonus Try Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | France | 4 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 2 |
| 16 | Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 4 |
| 10 | England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 2 |
| 10 | Scotland | 2 | 0 | 2 | -8 | 2 |
| 6 | Wales | 1 | 0 | 3 | -27 | 2 |
| 0 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 4 | -122 | 0 |
France
| Match | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| France vs Italy | 37-10 | France |
| France vs Ireland | 30-24 | France |
| Scotland vs France | 17-36 | France |
| Wales vs France | 9-13 | France |
England
| Match | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland vs England | 20-17 | Scotland |
| Italy vs England | 0-33 | England |
| England vs Wales | 23-19 | England |
| England vs Ireland | 15-32 | Ireland |
Analysis
England have had a so-so campaign thus far, with two wins out of four games, but the French have been superb, maintaining a flawless record. Nobody can deny their perfect score, so I have to give all credit to France: they are definitely going to have the edge, going into this one.
Six Nations 2022 Points Scorers
Another important point - pun intended - is that of how rugby teams are able to get over the line and to ping the ball over the posts. One of the key aspects of rugby is attacking strategy - how a team is able to incorporate all of their players into attacking moves and convert the efforts of all 15 players into points on the board. With that in mind, let's review France vs England from how they have managed in the earlier stages of the competition.
France
| Player | Points | Number of Tries | Number of Conversions | Number of Penalties | Number of Drop Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melvyn Jaminet | 44 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| Damian Penaud | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabin Villière | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gaël Fickou | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cyril Baille | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Danty | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Dupont | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Jelonch | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yoram Moefana | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Willemse | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Romain Ntamack | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 116 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
England
| Player | Points | Number of Tries | Number of Conversions | Number of Penalties | Number of Drop Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Smith | 63 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
| Jamie George | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elliot Daly | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Dombrandt | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Sinckler | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 88 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
Analysis of Players and Points
116 points to 88 speaks volumes. 11 scorers to five also speaks volumes. France have been in the driving seat all competition, and I would be surprised if there were any difference in this game. England would have to bring something immense to this game to turn the tide, and the team does sometimes struggle to rise to big competitions.
France vs England Winner: When It Comes to Le Crunch, France Will Come Up Trumps
Much as it kills me to say it, I think France are going to win this, to take their final step on the journey towards the Grand Slam final. They may not have history on their side, but they have the home advantage and a good run of recent performances, combined with the know-how consistently to ensure they can grab points and strike killer blows. France are the favourites, and with good reason. France are going to grab the win, and Paris will be electric for the well-deserved celebrations after.
