France v England - Preview

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England have made two changes to the side that beat Wales with scrum-half Danny Care and prop Mako Vunipola coming into the side.

They take the places of Ben Youngs and Joe Marler, who both move to the bench.

France coach Guy Noves has also made two changes - both in the back row.

Loann Goujon replaces Yacouba Camara at number eight, while Bernard Le Roux makes his first appearance of this Six Nations in place of Wenceslas Lauret.

France head coach Guy Noves: "We need to bring the freshness in the team for Saturday's game.

"I believe in our team. I am sure that our team can take on great challenges.

"I believe our team can compete with the power of the English. This team is young, but we give them our confidence."

England head coach Eddie Jones: "While we are pleased to have already won the championship we don't want to let our foot off the gas.

"The objective has always been to win every game, to be the most dominant team in Europe, so it's been very important for us to approach this week with the same level of intensity we have shown in previous weeks.

"I'm pleased with how we have prepared and with the focus the squad have shown.

"You can't underestimate any team in Test match rugby. France are a dangerous side but we go to Paris full of confidence and a hunger to get the win."

England's only victory at the Stade de France since 2008 was 24-22 in 2012.

The last five Test matches between France and England have all been won by the home side.

France have stopped an opponent from claiming a Grand Slam on four previous occasions, beating England, Wales and Ireland in Paris in 1954, 1965 and 1982 respectively, and Wales in Cardiff in 1988.

They have finished in the bottom half of the table in the last four Six Nations (4th, 6th, 4th, 4th).

They are attempting to win a Grand Slam for the 13th time and for the first time since 2003.

England are bidding to become only the third side to win a Six Nations Grand Slam after playing three of their games away from home - following Wales in 2005 and Ireland in 2009.

They have a poor recent record in matches in which they could have won a Grand Slam, winning only one of their last six opportunities.

France

5-Scott Spedding, 14-Wesley Fofana, 13-Gael Fickou, 12-Maxime Mermoz, 11-Virimi Vakatawa, 10-Francois Trinh-Duc, 9-Maxime Machenaud; 1-Jefferson Poirot, 2-Guilhem Guirado (captain), 3-Rabah Slimani, 4-Alexandre Flanquart, 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Damien Chouly, 7-Bernard Le Roux, 8-Loann Goujon

Replacements: 16-Camille Chat, 17-Uini Atonio, 18-Xavier Chiocci, 19-Paul Jedrasiak, 20-Wenceslas Lauret, 21-Sebastien Bezy, 22-Jules Plisson, 23-Maxime Medard

England

15-Mike Brown, 14-Anthony Watson, 13-Jonathan Joseph, 12-Owen Farrell, 11-Jack Nowell,10-George Ford, 9-Danny Care; 1-Mako Vunipola, 2-Dylan Hartley (captain), 3-Dan Cole, 4-Maro Itoje, 5-George Kruis, 6-Chris Robshaw, 7-James Haskell, 8-Billy Vunipola

Replacements: 16-Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17-Joe Marler, 18-Kieran Brookes, 19-Joe Launchbury, 20-Jack Clifford, 21-Ben Youngs, 22-Manu Tuilagi, 23-Elliot Daly.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Assistant referees: John Lacey (IRFU) & Leighton Hodges (WRU)

TMO: Ben Skeen (NZR)

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England v Ireland - Preview

England make two changes to the side who beat Italy, with Maro Itoje and Joe Marler coming into the pack.

Itoje makes his first start at lock and prop Marler replaces Mako Vunipola, while uncapped centre Elliot Daly is on the bench.

Ireland hand debuts to centre Stuart McCloskey and flanker Josh van der Flier as they make five changes to the side who lost to France.

Also coming in to the side are Keith Earls, Donnacha Ryan and Mike Ross.

England head coach Eddie Jones: "Playing our first game at Twickenham after two away fixtures will be huge for us. We're determined to put in a strong performance against a clever Irish side who are the benchmark of European rugby."

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt on attempted mind games by Jones: "I think we're probably less affected by those extraneous things than you people are.

"That's because if we're distracted by that, then that's something that we're wasting energy and time on.

"We get little enough time together as it is. And we're all about making sure that we can be organised, enthusiastic and well-recovered, not distracted.

"People are within their rights to make whatever observation they like from outside the environment. But we know how things are inside the environment."

Head-to-head

England have won four out of the last five meetings against Ireland after only winning one out of the eight games preceding that.

So far in this Six Nations, England have scored more points (55) than the games involving Ireland have provided in total (51).

England are yet to concede a try in this year's Six Nations - restricting both Scotland and Italy to nine points apiece in their two matches so far.

They have started the Six Nations with successive victories for the sixth time in seven years.

Ireland have failed to win their opening two matches of the Five/Six Nations for the first time since 1998, a year in which they picked up the Wooden Spoon.

They scored 82 points in their three away games in the 2015 Six Nations, but managed just nine against France.

England

Mike Brown, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, Owen Farrell, Jack Nowell, George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley (captain), Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Chris Robshaw, James Haskell, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Paul Hill, Courtney Lawes, Jack Clifford, Danny Care, Elliot Daly, Alex Goode.

Ireland

Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Keith Earls, Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Donnacha Ryan, Devin Toner, CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip (captain).

Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Nathan White, Ultan Dillane, Rhys Ruddock, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Simon Zebo.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)

Touch judges: Nigel Owens (WRU) & Alexandre Ruiz (FFR)

TMO: Shaun Veldsman (SARU)

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Haskell Omitted from Elite of England

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England back-row forward James Haskell is the most notable omission from England's 32-man senior squad for the forthcoming season.

Haskell was in the starting line-up in the drawn final Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth last month.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has called up Anthony Allen, Geoff Parling, Thomas Waldrom, Danny Care, Alex Goode, Tom Johnson and Jonathan Joseph.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji face England in the autumn.

Despite his omission from the elite squad, Haskell could still feature for England at Twickenham in November and December, when the hosts face four Tests in three weeks.

The 27-year-old has been included in the Saxons squad, and Lancaster said: "Experience tells us that form and fitness will play a major role in selection prior to the internationals in November and December, and any of the players in the senior and Saxons squads could easily be involved.

"We saw this in January when Geoff Parling came in as an injury replacement for Louis Deacon and has played every Test since.

"There is always movement which opens the door for players and I am sure next season will be no different."

Haskell is on his way back from New Zealand, where he has been playing provincial rugby in Dunedin, to rejoin Wasps for the start of the new season.

Lancaster's senior squad shows seven changes to the last elite selection, with calls-ups for the Leicester trio Allen, Parling and Waldrom.

Harlequins scrum-half Care, 25, was dropped from the Six Nations after he was charged with drink-driving before being recalled to the England set-up by Lancaster for the tour to South Africa.

Twenty-six of the squad who toured South Africa last month are included, along with six players who did not tour because of injury - Tom Croft, Courtney Lawes, Charlie Sharples, Matt Stevens, Rob Webber and Tom Wood.

Among other notable absentees from the seniors are David Strettle, Paul Doran-Jones and Ugo Monye, all of whom have been included in the Saxons squad.

Both squads will take part in a three-day training camp in Loughborough next month.

England elite squad: Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins) Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Tom Palmer (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers) Rob Webber (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers), Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens),Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

England Saxons: Nathan Catt (Bath), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints), Carl Fearns (Bath), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Jamie Gibson (London Irish), Joe Gray (Harlequins), James Haskell (London Wasps), Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), David Paice (London Irish), George Robson (Harlequins), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Nick Abendanon (Bath), Miles Benjamin (Leicester Tigers), Tom Biggs (Bath), Freddie Burns (Gloucester), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), George Lowe (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester), Rob Miller (Sale Sharks), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), David Strettle (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens).

England's autumn schedule

10 Nov: Fiji, Twickenham

17 Nov: Australia, Twickenham

24 Nov: South Africa, Twickenham

1 Dec: New Zealand, Twickenham

Haskell Joins Wasps After Stade Changes

Haskell in happier times

London Wasps have announced the acquisition of England flanker James Haskell on a three-year deal which begins in 2012.

Haskell is to play in Japan after the World Cup, but Wasps have recaptured the back-rower be back in time for the 2012/13 Premiership season in England.

Haskell represented Wasps from 2002 to 2009 after graduating from the club’s Academy, making his Premiership debut at 18. The England player, capped 34 times, joined Stade Francais in 2009 where he has spent the last two seasons

Wasps Chief Executive, Chris Thomas said “James is one of the real success stories from the club’s academy, coming right through our age-grade structure to become one of the best back-row players in the world. James is a world class player and everyone at the club is excited by his return.”

James Haskell said: “I was very flattered and humbled by Wasps enthusiasm and commitment to re-sign me. As everyone knows my family and I were fans of Wasps long before I was privileged to be invited to join the Wasps Academy.

"So returning to the Club that has been pivotal in propelling me to where I am fortunate enough to stand today, was not one of the harder decisions I have ever had to make!

“Having said that I was very sorry having to leave Stade Francais. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Paris. I am grateful to the Club and in particular Max Guzzani for giving me the opportunity as he did.

"I will always remember my time in France with great affection. I believe I come back to Wasps both a better player and a more rounded individual as a result of my experiences abroad.

Haskell will play in Japan with the Ricoh Black Rams, the side now coached by Leon Holden, who was Wasps’ interim Director of Rugby at the end of last season. Haskell will then play a season of Super 15 Rugby before returning to London.

He added: “Wasps have been extremely far-sighted and generous in allowing me to continue my overseas adventures for one more season. I have a plan which seeks to maximise this unique opportunity before I return to Wasps, by experiencing playing the game in a number of different arenas.

“I hope by exposing myself to different coaching, cultures and playing styles, I will gain a greater understanding of the World game, which will hopefully only but be beneficial to both Wasps and myself for the 2012/13 season."

Haskell's return comes following a busy few months of recruitment for Wasps who have already added over 10 new senior squad signings for the coming season.

The club also appointed Dai Young as Director of Rugby this week, with the ex-Wales international joining the club on a four year contract.