England reaffirm commitment to kick‑heavy strategy against France, saying “We believe in the plan.”

England have pledged to stick with their kick‑heavy approach for Saturday’s clash with France, despite a sharp dip in form over recent weeks. The decision could further inflame the displeasure of their supporters.

Steve Borthwick and his squad have faced intense criticism after last week’s opening loss to Italy, where their unwavering reliance on kicking left fans frustrated. England have executed more kicks and covered more distance by foot than any other Six Nations side, a tactic that yielded success last autumn during a 12‑match winning streak, but it now appears less effective.

Former World Cup winner Matt Dawson cautioned that an over‑reliance on kicking in Paris would be a “red flag for England’s coaching credentials”. The Rugby Football Union felt compelled to issue Borthwick a qualified vote of confidence on Sunday.

Writing in his BBC Sport column, Dawson argued: “England are not going to travel to Paris and defeat France by simply repeating the same kick‑centric game plan. If they do, it signals a problem with England’s coaching approach. The strategy may have worked during the 12‑game run, but Scotland demonstrated that more than 40 points are needed to overcome France – and that was in Edinburgh.”

Scrum‑half Ben Spencer, who was drafted into the side against Italy for his box‑kicking ability, indicated that the plan is unlikely to shift, suggesting England actually kicked less than their opponents in the defeats to Scotland and Ireland. “Our approach has remained largely unchanged from game to game. We have seen results from it, so I don’t think a major overhaul is necessary,” he said. “We all trust the plan. We haven’t strayed far from what brought us 12 wins in a row.

“There are many ways to play, but looking at the two losses before Italy, both Ireland and Scotland kicked more than us. It comes down to execution and accuracy. Numerous factors can affect that.

“Whether it’s kicking to contest, to score, or to gain territory, we had a lot of aerial play over the weekend. Our wingers performed excellently, giving us opportunities for most of the match. A few moments in the final 20 minutes cost us, but it wasn’t our kicking that let us down.

“As players we are fully aligned with the coaches on the direction we want to take and the game plan we wish to follow. On Saturday night it will be up to us to put that plan into action and deliver it as best we can.”

Borthwick is expected to make only minor adjustments to the lineup, though Tom Curry will miss out after sustaining a calf injury in Saturday’s warm‑up. Tommy Freeman is likely to stay at centre, while neither Ollie Lawrence nor Henry Slade will travel to England’s training camp in Verona, with Tom Roebuck remaining on the wing.