The 2019 Six Nations will be an opportunity for both England and France to iron out the faults from last year’s competition as the Red Rose relinquished their grip on the Championship.
France finished fourth in the table as England slipped behind their continental cousins into fifth, recording their lowest ever Six Nations finish.
Both Eddie Jones and Jacques Brunel will be hoping for more rousing performances from their teams when they meet in the second round of fixtures in February.
The two nations have a rugby history going back to their first meeting in 1906 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, with the ‘Entente Cordiale’ playing out 104 matches between them since then.
Last March the pair met in the French capital in the penultimate round of fixtures and it was the home side that got the better of the two-time reigning champions in a 22-16 victory.
The defeat ensured Ireland would lift the Championship trophy and break English hopes of capturing a third consecutive title – thanks to the boots of Maxime Machenaud and Lionel Beauxis and a second-half penalty try.
Jonny May scored England’s only try of the match late on to pile the pressure on Les Bleus. But the home side held out to record a first victory over their English rivals in the competition at the Stade de France since 2014 and hand Ireland the Six Nations crown.
It will be an altogether different story this time out with England hosting the tie in the second round of matches following their first match against reigning champions Ireland, while France host Wales.
Les Bleus haven’t beaten England at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2005 when they clinched a narrow 18-17 win, with England reigning victorious on every occasion since at the home of rugby.
On France’s last visit to south west London in 2017, England came from behind to win 19-16 thanks to a try from Ben Te’o to record a national record 15th victory in a row.
It hasn’t always been a one-sided affair on English soil though with France claiming the spoils in the 2007 World Cup warm up as Sebastien Chabal crossed late on in style.
CAPITAL PLEASURES
England’s capital city boasts an endless array of spoils, history and stunning tourist hotspots to be savoured by any rugby fan visiting Twickenham.
With England’s rugby headquarters situated a mere 10.7 miles outside central London, it’s easily accessible for fans to nip between sightseeing and watching the try scoring delights.
There’s any manner of things to do in London, whether it be heading to the world renown locations like Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London or a bit further afield to Windsor Castle, or the hustle and bustle of shopping areas such as Oxford Street, Regent Street or Westfield shopping centre.
For rugby fans there’s plenty of opportunities to sample the delights that Twickenham has to offer with a world class stadium tour available alongside the chance to visit the World Rugby Museum.
For those fancying a tipple or a swift half of something a bit stronger, there are numerous pubs in walking distance from the stadium offering all manner of food and drink.
THE VENUE
Since its construction in 1907, Twickenham has been the home of English rugby. Before the stands were erected and the pitch cultivated, the stadium was previously a market garden, hence why it’s affectionately known as the cabbage patch.
The stadium has hosted three World Cups in 1991, 1999 and 2015 respectively and has recently undergone an impressive redevelopment in time for the 2018 November internationals.
The ground hosts a monumental 82,000 supporters within its confines and fans can be heard signing from miles around on match days.
Twickenham is easily accessible by all manner of vehicles whether by car, bus or train.
If you’re travelling by car, head down the M25 before exiting at J12 onto M3. This becomes the A316, and Twickenham Stadium is off the Whitton Road roundabout.
Or if you’re travelling via central London turn right off the A316 at Whitton Road roundabout. Make sure to leave plenty of time prior to kick-off with roads hectic on match days.
Parking at the stadium is free of charge on non-match days, while during the Six Nations there’s an RFU shuttle bus service running between Richmond Station and the stadium and Hounslow East and the stadium.
The service is free, and the buses return to Richmond and Hounslow after the match. Pre-match the services run from the A316 Pools in the Park in Richmond and Hounslow East station, in Kingsley Road.
Post-match the Richmond service departs from Rugby Road adjacent to the stadium and the Hounslow service departs from Whitton Dene to the north of the stadium.
Alternatively, Twickenham Rail station is only a short 10-minute walk from the ground, with Whitton and St Margaret’s Rail Station also nearby.
Richmond Rail and Tube station is eight minutes away via train from Twickenham Station.
Four airports are situated in the vicinity of Twickenham, with Heathrow six miles away, London City 20 miles away and London Gatwick and Stansted further afield.
