Youngs is one of only four survivors from that atrocious performance in New Zealand – and the Leicester half-back insists Stuart Lancaster’s new regime has made England a completely different side just 16 months on.

England head into the game on the back of two straight RBS 6 Nations wins, while France has suffered a disastrous opening to the Championship, losing to both Wales and Italy.

At the 2011 World Cup it was a similar story as France headed into their quarter-final having lost to Tonga and that’s why Youngs insists England must be prepared for a French backlash at Twickenham.

“This game has Auckland 2011 written all over it,” said Youngs.

“France comes into this on the back of two games in which things haven’t worked out for them and they’ve been on the wrong side of results.

“Yet back then they lost to Tonga and the following weekend beat us convincingly in the quarter-finals. That sums up the French.

 “I don’t think you can compare us now to then. The players are different, the structure’s different. We’ve turned up for every game since the new regime started.”