Having already been edged out by Wales - their first defeat in Cardiff for 12 years - England are now battling to stop a spluttering season from stalling totally.

The statistics confirm Englands alarming post-World Cup demise, with seven losses from their last 10 starts.

Another setback this weekend, and it will be the first time for 18 years that they have suffered three successive championship reversals, a sequence including France in the final game of last seasons RBS 6 Nations tournament.

Coach Andy Robinson has predictably made changes, calling up centre Olly Barkley, scrum-half Harry Ellis, prop Phil Vickery, flanker Lewis Moody and number eight Martin Corry following the miserable Millennium Stadium experience.

And on paper at least, the team has a far stronger look about it.

England, though, must now deliver the goods, recapturing the spirit and tactical mastery they displayed in dismantling Tri-Nations champions South Africa last November.

The recent French record at Twickenham is poor - they havent won there since 1997 - and an ineffective performance against Scotland last Saturday would have taken a painful toll had centre Damien Traille not scored a late try.

England and France, who clashed in the World Cup semi-finals just 15 months ago, are both, it would appear, feeling their way.

While Wales and Ireland currently command the headlines reserved for exciting, sucessful teams, things have suddenly become a bit of a struggle in the English and French camps.

England must win in order to establish any degree of confidence approaching their February 27 clash against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, while France know victory would considerably strengthen hopes of achieving a second successive RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam.

With so much at stake, the game could prove to be an edgy, tense affair, but the Twickenham factor should work once again in Englands favour - just.

England:

J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester).

Substitutes: A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Borthwick (Bath), A Hazell (Gloucester), M Dawson (Wasps), H Paul (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton).

France:

P Elhorga (Agen); J Marlu (Biarritz), B Liebenberg (Stade Francais), D Traille (Biarritz), C Dominici (Stade Francais); Y Delaigue (Castres), D Yachvili (Biarritz); S Marconnet (Stade Francais), S Bruno (Sale Sharks), N Mas (Perpignan), F Pelous (Toulouse, capt), J Thion (Biarritz), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), S Betsen (Biarritz), S Chabal (Sale Sharks).

Substitutes: W Servat (Toulouse), O Milloud (Bourgoin), G Lamboley (Toulouse), Y Nyanga (Beziers), P Mignoni (Clermont Auvergne), F Michalak (Toulouse), J-P Grandclaude (Perpignan).