Stuart Lancaster wants England fans to provide final push

Stuart Lancaster has urged Twickenham to will England to victory tomorrow evening as he prepares to order his RBS 6 Nations title hopefuls to carry the game to France.

Lancaster believes the noisy support of a sold-out 82,000 home crowd will have a critical role to play in edging out rivals Ireland and Wales for Championship glory on a nerve-jangling final day of staggered kick-offs.

England are favourites to lift a first piece of silverware under Lancaster and their head coach refuses to view the match through the prism of the looming World Cup on these shores.

“It will be hugely important that the crowd get behind the team,” Lancaster said.

“If there’s ever a day when we need the crowd to push us over the line and give us the momentum we need then it’s Saturday.

“Whether we just need to get the win or win by 10 points or whatever it might take, the crowd will have a huge part to play.”

England enter the final round of matches with a points cushion of plus four and having digested earlier results from Wales’ trip to Italy and Ireland’s visit to Edinburgh, their victory target against France will be made clear.

The scheduling appears to have favoured England, but Lancaster insists providing the climax to the tournament creates its own challenges.

“I don’t think we can be seen as favourites. I don’t think anyone can. It will play out on the day,” Lancaster said.

“Whether the staggered kick-offs help us depends on what the other scores are.”

Lancaster has made one change to the starting XV, promoting lock Geoff Parling at the expense of Dave Attwood, who drops out of the 23 altogether, with Nick Easter recalled to the bench.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made a couple of changes to his starting line-up with Jules Plisson and Vincent Debaty set to start. Stade Francais fly-half Plisson comes in for the injured Camille Lopez while loosehead prop Eddy Ben Arous has also been ruled out for the match at Twickenham as Vincent makes a start.

Les Bleus’ victory last weekend — their second of the tournament — took them to within two points of England, who sit level with Ireland and Wales.

There is still a slight chance France can lift the trophy if they can beat England on their home turf and the other two results go their way with Wales travelling to Italy and Scotland at home to the Irish.

Italy captain Sergio Parisse has been ruled out of the clash against Wales at the Stadio Olimpico.

In a hammer-blow for the Azzurri, number eight Parisse has not recovered from a foot injury suffered during last weekend’s 29-0 home loss to France.

Parisse will be replaced in the back row by Samuela Vunisa, who moves from openside flanker, with veteran Mauro Bergamasco handed the number seven shirt. Leicester hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini will take over the captaincy reins from Parisse as Italy look to thwart Wales’ Six Nations title bid.

Other changes made by head coach Jacques Brunel from the France clash see starts for Zebre fly-half Kelly Haimona, who has recovered from an injury that ruled him out of the France encounter, and long-serving prop Martin Castrogiovanni.

And there is also a chance in the front row for Ghiraldini’s Leicester colleague Michele Rizzo, who replaces the injured Matias Aguero.

ITALY (6 Nations v Wales): L McLean (Sale); L Sarto (Zebre), L Morisi (Treviso), A Masi (Wasps), G Venditti (Zebre); K Haimona (Zebre), E Gori (Treviso); M Rizzo (Leicester), L Ghiraldini (Leicester, capt), M Castrogiovanni (Toulon), G Biagi (Zebre), J Furno (Newcastle), F Minto (Treviso), M Bergamasco (Zebre), S Vunisa (Zebre).

Replacements: A Manici (Zebre), A De Marchi (Sale), D Chistolini (Zebre), Q Geldenhuys (Zebre), R Barbieri (Leicester), G Palazzani (Zebre), L Orquera (Zebre), E Bacchin (Treviso).

ENGLAND (6 Nations v France): M Brown (Harlequins); A Watson (Bath), J Joseph (Bath), L Burrell (Northampton), J Nowell (Exeter); G Ford (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), G Parling (Leicester), C Lawes (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), K Brookes (Newcastle), N Easter (Harlequins), T Wood (Northampton), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), D Cipriani (Sale), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester).