Back wants England to target lineout

World Cup-winning flanker Neil Back believes the lineout could hold the key to an England victory over France on Saturday.

Back was part of the English team that dispatched the French in a rain-drenched semi-final four years ago, when a dominant forward display laid the foundations for a convincing win.

The Leicester legend, now the Tigers’ technical director, does not believe his successors can outgun their opponents up front this time around, and does not foresee Andrew Sheridan and co scrummaging Les Bleus into submission as they did Australia last weekend.

But he insists England could find success in their semi-final in Paris if they target the weak lineout throwing of the French hookers.

“England will not dominate France in the scrum as they did Australia, so they need to look for another weakness and I think that could be the lineouts,” Back said in The Times.

“The French have good jumpers in the lineout, but their hookers are not the best throwers.

“If England can get on top of the lineout, they will be able to kick for touch more, rather than kicking behind the dangerous French backs and allowing them to counter-attack.

“That could be the key on Saturday.”