Lancaster keeps faith with team beaten by Wales as England go for it in France
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UPDATED:
10:02 GMT, 9 March 2012
Owen Farrell has retained the England fly-half jersey for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with France, despite the return to fitness of Charlie Hodgson.
Farrell's impressive international debut at fly-half in England's 19-12 defeat to Wales drew comparison with Jonny Wilkinson and he keeps the role in an unchanged starting line-up for the Paris showdown.
Hodgson, who started at fly-half with Farrell at inside centre in England's wins against Scotland and Italy, returns from a finger injury to replace Toby Flood on the bench.
Standing tall: England need to show character to respond from their defeat to Wales when they travel to France
ENGLAND v France
Starting XV: B Foden (Northampton Saints); C Ashton (Northampton Saints), M Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), B Barritt (Saracens), D Strettle (Saracens); O Farrell (Saracens), L Dickson (Northampton Saints); A Corbisiero (London Irish), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), M Botha (Saracens), G Parling (Leicester Tigers), T Croft (Leicester Tigers), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Scarlets).
Replacements: R Webber (London Wasps), M Stevens (Saracens), T Palmer (Stade Francais), P Dowson (Northampton Saints), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers), C Hodgson (Saracens), M Brown (Harlequins).
Stade Francais lock Tom Palmer also
returns to the 22-man squad with a seat on the bench after Courtney
Lawes was ruled out of the tournament with a shin injury.
Lancaster said: 'We were really
disappointed to lose to Wales but we took a lot out of the performance
and felt it was right to pick the same starting team to go to Paris.
'It will be a massive challenge going
to the Stade de France and playing against an experienced and unbeaten
French side but we are excited about the opportunity and want to do the
country proud.'
Hodgson is Saracens' first-choice
fly-half and Farrell lines up in the centres at club level, which was
how England started their Six Nations campaign.
But Farrell's mature performance at
Twickenham two weekends ago has pushed him ahead of Hodgson as England's
first choice playmaker.
England's starting line-up features
only five of the side that started the 19-12 World Cup quarter-final
defeat to France in October – Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Manu Tuilagi, Dan
Cole and Tom Croft.
France, who went on to reach the World
Cup final, have not lost at home in 10 Six Nations games following
their 17-17 draw with Ireland last weekend.