222. Rugby Union Readies Itself for the Rugby World Cup 2015

19th August. After returning from a couple of weeks away in the UK (6100km in 2 weeks), it's impossible to describe the sense of anticipation I felt at the prospect  at the first of the two friendlies between England and France last Saturday evening.
Here's Sam Burgess - all 6'5" (1.95m) and 18 stone (115kg) of him - extending the warmest of welcomes to two of the French team - captain Dimitri Szarzewski and center Alexandre Dumoulin. He's the latest import to join the Union code from Rugby League and he looks a very powerful center indeed.. If this is the Entente Cordiale, I'm all for more of the same in the second match to be played this coming Saturday. Please - no phone calls during the game!
It should be noted that winger Jonny May is the only player who keeps his place from the first match. The XV that coach Lancaster has selected looks extremely businesslike and I would not be at all surprised to see England run in a few tries. 
Some very familiar names appear: M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), J Joseph (Bath), L Burrell (Northampton), J May (Gloucester); G Ford (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester); J Marler (Harlequins), T Youngs (Leicester), D Cole (Leicester); J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton); J Haskell (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (capt, Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens).
I don't see France continuing the forward domination they demonstrated last Saturday. It should be a cracking match..