RUGBY-FRANCE/ENGLAND England and France prepare for world cup warm-up

Record ID: 143081

  • Title: RUGBY-FRANCE/ENGLAND England and France prepare for world cup warm-up
  • Date: 21st August 2015
  • Summary: SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 21, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM ARRIVING ON FIELD FOR TRAINING FORWARD JAMES HASKELL TRAINING BACK DANNY CIPRIANI TRAINING ENGLAND HEAD COACH STUART LANCASTER OVERSEEING TRAINING TEAM TRAINING FULL BACK MIKE BROWN VARIOUS OF TEAM TRAINING EXTERIOR OF STADIUM MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 21, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FRANCE CAPTA
  • Embargoed: 5th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5DZ68N2FQW87N1EEDEKVYP2HR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The French team to face England on Saturday (August 22) in a world cup warm-up game in Paris are looking forward to the best challenge they could get, said match captain Pascal Pape on Friday (August 21).
    After giving many of their reserves a run-out at Twickenham last week, when England won, both countries have picked something much closer to a full-strength side with the date for reducing World Cup squads to 31 players little more than a week away.
    England have made 14 changes from Twickenham and France 12.
    "We are looking forward to the flavour of competition and once again, it's a Test against the English, so the term 'friendly' doesn't exist and I think that for us, it's probably the best challenge that could come during this month of August," Pape told a news conference.
    Pape, the Stade Francais lock, was not keen to dwell on having missed a large part of the year through suspension after he received a 10-week ban for kneeing Jamie Heaslip of Ireland in the back during February's Six Nations match.
    "It's always a pleasure to wear this jersey, to defend the colours of France, especially against England and as I said, do everything to have this feeling at the end of the match that we gave it our all - have nothing to regret. There is definitely a little pressure, but I'm convinced that this pressure will remain positive tomorrow at 21:00," he said.
    In the World Cup, which takes place in England and Wales from Sept. 18, France play in pool D with Ireland, Italy, Canada and Romania, while England are alongside Australia, Wales, Fiji and Uruguay.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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