Preview: England XV v France XV

Following on from a second-place finish in the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Steve Borthwick’s side will look to build on their strong end to the tournament. 

Head coach Andy Farrell named 13 England players in his British & Irish Lions squad, 11 of whom were selected to play against Argentina on Friday night in Dublin. With a number of seasoned players therefore unavailable, the England XV team will be a blend of youth and experience

Highly-rated uncapped players such as Oscar Beard and Guy Pepper were included in this week’s training squad, while George Ford, Jamie George and Henry Slade bring 272 caps of experience between them. 

Keep your eye on…

Manny’s return. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has lit up the international stage since making his debut against Italy in 2024, but a shoulder injury ruled him out of this year’s Six Nations. Should he be picked on the wing, the pacy and powerful Exeter Chiefs man will be a player to look out for. 

Ford’s form. George Ford has excelled in the Gallagher Premiership this season, helping Sale Sharks reach the play-offs and being shortlisted for player of the season at The Rugby Awards. He didn’t play a part for the first four games of the Six Nations, but against Wales demonstrated his class with two pinpoint passes.

Asher Opoku-Fordjour’s next step. Although the fixture is uncapped, the young Sale Sharks prop has already won one cap for England. Opoku-Fordjour won the World Rugby U20 Championship last year and has become an integral part of Sale’s squad, while also being called up to train with the British & Irish Lions.

Potential for points. England XV have previously played the Barbarians on three occasions, with the combined scores totalling 275 points. Given the weather forecast, it’s likely that we see a similarly high-scoring, entertaining game on Saturday.  

Previous England XV results

2022: England XV 21-52 Barbarians

2019: England XV 51-43 Barbarians

2018: England XV 45-63 Barbarians