Lewis Moody will missed out France game due to knee injury

For England's crunch clash with France on Saturday,Lewis due to his injury will not even be on the bench.

For the RBS 6 Nations showdown at Twickenham,England captain has been denied to return to the starting line-up that could decide where the title goes this year.

The Bath flanker has been completely ruled out after his injured knee swelled up.

England will be led again by Gloucester centre Mike Tindall, who was skipper for the wins over Wales and Italy.

Lewis Moody Is Fit And Set To Return

It has been announced that Lewis Moody should be fit enough to perform in front of those with Six Nations tickets to England versus France.

In a Heineken Cup match on January 15th,Lewis injured his knee due to that he was unable to participate in first two matches of Six Nations.

For the important match against France his teammate wants captain to be back.

Bath head coach Steve Meehan said: "Lewis is looking good in training. Yet if he's less than 100 per cent, it could be detrimental for the rest of the season. We don't want to put anyone at risk."

Ireland v France Six Nations hottest news

The pick of the weekend Six Nations matches could be the game that takes place at the Aviva arena on Sunday, with Ireland eager to kick on from an unpersuasive show in Rome last weekend which saw them sneak a late drop goal to extra their blushes.

Declan Kidney is difficult an improvement alongside a French side that played very well when thrashing Scotland last Saturday and he’s hoping that home benefit will make it two wins on the turn for the boys in green.

The Ireland coach has insisted that his team will play a flowing style of rugby in an effort to outscore their opponents rather than play the ball during the onward line.

I think it’s the only way to play the game now; you have to have the bravery to go after it because previous to you could just play a pressure game, but the laws |have changed now and you need to go after it , get it, keep it and play it in the right areas,” Kidney said.

France trainer Marc Lievremont is strangely under force after a poor twelve months for Les Bleus ever since they won the 2010 Six Nations Championship, although he has made just one change to the team that beat Scotland.

France give Poitrenaud start after Mermoz ruled out

Due to shoulder injury Centre Maxime Mermoz has been ruled out of Sunday's Six Nations clash against Ireland.

Clement Poitrenaud is promoted from the bench to start at full-back at the Aviva Stadium.

Veteran Toulouse centre Yannick Jauzion ,after being omitted against Scotland returns among the replacements.

There is a further change on the bench, where veteran prop Sylvain Marconnet replaces Luc Ducalcon.

Mermoz injured himself in a game against France's 34-21 win over Scotland and may miss the rest of the season after being advised to undergo surgery.

Best - Ireland can win Six Nations

Rory Best says that Ireland is very strong contender to win Six Nations.

After England and France 2009 Grand Slam champions are rated third favourites to reclaim the title they won two years ago.

Since Italy joined the competition in 2000, Ireland narrowly trail Les Bleus in an overall Six Nations table, having finished outside the top three just once in that time.

We're taking part in this competition to win it, that's first and foremost in our mind," said Ulster hooker Best. "That's where we've got ourselves as a squad over the last few years."

He added: "We're all ambitious. Every competition we enter as a province or country we want to win. Every year the Six Nations looks like being close, but especially this year.

"Every team had mixed results and performances in the autumn internationals and European Cup, which is sometimes another barometer of how things are going. Anything can happen on any day in the Six Nations and that's what makes it so tight. That's why there are upsets every year."

"I don't think the number of injuries is a worry," Best said. "Look at the strength of the squad with the injuries, it says a lot for the way we've evolved over the last six years.

"It's probably not a bad thing to test the depth of the squad. We owe a lot to the way the provinces have developed over the last few years.

"Munster we all know have been there for the last 10 years. Leinster have really come on over the last four or five years and now hopefully Ulster will start to push on. It's important for Irish rugby that all four provinces are going well. Everyone's buoyant in the camp because they're happy at home."