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Jones expects France to become 'dominant'
By Dejan Kalinic
England coach Eddie Jones believes France are set to become a "dominant force" in rugby, insisting he was unsurprised by their performance in the Six Nations.
A late Ben Te'o try lifted England to an unconvincing 19-16 win in their opener at Twickenham on Saturday.
Jones said he expected Guy Noves' team to develop into one of the world's best.
"France are a good team and they've got some brilliant individuals," the Australian said.
"As I've been saying all week, I think the French are going to be a dominant force in world rugby.
"They're selecting right, they've got a big physical team and they're starting to understand how to make modern French flair."
France went close to an upset win over the all-conquering All Blacks late last year, beaten 24-19 in Paris.
Jones said that performance was an indication of what France were capable of.
"It didn't surprise us," he said. "I think they're a very good team.
"They should have beaten New Zealand - if [Beauden] Barrett doesn't score the intercept, they win the game."
England face a trip to Wales in their next outing on Saturday, while France host Scotland a day later.
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Latest Comments
Ben Smith is not regarded by most in the know as a fair "rugby writer" in SA...his negative obsession with the "supposed World Champions" knows no bounds. What he writes about NZ is probably correct but forgets England were also width of an upright away from beating them. Perhaps focus on the good All Black rugby will become and leave out the absolute rubbish comments about the guys in Green.
Go to commentsAgreed. He hasn’t transferred the dominance of one level to the next. He will be a weapon when he does though.
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