- Australia's Cummins set to miss Champions Trophy
- Wales call up Scarlets' Plumtree for Italy test
- Aussies offer solutions to England's 'fundamental weaknesses'
- Brighton sign forward Tzimas for £20.8m
- Newcastle defender Kelly set for Juventus move
If confirmed, it will be a first Test start for Northampton's Fin Smith, 22, after winning his previous seven caps from the bench.
It means Marcus Smith is poised to switch to his more unfamiliar position of full-back, having started England's last eight games at number 10.
England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Thursday.
France travel to Twickenham having thrashed Wales in round one, buoyed by a 53-10 victory in this fixture two years ago.
Meanwhile England were beaten by Ireland in Dublin, a result which leaves Steve Borthwick's side on a record seven-match losing run against tier one nations.
"We are the England rugby team and we want to win and we know the expectations that come with it," senior coach Richard Wigglesworth told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"I have no problem with people wanting to see more wins because that is what I want and what we are all working towards.
"The outcome that we want is to win, so we are not avoiding that."
England are also set to make changes in the back row and in the back three, with Tom Willis understood to be in line for a first Test start at number eight.
Wigglesworth says the coaches need to weigh up consistent selection with picking the right team to beat France.
"What England did for many, many years was chop and change the team, so you end up with low levels of cohesion and low levels of trust in the coaches," he said.
"And that didn't work for a long time.
"We know what hasn't worked in the past and we don't want to be panicked into making the same mistake.
"But we have to weigh up all those things and get the right team on the field."
0 Comments
This space aims to broaden the debate on the subject addressed in the news, democratically and respectfully. Comments that violate laws and ethical and moral principles or that promote illegal or criminal activities will not be accepted. Therefore, slanderous, defamatory, prejudiced, offensive, aggressive comments, those that use foul language, incite violence, express hate speech or contain links will be summarily deleted.