• Owen Farrell and Chris Ashton on sick-list
• Scarlets want Ben Morgan this weekend
England's interim head coach, Stuart Lancaster, says he expects the Six Nations visit to France on Sunday week to provide the "benchmark" of how much progress the side have made under his brief stewardship. Lancaster, who will be interviewed for the permanent role later this month, does not foresee a hangover following the narrow loss to Wales and is optimistic England will avenge their World Cup quarter-final defeat to the same opponents in October.
While there are fitness issues floating around the camp, with Owen Farrell and Chris Ashton both suffering with stomach bugs and Courtney Lawes needing a scan on a sore shin, Lancaster is confident his squad will keep improving if they respond positively to their Welsh disappointment. "A great benchmark is going to be our game away to France," said Lancaster. "I don't think they've lost at the Stade de France in the Six Nations for nine games. It's going to be a huge challenge but our confidence hasn't been dented by losing to Wales. We've learned some lessons as a young team but the trick is how quickly you learn them. I feel we're making progress."
He will, nevertheless, have his fingers crossed this weekend after making 18 of his squad available to play for their clubs. While Lawes, Calum Clark (shoulder), Jordan Turner-Hall (ankle) and Joe Marler (hip) all sat out training and may be sidelined anyway, it would be a blow to England if their new starting No8 Ben Morgan picks up an injury playing for the Scarlets against Connacht. England did ask the Scarlets to consider giving Morgan the weekend off but do not have the final say because the big forward plays his club rugby outside England.
Lancaster, either way, feels it is a risk worth taking, believing his fringe players need to play to ensure their match sharpness. The early indications suggest he intends to stick with his starting XV but the bench situation is more fluid, with Ben Youngs, Toby Flood and the fit-again Charlie Hodgson all being invited to go back and show what they can do. "To play at international level you've got to be in form and playing well," stressed Lancaster. "To do that you've got to be playing rugby."
It also helps to be playing in the Premiership, with Lancaster confirming Gloucester's Luke Narraway had compromised his Test selection chances by opting to move to Perpignan this summer. "It sounds a great opportunity but we did discuss the fact it makes it very difficult for him to press his claims over there. He's made his decision and with that comes risk. There are plenty more people who I'm sure want to play for England in the back row."
Lancaster, meanwhile, will hope for good news on Farrell, who was sick yesterday and came off early against Wales because of cramp. In theory neither should prevent him facing the French, with Hodgson and Flood seemingly battling for one bench position. England's debrief has also focused on the back three, particularly the importance of backing themselves. "We got a lot of counterattacking ball," said Lancaster. "We've talked a lot about being more decisive when we get the ball. Gone are the days where a side will kick and not get a good chase. There aren't going to be too many opportunities to run it back. It comes down to individual execution."
This would appear good news for Ashton, who has been struggling to rediscover his best form of late. "There are elements of Chris's game, along with everyone else's, that we want to improve on, but we're pleased with Chris's progress. He's certainly working hard in training. I think our back three are doing a great job off the ball." He was similarly diplomatic about referee Steve Walsh's failure to go back for an England advantage after David Strettle had been held up over the try-line. "We can't focus too much on the referee's decision. That's something the referee will have to reflect on."