Six Nations: England wing Ollie Sleightholme feels France win has lit fire under Steve Borthwick’s side

England wing Ollie Sleightholme feels their last-gasp Six Nations victory over
France has lit a fire under Steve Borthwick’s side.

Elliot Daly’s converted final-minute try last Saturday snatched a 26-25 win at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham.

England are level on six points with Les Bleus and four shy of leaders Ireland heading into a fallow week before hosting Scotland at Twickenham in their third encounter of the championship on February 22.

“I think we have to have every confidence in ourselves after that win at the weekend,” said Sleightholme.

“It has proven to us that we can do it, in a weird way. We have come so close and hit the crossbar so many times.

“That has now given us the belief and we know that when we put our game on the pitch, and we do our best to nullify their threats, that we can get results against the top teams in the world.”

Early on in the France encounter, the 24-year-old found himself in an altercation with his opposite number Damian Penaud and some said he was lucky to escape without punishment.

“There wasn’t really a thought process,” admitted Sleightholme.

“It was an in-the-moment thing. Looking back on it, it looked a bit worse than it was. I thought I fell into him but it looks like I’ve shoulder-charged him – which I didn’t. There wasn’t much in it.”

Asked if he relished that contest, Sleightholme added: “There’s a side of me that does, but I know I have to keep my cool and be calm while playing. I don’t think there’s much wrong with a little bit of argy-bargy with your opposite number.”

Sleightholme is part of a significant Northampton contingent in the England camp that also includes Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman – the latter two combining to hand their side a first-time lead late on against France.

Saints back row Henry Pollock, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season, has also been called up to Borthwick’s 28-player squad for their pre-Scotland camp.

Sleightholme feels playing alongside his fellow Premiership Rugby title-holders at international level facilitates efficiency.

“You don’t speak less but you don’t waste communication,” he added.

“Not waste because you’re not wasting it if you don’t know the person, but you have a lot more time to really use clear information, which can give you better outcomes.

“Sometimes when you don’t know the players as well or what’s going on as well around you, it can become quite frantic. We really work hard on understanding each other in this environment and understanding the communication we need to get a certain outcome.

“It’s just knowing what people are going to do and how they’re going to go about doing something.”

Daly: We know we are a good team

Saracens star Daly believes England can get another crucial win against the ‘Auld Enemy‘ when the two sides meet in the next round of fixtures.

“To get that win [against France] after a couple of narrow losses is massive,” Daly told Sky Sports. “It doesn’t change what we do in camp. We know we are a good team, we just to put everything together and we did that on Saturday.

“[The break] is brilliant to build into the Scotland game for us because the last three or four times we haven’t got the result against them, so it’s great to be in camp and have that extended week’s prep to try and get ourselves right for that game.

“We’re not going to change too much. We’re a team that back ourselves in what we’re doing. We got the right result on Saturday but against Scotland you have always got to be physical, you have got to win the aerial battle and you’ve got to win the breakdown as well.

“If we get that right then we’re a long way towards winning the game.”

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