England teams to face France: Our writers select their XVs for Autumn Nations Cup Final - and you can pick yours

The climax to the Autumn Nations Cup is upon us and with it an opportunity for England to win a second piece of silverware immediately after claiming the 2020 Six Nations title - and the stage to avenge their only defeat of the year.

A crowd of 2,000 will be present to watch Sunday's finale against France at Twickenham after lockdown restrictions were lifted. It will be the first time spectators have been able to watch Eddie Jones' Six Nations champions since March.

It's fair to say the Autumn Nations Cup has struggled to capture imaginations due to the focus on defence and kicking and it is not helped by France being forced to field a shadow team for what should have been a blockbusting showdown.

Jones has retained a 27-man squad to step up preparations for Sunday's final, reducing his initial 33-man training party by only six to provide few clues over what starting XV will be announced.

Wings Joe Cokanasiga and Ollie Thorley, half-backs Alex Mitchell and Jacob Umaga and front rows Alfie Barbeary and Harry Williams have returned to their clubs for the weekend's Gallagher Premiership action.

With that in mind, check out who our writers have selected and have a go yourself with our team builder below, picking from the 27 Jones has retained.

Mick Cleary

Time to match tyro with tyro, rawness with rawness. France have been forced to experiment. England, though, have a one-off opportunity to find out what players such as Max Malins, Ollie Lawrence, Dan Robson and Will Stuart are really made of. Can they cut it starting a Test match or do they need another year? Of course there is a trophy to be won, but this is a unique situation. And if it doesn’t work then Eddie Jones can sound the bugle and summon the cavalry to the rescue. Fabien Galthie doesn’t have that option. This is too good a chance to pass up.

Gavin Mairs

I see little reason for Eddie Jones to experiment this weekend. He has the chance to win a second trophy in as many months and, with supporters at Twickenham for the first time since the pandemic, England will be keen to put their best foot forward, even if it is against a depleted French XV. The only changes would see Anthony Watson and Ollie Lawrence return to the back line, to give England a midfield carrying threat while Watson can roam like a second full-back.

Daniel Schofield

It feels like an act of heresy to drop Henry Slade, who was English rugby's most in-form player coming into the Autumn Nations Cup, but if you are hardly ever going to give him the ball then you might as well have a ball-carrying option like Ollie Lawrence to keep defences honest. Anthony Watson is a better full-back though not necessarily footballer than Elliot Daly. You could make the case for further changes against a second-string France but there is not a snowball in hell’s chance of Eddie Jones tinkering with a trophy at stake.

Ben Coles

Given France are sending a weakened XV, there seems little point in England dishing out a thrashing on Sunday. The game would be better served as an opportunity for Eddie Jones to try out the more inexperienced members of his squad, hence Max Malins starting at full-back and a centre pairing of Ollie Lawrence and Joe Marchant. Dan Robson, Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart and Ben Earl, who have all been limited to time off the bench, deserve some starts. George Ford was rusty and a bit poor against Wales, and needs time. Anthony Watson can get some valuable minutes back on the field after coming off the bench against Wales, while Charlie Ewels, always reliable, pairs up with a player England need to see more of at this level in Jonny Hill. You can dress Sunday's "final" up as a big deal, but I bet you won't remember who won it in three years' time.

Charlie Morgan

I think this back line has a nice balance to it, although dropping both Elliot Daly and Henry Slade - not to mention Ben Youngs - seems extremely unlikely for a Twickenham final. France will kick a great deal, so Malins would get a very good workout at full-back and we have not found out a great deal about Dan Robson. Ollie Lawrence, excellent against Ireland, deserves another run-out. An entirely fresh front row allows starts for Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Will Stuart, while Jack Willis gets another shot at blindside flanker as part of a formidable back five.

Kate Rowan

If France are playing an under-par side due to political wranglings with Top 14 clubs, this is a good opportunity for England to play... not so much an under-strength side... but give a number of less-experienced players the chance to play in a final. Max Malins at full-back and Jack Willis on the blindside come in as starters to see what they can do. Anthony Watson returns to the starting XV as does Luke Cowan-Dickie. Ellis Genge gets a chance. Ollie Lawrence comes in at inside centre to see if he can forge a centre partnership with Henry Slade.

Charles Richardson

After an autumn in which England have donned their artisan overalls and put down their palettes, this is their chance, against a weakened France, to admonish any doubts over their capabilities. Owen Farrell is a supreme player and leader, and still remains the obvious captaincy choice, but why not let the rest see how they manage without him in a high-pressure match. The attack, this autumn’s big talking point, would certainly not suffer. And, on Jonny Hill's inclusion over Joe Launchbury; the Wasps lock has done little amiss, but it is surely not about how well your incumbent player is playing, but whether someone else could do better. Hill is that, and the pack is more balanced with his inclusion, too.

Tom Cary

Hopefully England will respond to the barbs and play a bit more this week. We know what Ben Youngs does. Let's see if Dan Robson can get the backline - with Ollie Lawrence back at 12 and Anthony Watson at 15 - moving. Likewise, we know what England's starting front row can do. Give the second string a runout. Tempted to bring Jack Willis in and move Tom Curry to No 8 again to give the back row more mobility. But Billy Vunipola is beginning to build up a head of steam again so worth persevering with.

Giles Mole

Yes, this is a final, but against a shadow France team this is an excellent opportunity to test out England's fabled strength in depth. It's the only way Eddie Jones will learn anything from this fixture. Give some of the probables a rest and give the possibles a run-out. So, in come the likes of Max Malins, Ollie Lawrence and Joe Marchant. In reserve will be England's 'galacticos', ready to come on if things aren't going quite to plan - Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Joe Launchbury, Tom Curry, Ben Youngs, George Ford and Elliot Daly.