The China Mail - Sleightholme says Six Nations win over France has revived England's self-belief

Elliot Daly's 79th-minute try, with rookie fly-half Fim Smith adding the clinching conversion, snatched England a 26-25 success at Twickenham on Saturday in a match where the lead changed hands three times in the final 10 minutes.

Victory also ended a run of seven straight defeats by top-tier opponents for Steve Borthwick's side, who suffered several agonisingly narrow losses during that sequence.

England are now level on six points with France and four shy of Six Nations leaders Ireland, who beat them in their championship opener, as they head into a rest week ahead of a third-round clash with Scotland on February 22.

"I think we have to have every confidence in ourselves after that win (over France) 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."

Sleightholme, 24, is one of several players from reigning Premiership champions Northampton in the England squad, with the Saints well represented in a back-line against France that featured his fellow wing Tommy Freeman as well as half-backs Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell.

Northampton back-row Henry Pollock, meanwhile, enjoyed a further advance in a breakthrough season on Wednesday when he was called up to England coach Borthwick's squad for a pre-Scotland training camp.

- Communication of Saints -

Sleightholme said being surrounded by familiar faces from club level bolstered the England team's overall cohesion.

"You don't speak less but you don't waste communication," he explained. "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."

Scotland will travel to Twickenham after a 32-18 home defeat by Ireland, with their 11th successive loss to the double-defending Six Nations champions dampening the mood among Dark Blues supporters following a promising first-round win over Italy.

But the Scots will now be aiming for their fifth win in a row over oldest rivals England.

"There's no dancing around it, it's a huge game," said Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman. "It certainly is for us and I'm sure they (England) will be targeting this one as well."

The 24-year-old Edinburgh forward added: "You don't need any added motivation. We need a result down there. It'll show the character of the boys, how we respond to the Ireland defeat."

J.Liv--ThChM