Saturday 4 February 2017 17:55, UK
Ben Youngs has urged England to continue rebuilding Twickenham into a fortress as they stand on the brink of a record 15th successive Test victory.
Eddie Jones' men launch their Grand Slam defence against France on Saturday needing only one more win to surpass the 14-game milestone set during Sir Clive Woodward's reign.
In 2015 Wales and Australia rampaged through Twickenham to knock England out of the World Cup they were hosting, but they have since amassed seven consecutive victories on home soil.
"Winning at Twickenham certainly adds confidence and belief within the side," Leicester scrum-half Youngs said. "It's a bit like Saracens and Allianz Park - you go there and you know you're going to have to be absolutely on it to come away with anything.
"Hopefully we're beginning to build that reputation so that when teams come to play us they think it's a real tough place to crack. We want to make Twickenham as intimidating as possible.
"It's down to us to perform and keep continuing the run we're on. It also adds a prize for the team if we crack it. We really want to set a precedent in terms of how we're playing, showing improvement from the autumn to now.
"We really want to hit the ground running in this tournament. The run we've been on doesn't count for anything unless we get it right at the weekend."
Talk of a French revival after years of decline will gain credence if France win at Twickenham, something they have not done since 2007, but they enter the 102nd meeting between the rivals as underdogs.
Leading the blue charge will be Louis Picamoles, the Northampton No 8 who has been a spectacular success in his first season at Franklin's Gardens, and Youngs views him as the catalyst for their attacking game.
"The Saints boys know Louis well and have spoken about how important he is," Youngs said. "He is the heartbeat of the French team, he's a big physical presence who certainly gets them on the front foot.
"Guys like him have been mentioned, so we know the importance of dealing with his ball-carrying threat. Once the French side get momentum and on to the front foot it only takes one offload and they get excited and off they go.
"Someone like him can ignite that and we are fully aware of what he can bring to the game and how we have to try to stop him.
"The thing with France is that you could be six points ahead, feel very comfortable and it doesn't look like they're breaking you down, but it just takes one or two offloads and they're behind you and they've got you.
"No team has a threat like they do in terms of some of the stuff they can do. One off-load and the whole team becomes energised and comes to life."
France have traditionally viewed the scrum-half as their general and it was Dimitri Yachvili, who retired from international rugby after the 2011 World Cup, who has inspired Youngs.
"Nines have always been important to them over the years. For me growing up I used to watch Yachvili - he was the master," he said. "I would watch him play for France and Biarritz in the European Cup and he and Imanol Harinordoquy would run the whole show. He was a real general."
