England v France: Jonathan Joseph plays like the French greats of old - which is they love him, says Mike Catt

The French newspapers have dubbed it L’Amoroso, a love affair with Jonathan Joseph, the type of thrilling player who used to be the preserve of Les Bleus, a Jo Maso or Philippe Sella or Yannick Jauzion, with diamonds in the soles of their shoes.

As the French public have turned on the current regime for the biff and bash of the team’s play, so they have looked longingly across the Channel at the likes of Joseph, the top try scorer in the Six Nations Championship with four, and the fly-half George Ford, players with vision to see what is on offer and the nerve to go for it.

If France wer…