Charlie Hodgson played outside Jonny Wilkinson for England in the No.12 shirt and inside Owen Farrell wearing 10.
During an 11-year Test career, he learned a bit about setting up a backline with two playmakers and has seen how often it has worked for England against France.
Ahead of the latest edition of Le Crunch, the debate is raging over how best to utilise the talents of Farrell, Marcus Smith and George Ford, who was dropped from the squad yesterday.
Should Farrell be moved to 12 to allow Smith to pull the strings at fly-half? Or should head coach Steve Borthwick start with one 10 and leave alone the centre pairing of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade that has won the last two games?
Hodgson, the Premiership’s all-time leading points scorer, does have a concern about Saturday’s Twickenham clash, but he is clear as to how he wants to see England line up.
The former Sale and Saracens star said: “Steve has chosen to pick an out-and-out 12 and Ollie is doing a fantastic job. He is one of our form players.
“To suddenly alter that, to change it up for one match and start playing with two playmakers, I’m not entirely sure about that.
“Steve will know what he wants from this game but I like a ball-playing 10, a ball-carrying 12 and a 13 that can do a bit of both.
“That’s what we’ve had for the last two games and, personally, I think it would be a shame if that is changed.”
Hodgson is in training to run the TCS London Marathon on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy UK. With six weeks to go he describes it as a “huge mental battle”.
It is on that ‘mental’ topic that his worry for England centres. He sees a team capable of hitting high notes with their play but some bum ones with the inconsistency of their focus.
“Of course England can win, we’re playing at home and I don’t doubt the ability of the guys that are playing for us at the moment,” he said.
“France are a very good side, albeit not in form at the moment compared to the past 18 months. If there is ever a good time to play them it probably is now.
“The difficulty for England so far has been lapses in concentration. Yes, they have the capability to beat France. But, and there is a big but, there are these lapses in concentration.
“Allowing Scotland to come from behind to win in the last half hour; letting Italy back in and actually win the second half from 19-0 down.
“No with all due respect to Italy, France pose a far greater threat. They will destroy any lapse in concentration. For England this is more a mind game than anything else.”
Charlie Hodgson is taking part in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April for Muscular Dystrophy UK
