When old enemies collide, you can usually be assured that sparks will fly. Unfortunately, the only fireworks on show during England’s draw with Scotland last weekend were those which greeted the teams before kick off.

Both England and Scotland went into the game at Murrayfield on Saturday needing a win to get their campaigns back on track but when all was said and done neither team got what they wanted – and in all honesty neither deserved to.

England were particularly lacklustre in the first twenty minutes. I was expecting, or perhaps hoping, that Martin Johnson’s men would come charging out of the blocks, with the Irish defeat still fresh in the memory, and assert some authority early on.

Tentative play from both teams meant scoring chances were at a premium but the impressive Dan Parks and ever-reliable Jonny Wilkinson, who overtook Ronan O’Gara as the top point scorer in Five / Six Nations history, traded penalties to make it 6-6.

Parks added a third penalty on the stroke of half time and with England behind 9-6 at the break things weren’t looking good. Johnson’s refusal to start with either of the young Northampton duo Ben Foden or Courtney Lawes, as well as the surprising decision to drop Lewis Moody, meant that there was a wealth of talent on the bench.

If ever there was a time to make use of the reserve pool then this was it. However Johnson had other ideas. England emerged for the second period unchanged but were immediately forced into a rethink when Wilkinson was forced off injured, although not before he had levelled the scores at 9-9.

Flood replaced him and was soon followed onto the pitch by Ben Foden, finally given a bit of time to show what he can offer, replacing the ineffective Delon Armitage. His withdrawal was tactical but Ugo Monye’s certainly wasn’t. He was ushered from the field of play after a big collision with Kelly Brown. Thankfully Ugo has recovered well and it was a rare moment during the game where an England player decided to put his body on the line for the sake of the team. And that is how it should be, plain old fashioned commitment.

The boot dominated the rest of the match and it ended 15-all, the first draw between the two sides since 1989. Scotland always make it difficult for England at Murrayfield. The passion and determination on show was remarkable and if they could display the same commitment in every game, they would be a nuisance for any opponent. Saturday’s result means Scotland haven’t lost to England at Murrayfield since 2004.

So England supporters will have to wait another twelve months until the nation gets another shot at the RBS 6 Nations title, but in the meantime there is the small matter of a game against the French in Paris.

The French have been head and shoulders above the rest throughout this year’s competition and during their latest victory, against Italy at the Stade de France, played some scintillating stuff. With Imanol Harinordoquy leading by example up front and Morgan Parra dictating the pace behind, they have found the perfect blend of defensive grit and attacking flair. Their play is both decisive and incisive and has all the dynamism that I was looking for England to display going into this campaign.

If England are to stand any chance of victory when they travel across the channel, and wreck French dreams of a Grand Slam in the process, the forwards will have to stand up and be counted – and I believe they will. They can’t afford to be bullied and now that they have nothing to lose, should be able to play with some freedom.

The last time I was at the Stade de France I was strapped to the saddle during the Dallaglio Cycle Slam. Now that the adventure has come to a close I’ll be enjoying the rather more comfortable environment of the studio come kick off on Saturday evening.

In total I cycled 2,800km, with the help of some dedicated friends, from Rome to Murrayfield, taking in Paris, Twickenham, Cardiff and Dublin along the way. It was a crazy idea at the outset I know, however it’s all been in aid of Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation making the physical challenge well worth it. To relive parts of the ride or to make a donation please visit www.dallagliocycleslam.com

With the RBS 6 Nations out of reach for another year it’s important for England to look to the future. The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand is less than eighteen months away and for England to be competitive against the best teams on the planet, there is a lot of hard work to be done. The performance and result against France at the weekend will prove just how much work is needed if England are to be in with a chance of making the final stages in New Zealand next year.

Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. To find your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub visit www.greenekingipa.co.uk