By James Mortimer -
March 12th 2009 @ 12:49am
Get a Roar profile
Loading ...England to pip Les Bleus in Six Nations
England last week took the extraordinary step of having a meeting with the country’s top referee Wayne Barnes. After spending time practicing defensive drills with fourteen men in the last few weeks, it seems that Martin Johnson will try anything to arrest England’s woes.
Ten yellow cards in four matches.
With fifteen men on the field, they have not had their try line breached, but have conceded 30 points while a man pays for their sins off the field.
This is costing England matches.
While working with Barnes, they deconstructed the 41 penalties that England has conceded in this Six Nations, as well as assessing the performance of Stu Dickenson. The simple fact is that England will be watched harshly.
While the analysis of their penalties were divided into three categories, acceptable, unacceptable and grey – any 50/50 call will invariably go against England.
For now, Johnson has not made an example of his men, although one could imagine the size of the veins on the former World Cup winning English captain’s forehead at post match briefings.
This may be the problem, although it is said that the squad was subjected to extra training runs as punishment at their recent camp in Yorkshire. But if these men are indeed the best England has to offer, Johnson can ill afford to drop players.
But really, England has lost the habit of winning.
They have beaten only Italy and the Pacific Islands since the last Six Nations, and one could unleash all form of expletives on the state of this England team.
It is difficult to agree with captain Steve Borthwick, who has said that England’s discipline issues are a thing of the past. But one could concur with the surprising optimism that is coming from the team and coaches alike.
England has scored eight tries this Six Nations, only one behind ladder leaders Ireland. Statistically, Johnson’s team knows how to attack.
Against Ireland they made more attacking breaks and made far more ball carrying metres that the championship leader’s, and more than once opened up Wales’ supposed impenetrable defence.
All this is despite still not having settled on a first choice playmaker.
But it has been their defence that has recently caught the eye.
They have conceded only three tries, the equal best record in the Six Nations, and have a tackle success rate well over 90 percent.
Modern rugby is being won and lost by efficient defences, and no doubt England has this modus operandi.
Stop conceding poor penalties and this England team will start winning matches: it is a simple formula to be able to turn the corner.
Worryingly for England, though, is that they face a team that may have already turned.
Quite simply, Les Bleus were magnificent against Wales in their last match. They proudly continued the chameleon styled tradition of the French, looking average at periods in the championship before the necessary injection of passion made them world beaters.
Led by Imanol Harinordoquy, the Tri Colours backrow had a match that you could record and play for any budding loose forward wanting to learn such arts.
When the French were not dominating the rucks, a brilliant spearheaded defence marshalled by their Panzar like centres all but completely shut down the vaunted Red Dragons attack.
But most impressive was the way they adjusted their game and field tactics.
They quickly figured out the Welsh pattern of play and coordinated a match not so much based around their own style, but with the intention to completely shut the defending champions down.
The mark of class, and experience; understated throughout the tournament is that despite sporadic youth, this is indeed a team of French elder statesmen.
Seven of the match squad are over 30.
Like England, question marks exist over their revolving door for their first five eighths, with neither team wielding a world class playmaker.
But outside of this, it is a team with plenty of menace.
Sebastian Chabel has been selected in the back row, teaming with Harinordoquy and Thierry Dusautoir. This is combined with a solid tight five gives France a capable set piece.
Giant Stade Francais centre Mathieu Bastareaud continues at outside centre, while Francois Trinh-Duc will become Frances third standoff in their last four matches.
Les Bleus will indeed be a daunting prospect for England if he supplies quality ball to a backline that drips with class.
While some have wondered about Marc Lievremont’s visions, it is clear that his grand plan is eventuating, and will start as favourites in what could be a classic match.
It is hard to believe that such grand foes – with history stretching back to 1906 – are both ranked seventh (France) and eighth (England) in the world, the lowest ever for both sides since the IRB rankings began.
I expect a vastly improved English performance, and pick them to squeak a win over France and notch their third consecutive win over Les Bleus.
Going to the Waratahs v Brumbies blockbuster at ANZ Stadium, Saturday 24 April? If you're keen to meet up with other Roarers, register you interest and we'll keep you informed on the place to meet. Register now.
Get Australia's best Rugby opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(46)
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 1:10am | Report comment
I agree. I would expect England to win although it should be a close match. It will be interesting to see how Parra’s kicking holds out. Trinh-Duc isn’t used as a tactical kicker at Montpellier.
France beat Wales because they were dogged and because Wales refused to kick to touch. I wouldn’t expect England to make that mistake, although I am surprised that Kennedy has been ommitted. Obviously Shaw adds bulk but Szarzewski is such an inconsistent thrower that I would have assumed that it would make sense to keep Kennedy in the 5 jersey, especially as England have only lost one of their own throws all tournament. That said, Croft is a superb lineout jumper and a superb restart forward.
The breakdown will be interesting too because Martyn Williams had a field day against the French back row, none of whom are genuine fetchers. I suspect that Worsley will tackle, tackle, tackle. No more, no less. That Johnson has been unwilling to blood a genuine 7 is slightly worrying.
Faure is a superior scrummager than Barcella and Marconnet is very, very good, therefore the scrums will be tight. Thion and Shaw add their respective weight so this match could be a real slugfest. Easter and Chabal are hardly ballerinas either.
Ultimately Johnson is making England hard to beat, and the games versus Wales and Ireland have been close, however at some point real direction will be necessary. England have been playing tight but have shown an ability to break so eventually the crowds will get restless with the safety first policy. England attempted to run too much during the Autumn, and now too little, as did France. This is a very, very big game for both coaches.
For England to win they have to do the basics, obvious as that sounds. Protect the ball, challenge the lineout, rush the rucks and listen to the ref. Both packs are workmanlike so I suspect the game will come down to the boot.
James, Clive Woodward also used to practice with 13 and 14 men. It’s a very sensible tactic, although England’s recent form means the press have conveniently forgotten that fact.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 4:46am | Report comment
I also agree that England might win this one, but only if they throw off the defensive posture they brought to the matches against Ireland and Wales. The scoreline result against Ireland is somewhat misleading. O’Gara could normally be relied on to get the kicks awarded and a scoreline of 25-13 to Ireland wouldn’t have been harsh.
However, I’d also argue that because O’Gara missed, England persisted with keeping it tight. If they had fallen behind by a greater score, it might have forced them to play a more open game, and who knows what the end result might have been. A more open game would have suited Ireland better too, and possibly opened up more scoring opportunities.
In a sense, there’s a game in England that they haven’t played yet. The match on Saturday may provide an opportunity to play it. I hope that the French get on the scoreboard early and take a 7-10 point lead. England won’t be able to afford to crawl into their defensive shell, and I’m willing to bet that when they decide to emerge, they may surprise the opposition, and themselves.
Penalties or no penalties, England haven’t played well enough this season – yet. To see the games against Ireland and Wales as losses purely due to penalties/sin-binnings is too simple, in my view, and not taking sufficient account of the opposition they faced.
The French team is beatable, but I’ll be surprised if they lose to England’s current style of play. More running please, England. You might even enjoy it, never mind your fans.
However, it is the games on the Saturday that will be of more interest to rugby fans everywhere else.
First up will be Italy vs Wales.
Gatland’s decision to make wholesale changes to his squad for the game against Italy is even more breath-taking in its arrogance than Lievremont’s decisions against Wales in the last round. Wales know that they need a 20 point margin at least from the Italy match for their final game at home against Ireland. Putting a new, but less glamorous, crew to work in the hope that they’ll play out of their skins, may fire up the Italians sufficiently to play the grind and grunt game for which they’re best suited.
Wales will need to open them up early or face a highly attritional 80 minutes. Gatland has kept 4 or 5 key players in place such as Shane Williams who hasn’t been in top scoring form this tournament. Maybe this weekend will give him an opportunity to get back in the game, before the title decided on 21 March. And give them the Points Difference they need.
The early evening game on Saturday sees Ireland head to Murrayfield as Championship leaders, and a potential Grand Slam on their horizon – though they’re being very careful not to mention the GS words. All the focus is on Scotland and nothing else.
The Scots have Hines and Hamilton back in the frame, with Hines on the bench for the match. Hines has been a thorn in recent Irish sides, although he’s also been binned twice in matches against them. Hadden may decide to bring him on to raise the flagging troops at a critical point in the game.
Kidney has introduced four new players – D’arcy at 12, Best at 2, Leamy at 8 and Stringer in at 9. He’s lucky to have such strong replacements in each of the positions. Stringer’s passing may be favoured to ensure a faster and more open running game for the backline. Darcy is a longtime partner with O’Driscoll at Leinster and with Ireland. Leamy and Best played exceptionally well for their clubs and will be looking to make a big impact to get in the frame for the Wales match.
With O’Connell and O’Driscoll leading from the front, Ireland are firm favourites and should win this match, but they need to win it comfortably with a 10-15 point margin as a minimum and at least three tries in the bag. Hopefully O’Gara gets a chance to kick a few to stabilise his kicking form. A strong winning scoreline will strengthen confidence within the squad, keep the momentum going, embolden the 4 new players in the team and present a high bar that Wales will have to overcome in the final match. Knowing that you have to win to keep the title, and win by more than 20 points, is a daunting task for any team to face.
However that’s two weeks away. Top 3 play bottom 3 this weekend. On current form, it’s only England who might cause an upset, but you never know……
Colin N said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:04am | Report comment
I’m going for Scottish and Welsh wins, both by close scorelines. I refuse to predict the outcome of the England-France game as in the AI’s I said England would beat South Africa and Australia and we know what happened there don’t we?
I feel Ireland are fairly weak a half-back in the sense that I’m not a huge Stringer fan and he’s not even first choice for Munster. Also if O’Gara reproduces the same form against Scotland, both with ball in hand and his place kicking, Ireland may well struggle. O’Gara was very lucky against England as he threw numerous forward passes that weren’t spotted and for some reason the whole back-line looked completely dis-organised. Having said that, his tactical kicking wasn’t too bad. Sometimes it was a bit aimless, but England were doing exactly the same pointless hoofing.
Re Wales, it’s quite diffcult to predict how they will perform and how the game will go due to the amount of changes Gatland has implemented. It could be a blessing for Italy that Peel is injured as he now gives way to the Welsh first-choice, but rather ponderous scrum-half, Mike Phillips, who hasn’t been very impressive in the previous three games.
However, despite the many changes I expect Wales to win this one, but possibly not by much.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:06am | Report comment
O’Gara had penalty opportunities because England infirnged, not because their defence wasn’t strong. They can’t simply ignore their defensive basis when it has been their central point for three games. In my opinion France are massively overrated. They were utterly terrible against Scotland and they hardly beat Wales off the park. They were dogged and committed, not breathtaking and could have very easily lost the game at the end.
Ireland are looking to play it tight. Best is a good scrummager having previously been a prop and Leamy is a mauler. D’Arcy doesn’t kick so he’s there to crash it up. I’d be surprised if Ireland started throwing the ball about. Scotland have a good strong pack so I’m a bit surprised that Kidney has chosen this moment to seek a forward battle.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:10am | Report comment
Re Wales. I’m going for a Wales blow out. Yapp and Thomas are good strong running props and Bennett and Thomas will solidify the lineout. Martyn Williams will be missed though.
The backline looks solid and I fancy Wales to attempt some sexy rugby.
I agree with you about Scotland, Colin. They aren’t a bad side, and an Irish win seems a foregone conclusion in some quarters. I’ll still take an Ireland victory though. I think they have that extra quality that Scotland doesn’t.
Colin N said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:27am | Report comment
The Welsh players that have come in are all good players, but it’s whether the amount of changes will affect the continuity. I feel it’s a great chance to see how strong the Welsh squad actually is, and if the incoming players can do a job and not succumb to the inevitable that will be on them to perform.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:38am | Report comment
That’s true but the change was necessary too. Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins probably need a rest. Martyn Williams probably doesn’t but if he’s to be managed until 2011 then giving the Italian pack a miss is a good call. What I find puzzling is why Gatland is not playing Sowden-Taylor at 7. Daffyd Jones, although a good blindside, is certainly nothing more than a stop gap. In reality Bennett, Thomas and Henson were part of the Grand Slam spine so I think James overstates Gatland’s supposed “arrogance”.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 12th 2009 @ 5:54am | Report comment
lets hope that the french whooooooop them!!!
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 6:10am | Report comment
That’s ironic. I would have assumed the dour and dull play.. oh no, wait.. the brutal and committed play of England would be right up your alley. The Waratahs are after all a pale imitation of the stoic European rugby clubs..
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 6:11am | Report comment
Eh it was me with the arrogance tag, KO, not James.
Loath as I am to put any kind of hex on the boys at the weekend, I think some of the assumptions about Ireland are misplaced. Have people forgotten the opening game against France and the style of play in that match? It’s still the game of the tournament so far, in my view. Italy did their usual stifling, one track game, and Ireland still put five tries past them. England came to stifle and contain. They succeeded.
Stringer has had some extremely good performances recently, some off the bench, and one recent full game for Munster.He contributed hugely to their last two wins in the Magners League. He’s faster than O’Leary with his passing, and I think his inclusion will certainly give O’Gara more time and space for tactical kicking at which he excels better than most other 10s in the 6N. His place kicking was shite against England, no other word. I don’t figure he’s going to have that bad a game again. Next to him, Darcy will be more than simply a crash ball merchant. People often forget that many of O’Driscoll’s great finishes over the years, have been due to the play of Darcy at 12 with his jinking runs, upper body strength and passing out of tackle. And he has the will and strength to get over the line himself. Look at the try he got in the French game when he came on for the injured Paddy Wallace.
Don’t know why you think Kidney is choosing this as a forward battle, KO. In my view, everything points to them making it a more expansive, open game, with Stringer and Darcy committed to ball-in hand, passing game.
Leamy is a very good back-rower, although I think he’s a better 7. He’s played 8 regularly for Munster and gets over the line at critical times.
I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion, but Ireland should win.
And I think Wales will get a chance to cut lose, and tack up the points.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 6:18am | Report comment
As an aside, looking at the comparative results of S14, Magners and Guinness Premiership from last weekend, the try rate in each league is interesting. Last time I did this, the Magners had the highest average tries per game, followed by S14 and then GP. This time around, it’s 23 for S14, 22 for the GP and a miserable 13 for Magners. So the GP tops the table this time.
That’s what brutal and committed play gets you, KO. Along with trudging mudfests, penalty dominated games in the NH.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 6:21am | Report comment
You’re right Pothale, sorry James. My mistake, you didn’t even mention Wales. Obviously Pothale’s lengthy rant baffled my mind somehow.
I’m an Irish fan but I thought they were very poor against Italy, as indeed most teams are, but the late tries glossed over that.
I recognise that D’Arcy isn’t just a crash ball merchant either but he does not offer a kicking option at 12 and the cross-field kick to Bowe is a valuable option. D’Arcy tends to move infield, stepping quickly. That makes me think that he’s going to work close to the pack.
How can you think that the selections point to a wide game when Best and Leamy are two of Ireland’s tightest players?
Stringer passes to O’Gara.. who will kick or pass to D’Arcy. That’s my pre-game analysis. The French game was a spectacle because France forced the pace. I cannot see a pack with Ford, Murray and Hamilton indulging in quick-footed hi jinks.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 6:40am | Report comment
Rant? Rant?!!! That was considered pearls of wisdom in mellifluous prose, you bounder!
I didn’t say they were good against Italy. Nobody is any good against Italy. The only time to play them is in the last match of the round, cos they’re somewhat fagged out.
Cross-field kick to Bowe at 12? Eh why wouldn’t Gara do that since he is a past master at it? He moves infield to draw players and fires it outside in most of the games I’ve seen. And they are bringing in Fitzgerald or Bowe into the line off O’Gara more and more. Anyway let’s wait and see.
Agreed on Scottish pack, but they may not have a choice.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 7:02am | Report comment
Re O’Gara.. agreed, but my point was that removing a kicking 12 removes options. My theory is that Stringer is very limited, in contrast to O’Leary who is more of a threat. That, to me, suggests a restrictive game plan. Indeed, we shall just have to wait and see.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Take your point. And you might be right in that we get an old-style Munster game plan from 1 – 10 with O’Gara kicking for field position. I really hope not – when I think they’ve a great opportunity to open it up. And they need some practice before the Welsh game.
hayden said | March 12th 2009 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
There are smarter rugby brains than mine on this thread, but isn’t part of England’s penalty problem due to the plodding nature of their forwards, who need to slow the ball down at the breakdown while guys like Borthwick and Easter huff and puff? It’s hard to see them making any miraculous changes until they get players that can keep up with the pace of the game. The only reason I am not picking France to win is that Les Frogs are so infuriatingly unpredictable. That said, I can’t see England winning it, if anything France will lose it.
Colin N said | March 12th 2009 @ 9:12pm | Report comment
“There are smarter rugby brains than mine on this thread, but isn’t part of England’s penalty problem due to the plodding nature of their forwards, who need to slow the ball down at the breakdown while guys like Borthwick and Easter huff and puff?”
It’s an interesting area this because I feel it’s because the likes of Borthwick and Easter aren’t powerful enough. Ryan Jones is fairly slow, but at his best, he clears out the rucks and does the donkey work. Compare that to Andy Powell who is quick and powerful, but never enters or clears out a ruck, this could be a technical or tactical issue.
Anyway, onto the selections and I think the players coming in were the right calls, but the players going out were wrong. It should have been Shaw for Borthwick (but Johnson is never going to drop his captain) and Croft for Easter, with Haskell moveing to eight. The thing about dropping Kennedy is that he’s superb in the lineout and has improved in the loose and tight exchanges. Shaw has been put in to add some ballast to the pack, which I think is a correct move. He also has great handling skills. However, he wont last for long, so in the summer, Johnson should be thinking about giving the likes of Peter Short of Bath, or perhaps even Sean Cox of Sale, who before his injury was looking very promising. The likes of Chris Jones and Dean Schofield are also good alround athletes, who add grunt to the pack, but then again I am biased.
Going back to the selected England team and Croft has been added for his pace and power in the loose, but also his lineout, which is excellent. Personally I would have liked to have seen Tait starting for Tindall and Cipriani or Hodgson (again biased opinion, but he is the form fly-half in the GP and has been for the last two seasons – defence has improved as well) on the bench
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 9:32pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t think that for one minute Easter or Borthwick aren’t fit enough. It’s another matter if they’re not good enough, but if they weren’t passing fitness tests then they wouldn’t be part of the squad. If the pack slows the ball down it is because it is the done thing in rugby. It makes the team harder to beat, which is essentially what Johnson is trying to do. McCaw and Juan Smith are absolute masters at slowing the ball down, and nobody would accuse their respective packs of being unfit. The fact of the matter is that England have dominated possession when they’ve played recently so they are doing something right. The key issue is to slow the ball down appropriately in the eyes of the ref. There is no point in centralising your defence around the breakdown when players are unable to adapt to the referee.
Borthwick should not be in the team. That is the simple fact. He affects the entire composition: the ruck, the scrum, the breakdown and the lineout. Other than him Sheridan, Kennedy, Croft, Haskell and Rees are probably some of the best athletes in European rugby, so there isn’t a long-term issue, more a selection issue.
I also can’t see France “losing it” either Hayden. The generic, accepted view win the southern hemisphere is that France are brilliant and bad. They’re not. Apart from Medard, Heymans and Harinordoquy they are a team of plodders. They were atrocious against Scotland, and beat Wales with an iron will rather than golden hands and all of a sudden France are great one more. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised were France to win, but IMO they are in the same position as England.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 9:32pm | Report comment
Agree about Kennedy, colin N – great in lineout and Borthwick should have been dropped. I only wish that Ireland had moved sooner and got him into our squad. I like the look of Tom Croft and is probably one of the more understated players for England in recent times.
And why Hodgson is a great bet for a match like this. Cipriani seems determined not to make any friends, doesn’t he? Mike Catt gave him no quarter with his response to the handshake refusal.
Knives Out said | March 12th 2009 @ 9:46pm | Report comment
Mike Catt can suck a fcuk. If we recall his original analysis: Toby Flood is playing good rugby. Erm.. no he wasn’t. Do you not watch games Mike? Bit worrying that he would have thought that given he reckons himself a coach. What has Cipriani done? Nothing, only what the press says he has. When has Cipriani ever come out and given himself a pat on the back? Rule no. 1 of coaching is do not make cynical comments about other teams players. Catt was both ethically and technically wrong. Not only that but I’m sure he remembers the hard times he used to be given, and would realise that being implicitly rude about somebody in the press is not helpful. Cipriani tells him to fcuk off and then Catt runs to the press AGAIN, moaning about this “new breed” and how he didn’t care, it’s no skin off his nose. Then why go to the press you idiot?! Childish, brainless moron. Cipriani should have taken his head off. Were I Shaun Edwards I would be straight on the phone. Toby Booth must be furious.
pothale said | March 12th 2009 @ 11:19pm | Report comment
OOOOOoooh!
pothale said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:25am | Report comment
England up by two tries against France already after 20 minutes. If France keep playing as badly as this, Italy are going to fancy their chances next week. The penalty count against France is horrific – they’re a shadow of the team who played against Wales and Ireland. England loving it – and why wouldn’t they with the French this bad.
ohtani's jacket said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:43am | Report comment
England are playing extremely well. Some outstanding back play.
Colin N said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:46am | Report comment
29-0 to England at half-time. France awful, England very good. Unfortunately Toby Flood’s gone off due to injury. I thought it would be a mistake playing Chabal at 7 and there is not a French player in that pack who can win the turnovers.
pothale said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:49am | Report comment
29-0 to England as the fourth try goes in. France should give up now – they are shambolic. No defending. Dropped balls. Poor tackling. Poor kicking. England won’t have an easier win all year. I reckon 3 or 4 more to England in the second half with the biggest 6N score in the tournament’s history. It ain’t pretty to watch unless you’re an England fan. If you’re a French fan, you’re probably hiding behind the sofa by now.
matta said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:55am | Report comment
my god this is a poor froggy team 34-0 at 42 minutes.
Caveman not quick enough for number 7 and their 14 looks like he can hardly run.
BTW – Pommy front row is poo.
matta said | March 16th 2009 @ 2:01am | Report comment
Armitage is quality
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 2:16am | Report comment
That’s only because Marconnet is so good Matta. You’re probably not used to scrummaging in Australia so it’s unlikely that you’ve heard of him.
Typical France. They didn’t play particularly well against Wales and yet look at the press response. They’re an average team with a woefully inept coach and this is the result.
matta said | March 16th 2009 @ 2:38am | Report comment
KO – LOL
Not too much talk off scrum down here but a couple of RWC wins make up for it.
In all honesty – what has happened to the pommy from row? I ave always though Sherridan was over rated but I used to rate Vickery highly.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 2:49am | Report comment
I’m glad you liked the joke Matta.
It’s a hard one to call Matta. Sheridan was never as great as his occasional great match suggested. The rumour from his club is that he’d much rather hit the gym than hit scrum practice, but overall I think he has the potential to be better than he is. His work rate is much improved but his scrum performances have been very inconsistent since the WC. The same applies to Vickery who has always been slightly inconsistent in the set piece. That said, I don’t think France were any better in the scrum, the reason being that the ref never allowed them to last beyond a few seconds so how can we judge? For what it’s worth I think that France did have the edge in that area. They should be angry that the ref never allowed them to extend that advantage. It also happens to be the case that Marconnet is one of the best props in the world so he would be a tough nut to crack for most opposition. As soon as Domingo came on the French scrum creaked slightly, but then improved again as the game neared the end.
England were poor against Australia in the Autumn but then they pushed SA around with ease, so I’m guessing the problem is inconsistency. Steve Borthwick is a big problem. His stature affects the scrum and also the breakdown. There are much better scrummagers in England than Sheridan and Vickery but they’re both big experienced men who are great lineout lifters and have a good work ethic, so they deserve to keep their positions. England need to dump Borthwick and play a real enforcer at 4 because Borthwick is neither a 4 nor a 5.
pothale said | March 16th 2009 @ 2:50am | Report comment
Lievremont eventually makes wholeseale changes from the bench having conceded a fifth try to England to make it 34-0 minutes into the second half. And it makes a difference although the game is already over as a contest. France put in patient work and after a purple patch of about 20 minutes are rewarded with two tries. It’s now 34-10 and the game rumbles on and on somewhat pointlessly. The only thing of interest is to see if England can get any more easy tries or if France can frustrate and reduce the margin somewhat for respectability. Dickinson has blown countless penalties and free kicks in this match, and yet has not handed out one yellow card to either side, when they’ve been warranted. So much for consistent reffing. The ball has been so slow at the breakdown in this half, that sometimes it looks like the scrum-halves are digging for turnips at the back of the scrum. France win the second half, but it finishes with an emphatic win for England. Delon Armitage the MOTM in my view. Much more disciplined by England, but with France so poor and the game over by half-time, it’ll be difficult to gauge the overall improvements and advances made. England now in 3rd spot in the table. In the final round next week, if Wales lose to Ireland and England beat Scotland handsomely, they might finish second yet.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 3:02am | Report comment
Shaw had a bad game – too many penalties, bad decisions etc, but I note that as soon as he went off the French pack upped the ante and were managing the breakdown situation much better.
I think that Tom Croft was superb. He is an athletic freak. His lineout work, his ruck work and his re-start chasing was supreme. Haskell is a good, powerful flanker but England cannot afford to push Croft into the 2nd row or the bench. He must start at 6. He’s a Lion.
pothale said | March 16th 2009 @ 3:10am | Report comment
Agree on Croft KO. As I said earlier in this thread, he is one of the more underrated England players in the squad. Great game today and I think got MOTM on the telly.
Shaw was pants even though he contributed to one of the tries – far too many penalties and looked like someone who hadn’t been at any of the briefings about discipline. Not sure if it was Flutey or Armitage who was lucky not get a yellow card for the deliberate intercept/knock on. I thought Dickinson was far too whistle happy, and it looked like France got the rough edge this week – but that’s reffing for you.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 3:16am | Report comment
I noticed that Croft was jumping at the front as well as the back. He completely dominated Harinordoquy.
Shaw always does this “What, me?” face. Total dope. I used to watch him regularly at Wasps. Big guy, scrambled eggs for brains. Lovely bloke though.
Monye was the deliberate knock on artist, Pothale. He looked good, I thought. Pace and directions. Far more involved than Sackey.
pothale said | March 16th 2009 @ 3:26am | Report comment
Scrambled eggs for brains?!! Love it. I’m sure you’d have no problem telling him that to his face.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 3:30am | Report comment
I certainly would tell him, perhaps from a moving car..
Colin N said | March 16th 2009 @ 4:15am | Report comment
Monye was ok and he has the skills to be successful at international level, but like Sackey he doesn’t look for work and he only got the ball today because there was enough space for England to spread it wide to him.
Cueto, though, is a very good and under-rated winger. His try scoring record speaks for itself and he reads the game well and looks for work, and of course is a very good finisher. I agree Croft was excellent and Kennedy did a lot more than Shaw when he came on. What’s surprised me about Kennedy is how much he has improved in the loose. People said that he is a great line-out operator but not very good in the loose or tight situations, but he has proved people wrong. Borthwick had a much better game and Easter was excellent.
Re France: Well the less said about them the better.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 4:50am | Report comment
Let me put it another way then.. Monye’s defence was good, he had the confidence to take Malzieu on the outside and he linked well on the counter. Conversely I do not like Cueto. I don’t think his kicking game is up to scratch and he has been as lazy as Sackey in recent games. I’d rather see Ojo or Strettle.
Kennedy did more than Shaw, who did his usual, but when he went off the exertions off the French forwards was more pronounced. I agree that Easter played well, despite what that idiot Guscott said.
France were bad because England did the basics better than them. They weren’t purposefully missing tackles. England controlled the ruck and attacked with accuracy.
Colin N said | March 16th 2009 @ 5:08am | Report comment
I disagree about Cueto although I would because I’m a Sale fan. However, since I’ve seen him in action countless times, I’ve seen that his kicking is very good and I also think that he’s constantly looked for the ball despite what you say.
Also, perhaps not today, but against Ireland and specifically Wales, he was the only one of the back three to try and counter and keep the ball in hand, instead of needlessly kicking it away, like Armitage did against Ireland.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 5:37am | Report comment
That suggests he was playing against team tactics. I think that Cueto plays like an individual for England rather than part of a back three. I just don’t rate him. His kicking has not been good this 3N. I just think he’s utterly mediocre and that there are far better wingers than him in the GP.
Colin N said | March 16th 2009 @ 5:57am | Report comment
And what was a problem against Ireland – aimless kicking. Cueto didn’t do that and he broke the gain-line more than Monye today and I would guess he had more of the ball. You also can’t deny his try scoring record in both the GP and at international level, his support play is excellent. Who would you have instead?
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 6:33am | Report comment
I would have Ojo. JSD, Strettle or play Olly morgan at 15 and move D. Armitage to the wing. I simply do not rate Cueto as a footballer. He cannot play full back and his passing is weak also. I certainly wouldn’t suggest Cueto had less ball than Monye today. It isn’t as if he was involved in set piece plays, he took his chances when involved in a coutner attack. It’s also contradictory to say that Cueto didn’t kick against Ireland and then note that he probably didn’t have much ball. I’m sure the two are connected. Do you have statistics to illustrate your gain-line comment?
Monye, Diggin, Balshaw and Olly Morgan have scored more tries than Cueto this year, so his past record is pretty irrelevant. Although you might be interested to note that he only scored 1 try in the 07-09 GP season. The current GP season stats reveal that Cueto isn’t in the top 10 for metres gained, clean breaks or defenders beaten table.
Colin N said | March 16th 2009 @ 6:51am | Report comment
I knew you would mention those names. JSD’s injured, Strettle’s just come back from injury and not on form (for obvious reasons) and Ojo atm is nowhere to be seen atm (might be injured). Also Armitage isn’t a winger or hasn’t payed there much and if there’s a full-back who is the best person to replace him, I would say Foden is that person.
“Monye, Diggin, Balshaw and Olly Morgan.”
Have you taken into account the amount of games he’s missed due to internationals. He also missed a few games at the start of the season due to injury, so only being one try behind those players isn’t bad.
“Although you might be interested to note that he only scored 1 try in the 07-09 GP season”
That is a stat I’m aware of although I’m sure you mean 07-08 season, but constant niggling injuries have hampered him in the last couple of years, but due to a change of regime and car, he is now fully fit and on form. Also around 10 of Cueto’s caps came when he was not fully fit and only scored something like 2 tries in that time.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 7:07am | Report comment
Colin, Ojo is injured however he would have been in my EPS squad. He last played versus Leicester on the 1st March. Armitage has played quite a bit at wing actually, as he has at 13. He has that versatility, and given the increase in kicking it makes sense to have that cover rather than Sackey and Cueto who (ahem) aren’t exactly Ryan Giggs. Olly Morgan has been the form full back all season whereas Foden hasn’t. I wouldn’t trust him with a potato gun. Strettle may not be on form currently, but his season stats are outstanding. He is a matchwinner.
Diggin hasn’t played a great deal of games this season either, and Morgan and Monye have also been injured. I’m pretty sure that Monye has missed more games.
Yes, I did mean the 07-08 season, and yes, I am aware about Cueto’s back/hamstring/Porsche problems but he simply does not have the pace of his competitors. He would not have taken Malzieu like that. If England want to counter attack then they need finishers and pace merchants. He cannot match Ojo, Monye or Strettle for pace nor can he match Armitage, Morgan or JSD for footballing ability. He may be your man, but he certainly isn’t mine.
ohtani's jacket said | March 16th 2009 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
England gave everyone a rugby lesson last night. They counter attacked with the ball in hand. and when they did kick, it was into space with a brilliant chasing game. They even scored from a set piece. Most of all, they looked for touch! Amazing.
Knives Out said | March 16th 2009 @ 8:38pm | Report comment
I agree about the chasing game. Perplexing that it took so long to realise that part of the game for a set of professionals.