Australia’s back-row uncertainty in the wake of David Pocock’s injury means the stage is well and truly set for emerging English superstar Maro Itoje to make his mark on world rugby.
The 21-year-old was one of England’s best in the 39-28 first Test win over the Wallabies, and the talented Saracens lock now looms as one of the key players of the Cook Cup series after Pocock was ruled out for six weeks with a fractured eye socket.
England were already dominant at the breakdown, Itoje along with James Haskell proving a commanding presence in the face of Australia’s World Cup ‘Pooper’ back-row, which now won’t play together again until the Rugby Championship.
But that seemingly wasn’t enough to satisfy the man tipped as a future England captain, who wants his side to further starve the Wallabies of loose ball in the final two Tests, in Melbourne on Saturday night and then in Sydney the following week.
“All three of their back-rowers are world-class players, and they’re all very dangerous around the breakdown,” Itoje told reporters.
“I think that’s an area we need to improve on. I thought that we allowed them to steal our ball or turnover our ball a bit too much so I’m sure that’s going to be an area for us to work on at training.”
Itoje started in the second row, after speculation he may play at No.6, but proved a menace all over the park and in the lineout.
It was just his fifth match at international level, coming off a domestic season in which he led Saracens to a win in the European Champions Cup final last season and also scooped the European Player of the Year award.
“I’ve obviously never played the second-best team in the world before so it was new, playing Australia,” he said.
“But I just felt we didn’t start how we wanted to start. We were a bit off in our (defence) in the first 15 minutes which gave them opportunities to do what they did.
“If you give them opportunities they’re a deadly side. They will take it, as they did.”
Itoje said the English players weren’t getting carried away with their first win in Brisbane or their stunning rise under coach Eddie Jones.
“We’re not thinking about the future, we’re not thinking about what’s to come in how many years,” he said.
“We want to give a good account of ourselves in Melbourne so that’s the main priority for the team.
“We need to take it up another level because I’m sure Australia are going to do the same.”
Crash Ball2
Guest
Pilfering is but one facet of a whole host of ruck and maul disciplines that David Pocock executes so well for the Wallabies. Snaffled pill is the highlight reel making, stat friendly KPI, but far from the singular capability some claim Pocock possesses. Often the greatest value of an openside flanker's game contribution is the unseen, seldom celebrated hard wins achieved in the dirty, dark corners of the pitch: offensive rucks secured, scavengers repelled, ball slowed, number of opposition cleaners committed, extra kick to avoid ruck contest, extra pass for the same reason, weight and leverage in the maul defence. The more focus the opposition makes to the most frequent battlefront on the rugby pitch, the more opportunities exist elsewhere. The up front collision point and ensuing breakdown armwrestle is far less dramatic than a fleet-footed midfield break or less immediately gratifying than a well executed, well timed rush tackle. But far fewer players exert such influence to the ground contest so well. Pocock's absence does have strong implications to England's breakdown dominance in the 2nd and 3rd tests. The Wallabies possess a workmanlike pack, rather than an explosive one and our forward selections should be about mongrel and close quarters grunt rather than flair. Our 7 should be a ruck warrior and our 8 should be a blunt force menace. We've got a whole backline full of dynamic game breakers to take care of the wide channels.
Itoje was very, very good as was Haskell, but I am not sure that I would make the link between Pocock being injured and them dominating further. Pocock excels as a poacher who can gain the Wallabies possession, but it wasn't a lack of possession which cost us the game, we had over 60%. Rather it was poor offensive breakdown work leading to the Poms poaching or forcing penalties, there were many times when I saw the ball runner in the third or fourth phase get isolated by multiple English players. What we need is: A. For the entire team to step up and make hitting the ruck hard to keep position a priority, there was too much dilly dallying which let the Poms in for my liking: and B: A big, fast, fit, aggressive number 8 who can lead the way on that task, Ben McCalman being my pick. We will definitely loose a bit of possession without Pocock's poaching, but there are other ways to compensate for that, good rushing defence to keep the Poms behind the gainline and force them to kick, improved setpiece, and more and better coordinated counter-rucking would be high on the list of priorities.
CUW
Guest
"It was just his fifth match at international level, coming off a domestic season in which he led Saracens to a win in the European Champions Cup final last season and also scooped the European Player of the Year award." u mean this season - right? anyways he did not lead Saracens though named MOTM. it was farrell who kicked sarries to a win :) (there was no trys scored in the final , in case people have forgotten !)