Let’s put it all together and bash Aussies
ENGLAND did well to dig themselves out of a hole after an extremely poor first half but the bottom line is that unless Owen Farrell and Dylan Hartley are on the field, England’s intensity levels seem to dip and they look vulnerable.
The other senior players have to start showing more leadership and awareness of how the game is developing. It was clear after about five minutes against Japan that England were wrongly adopting a ‘wide wide’ game plan without doing the hard work first and using their power in the tight and around the fringes. It needed a simple fix, there and then, and panic could have been avoided.
It’s all about mindset and being focused on what needs doing, which is why I got so annoyed when Danny Care mindlessly kicked the ball dead when his pack won some prime turnover ball in a promising position.
What a waste, the backs were lined up to press home the advantage and England, although they probably didn’t deserve it, had the opportunity to go upfield and nick the lead before half-time — which is exactly what world-class teams do.
If I was Eddie I would have lost it at half-time and taken Care off — Test players need to be aware of the possibilities for the full 80 and not just turn off like that.
That’s the negative, the positive is that England played much better after the break and soon crushed all thought of an upset win by the Japanese, whose fingertip passing and handling was a delight.
Japan generally looked to stand a bit deeper and at a steeper angle than most sides these days, which gave them just that fraction of a second more time, and they really made it count. They look well on track to give a good account of themselves at the World Cup next year. For England it’s Australia next. England are in credit this autumn — overall it has gone well, but a good November can be transformed into a very good month with a thumping win over the Aussies.
For me the starting team against New Zealand is still England’s Gun XV, I wouldn’t envisage much change to that. Chris Ashton came off with a knock and if that doesn’t clear I would have no hesitation in picking Joe Cokanasiga, who did everything asked of him against Japan and has a huge amount to offer.
We might also, fitness permitting, see Manu Tuilagi on the bench. Psychologically, it would be good for him to get a little game time now to complete that feeling that he is back, but if there is any doubt over that calf muscle, discretion should probably be the better part of valour.
Can England sign off by putting everything together for the full 80 minutes in one complete, defining performance to finish 2018 on a high? We want to see their first- half performance against New Zealand, backed up by the second- half performance against South Africa. Do that and Australia could struggle to live with England. What we don’t want is the first half against South Africa and Japan and their second half against New Zealand. That wouldn’t be good at all!
Just to concentrate the mind, England need to remember who they play in their first game next year. Ireland at the Aviva. There is currently no bigger challenge in Test rugby and that is a mighty start to a huge year for England.