More Six Nations success awaits England

David Skippers
Add as a preferred source on Google

England's Owen Farrell (centre) celebrates scoring his side's winning penalty kick in extra time with team-mates during the Autumn Nations Cup match at Twickenham Stadium, London.

Next in our set of previews ahead of the Six Nations we examine the prospects of last year’s first place finishers, Eddie Jones’ England.

With both Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup silverware secured by England last season, everything in the rugby garden of Jones looks, on the surface, suitably rosy.

However, despite the wins there are many rumblings around the game of England playing a limited style, of a slavish adherence to kicking strategy and criticisms of not picking form Premiership players.

Whilst the English public have come to respect Jones and his achievements, there’s still a question of whether he and his methods are truly embraced by those fans and, with a promise from Jones of a more attacking style this season, the big question around England is are they plateauing or are they progressing?

Last year

In simple terms, England played nine, won eight and won both of the tournaments they played, ending the 2020 season second in the world rankings behind South Africa but above New Zealand and France. In world terms, they were the most successful side of 2020, losing only one match.

One would think, judging from the surface of those results, that a sense of satisfaction abounds, but if one judges harshly, one would be excused for pointing out that the standards of the other Home Unions rugby right now is at a particularly low ebb, with Wales and Ireland very much in rebuilding phases under new leadership and only Scotland looking like a side on the upslope.

The matches against France were particularly telling; Les Bleus are a side playing without fear and with a rich crop of talent but, crucially, they’re the only team that England faced that have the physicality and attacking intent of a Rugby Championship team. England struggled in Paris where the sheer strength of the French forwards obliterated England, destroyed their lineout and, with a partisan crowd in full voice and inspirational performances from Charles Ollivon and Gregory Alldritt, they powered England off the park.

Wind forward to Twickenham in December in the Autumn Nations Cup final and France’s second-string team, led by the magnificence of young fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, almost repeated the result until England’s finishers Joe Marler, Ben Earl, Jonny Hill and Will Stuart came on and changed the course of the game.

This year

The biggest question Jones has to answer this season is have England plateaued under his tutelage or can they improve further?

It’s a question that can only be answered if Jones is prepared to take risks to lose the style of kick and chase that he’s forged and that has been reasonably successful in order to try new systems, introduce form players and to blood new talent for Rugby World Cup 2023 before it’s too late to do so.

There are some big question marks over some of the units in the team; front five depth is a given, but in the back-row a commitment to playing the similar Sam Underhill and Tom Curry on the flanks together robbed England of a support and linking flanker, something crucial to their ambitions. At half-back, it was the same old same old, with rotation of Ben Youngs, George Ford and Owen Farrell, and in the backline the only player of note to be given an opportunity was the bustling figure of Ollie Lawrence.

However, the biggest challenge is thus: whatever name currently occupies the number 10 shirt on the teamsheet is irrelevant as, right now, Jones is playing fly-half for England by proxy.

He picks players that can deliver his own thoughts, with plays slavishly micromanaged and decisioning risk completely eliminated in favour of percentage outcomes. The best coaches empower decision making by the players; Jones empowers his own decisions to those that are his disciples, and, with a strict culture within the camp of obedience, this is holding England back substantially. The question is not so much who plays at nine and 10, but how they play, and for that to progress, Jones needs to let go.

Elsewhere, the loss of Manu Tuilagi until May has a vast impact on every unit of the side. His physical presence is such that his absence informs the props selected, the locks, the back-rows and other centres, all in a call to replace the precious crash yards that England lack when Tuilagi isn’t there. There’s also a case here that trying to replace him like for like, in an attempt to retain the same system in first phase attack, is rather futile, as Tuilagi is a one off; it’s better to select players for what they personally do well, rather than try and get them to do what Tuilagi, a unique player, does.

This season has, subject to change, nine Tests either side of a British and Irish Lions tour and England should be aiming to win all nine. However, winning them isn’t enough as, at this stage of England’s progression, the simple fact is Jones and his team rightly or wrongly will be judged like an ice-skater – partly on technical merit, partly on artistic impression, and, right now, it’s the latter where the question marks are.

Key players

The front five are world-class, with depth in abundance in every position, and with some seriously talented players like Ellis Genge, Stuart, Hill and Luke Cowan-Dickie applying healthy pressure to some world-class incumbents like the peerless Maro Itoje and Jamie George, both crucial leaders for England.

In the back-row, there’s some balance issues emerging, but ones that have haunted England for a year or more. At number eight, there’s little back-up to Billy Vunipola, who has been back to his best, but provides the opposition with a predictable game-plan. In short, you can nullify him providing you can match his power. Sam Simmonds is seen as someone who doesn’t dent big defences, yet his performances at domestic level remain unmatched by any eight in Europe.

Curry is unquestionably one of England’s strengths wherever he plays, but every time Underhill (unavailable until round two) faces the physical sides at the top of the rankings such as South Africa and France, he has struggled to cope with their power games as evidenced in the Autumn Nations Cup final where he was replaced at 43 minutes for Earl’s greater pace and mobility, a call which had a significant impact on the result. To some, playing two very similar players is a case of ‘you can change the bowlers but not the bowling style’.

For all of Curry’s and Underhill’s industry in defence, creation in attack is a substantial weakness, and England need to start to explore other more complete options, notably those of Earl and Mark Wilson (who is also one of England’s best options at eight, where he won two player of the match awards in 2018), if they’re to bolt on attacking ambition, support and passing from their back-row. At this level, a pair of world-class flankers should be scoring a try every two or three games between them and right now, they’re not even close to this benchmark.

In midfield, Lawrence has done enough to be in the mix and will alternate with Henry Slade playing outside Farrell, with Ford resuming at 10, but there’s a need to look a little deeper in the Premiership where Piers O’Conor and Joe Marchant shine week in and week out.

With issues in the back three too (notably the lack of form of Anthony Watson and the low game time of Elliot Daly) only Jonny May is assured of a start. However, the options are thin at the back and with Slade providing an option at 15 in the truncated 28-man squad for the Six Nations, it’s time perhaps for Jones to take a few gambles.

Players to watch

Picking up on the back three issues, both Max Malins and the human wrecking ball that is Paolo Odogwu have significant claims for inclusion. Whilst May continues to impress, Bath’s Watson is lacking in form and it could just be that Malins’ attacking threat could see him get the starting nod. Odogwu’s inclusion is a compelling one and the biggest question is one of where he plays rather than when he plays. At Test level, wing appears to be his natural home, a place where his ability to roam into midfield could sharpen the blunt England running game, with the possibility that Bristol’s razor-sharp scrum-half Harry Randall could also get the nod for similar reasons.

In the pack, Kyle Sinckler’s suspension opens the door for Stuart to continue his progression in the tighthead berth, and whilst Hill looks set to start, we believe that it won’t be long before Jones turns to the mobility of Northampton Saints’ David Ribbans in a supporting role. Jack Willis completes our players to watch and, in truth, there’s very little that we can tell you about Jack the Jackal that’s not known already, but he faces an uphill battle for a starting berth with a queue of quality flankers at England’s disposal.

Prospects

Let’s be clear about this – where England are now as a side, anything less than a Grand Slam would be considered a failure.

With three home games out of five, England will bank on Fortress Twickenham repelling any planned invasion by Scotland, France or Italy. With trips to Wales and Ireland in the later rounds, having Scotland first up will assist with England’s propensity to start slowly.

However, one could argue that this first home match is the hardest for England to face. Scotland are on the upslope, a side that’s bolted more pragmatism last season to align with their undoubted flair and, without any fear of losing or any pressure of expectation, Finn Russell and his young Scots might just fancy this one.

Wales away, based upon form, should prove surmountable for a settled England side, with the prospect of a potential tournament deciding game against a marvellous French side in March.

If all goes according to plan, it leaves a huge game in Dublin on March 20. According to logic and the form book, the title is England’s to lose. However, when did the Six Nations ever conform to either logic or form? Champions.

Fixtures

Saturday, February 6 v Scotland (Twickenham)
Saturday, February 13 v Italy (Twickenham)
Saturday, February 27 v Wales (Principality Stadium)
Saturday, March 13 v France (Twickenham)
Saturday, March 20 v Ireland (Aviva Stadium)

by James While

 

England