England XV v France XV: Winners & losers as Feyi-Waboso’s headloss and World Rugby-owned platform sours Twickenham spectacle
England xv vs france xv winners and losers: Feyi-Waboso headloss and Woki diving shoulder rages debate over red card law
France beat England in an entertaining exhibition match at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The match, which finished 24-26 following a last-minute try by France, did not go down as an officially capped event, but did allow players to express themselves in international colours in front of a global audience of an enthusiastic stadium of fans.
With plenty to talk about, here are the winners and losers from today’s event:
Winners
Romain Taofifenua: The giant lock entered the field early in the second half, and although he didn’t have the busiest of outings, his final act would prove to be worth more than its weight in gold. Camped on the England tryline with the clock in the red, Taofifenua charged over for France’s winning try, after his side had clawed themselves from 12 points down to take victory.
An ageing player, Taofifenua will have reminded selectors ahead of the summer Tests that he’s still got what it takes to win games.
Tom Willis: He carried with power and purpose into the contact with each available opportunity, smashing the French defence back each time. His presence on the field was greatly missed when brought off at the 55-minute mark.
With both the Lions and England short on natural number 8s, Willis’ performance will have gone out as a stark reminder to Andy Farrell that if a back row injury occurs in Australia, then the Saracens man is in a top position to board a flight.
George Ford: The Sale and England fly-half was in fine game-commanding form alongside scrum half Ben Spencer, as he orchestrated an impressive lead over the rivals. Sadly, his platform from which to work off diminished after Willis exited the field, but on the go-forward he was immense.
The 32-year-old will have been disappointed not to have been selected for the Lions squad again this summer, after missing out for the third time in a row. Many pundits and fans were surprised to see his exclusion, but after today’s performance, maybe Andy Farrell will reassess his options.
Losers
The fans: With World Rugby promising fans free online access to the match through their streaming service RugbyPass TV, this should have been an exciting day for the future of rugby media. In fact, it signalled the end of what had once promised to be a huge step forward for fan access.
With exclusive rights to the match, RugbyPass TV owned the monopoly for any fans wishing to see their favourite stars in action. But, for those who had managed to log on, they were set to be very disappointed.
Receiving a note that simply read: “too many requests,” the footage was not available to many who wished to tune in. Such was the chaos that ensued that the RFU had to set up a stream on their own YouTube channel – reaching just over 40,000 viewers at any one time.
A huge shot in the foot for rugby, and for RugbyPass TV.
Immanuel Feyi Waboso: The return of the electric Feyi-Waboso was supposed to be a major positive for England fans, having not seen him in action since the start of the year. There were concerns from many pundits, however, that drafting him straight back into the starting lineup could have adverse effects, and this proved to be true.
The Exeter Chiefs star looked nervy from the outset, knocking the ball on twice in the early stages. He didn’t look confident when he finally kept hold of the egg either, electing to put a nothing kick in when he was in space down the touchline.
The kick wasn’t the worst part of that move, however, as his day was cut short when trying to recover the ball from France. He wrapped his arms around Antoine Hastoy’s neck to give away a clear penalty and receive his marching orders, himself. This was eventually upgraded to a red card, which will now likely mean a lengthy ban, keeping him out of the summer internationals.
Cameron Woki: His star has diminished since initially bursting onto the scene as a teenager for Bordeaux Bègles, and his display today would have done him no favours.
Entering the field as a substitute early into the second half, his day lasted just over ten minutes when he was given a red card for a malicious shoulder into Jamie George’s head while the England hooker lay on the floor.
If this red card is upheld, then Woki will be unavailable for the upcoming test matches against New Zealand.
