Irish Daily Mail

A HOME LOSS TO IRELAND WOULD IGNITE A FULL -BLOWN CRISIS... TO IRELAND WOULD -BLOWN CRISIS...

- CLIVE WOODWARD

GIVEN the largely positive impact Eddie Jones has made on English rugby, it would be easy to suggest back-to-back losses against Scotland and France are no big deal.

If it was only the loss to Scotland I would agree it was just a bad day at the office, but there is much to consider after England’s defeat against a very average French team. Alarm bells are now ringing loud and clear.

LET’S STOP TALKING ABOUT ‘FINISHERS’

WINNING Test-match rugby union has long been a 23-man effort and the bench is an important weapon. In their 24 wins from 27 games under Eddie, England have finished many of them well but the emphasis on the replacemen­ts or as Eddie’s calls them ‘finishers’ is now ruining a number of teams, not just England.

Remarkably, England could and should have still won had they shown the necessary composure at the death with those two lineouts but they blew both chances. They messed up the first lineout, amazingly got a second chance and then just could not handle a classic ‘pressure’ situation. Then, before the final knock-on, they didn’t appreciate that they had numbers out wide if they had communicat­ed effectivel­y and properly handled the defining moment of the game.

And why was that? England had an inexperien­ced hooker throwing in, two replacemen­t props lifting, a new scrum-half on and a new combinatio­n at centre because Owen Farrell had moved to 10.

Just when you wanted continuity and calmness there was absolutely none. The ‘finishers’ could not think clearly about how to finish under pressure and key starters were all off the field. It’s madness and cost them the game.

But the only reason England even had an opportunit­y for an undeserved win is that France had replaced both their half-backs — arguably their best and most experience­d players who were both having good games — and replacemen­t fly-half Lionel Beauxis kicked it wildly down field instead of banging it into the stands following England’s overthrown lineout. That’s what happens when players are not in the flow.

Players have a 15-minute half-time break and there are endless stoppages so I don’t accept for one minute that players are not fit enough to get through 80 minutes and I guarantee if you ask those who are regularly replaced they will tell you the same.

WHERE HAS ENGLAND’S INTENSITY GONE?

PEOPLE are banging on about the failings in the back row and there is an issue there but by far the biggest problem is the collective physicalit­y and intensity of the team. It’s just disappeare­d. In the last two matches every player has lost the physical and mental contest with his opponent. You are never going to win when that is the case. The breakdown and tackle area is all about bossing the entire area physically but the back rows can’t do it on their own. For years, Ireland’s best player at the breakdown was Brian O’Driscoll. He was often the first man there, either as a defender or the man being tackled, and set the tone for that encounter from the moment contact was made, making his back row’s job much easier. Everybody in the England team needs to be much tougher and dominant in contact. I was talking to Keith Wood and Sean Fitzpatric­k, who both rate Dylan Hartley as I do but both commented that captaincy has softened and mellowed Hartley’s game. They could have point. Although England are hampered by injuries in the back row, there are still options. Don Armand impresses me every time I see him. I don’t care that he reportedly doesn’t make enough yards and carries for Eddie’s liking, he’s a really tough bloke who raises the whole tone. At some stage, England need to give a genuine seven a proper run. Perhaps Sam Under- hill, if he recovers from his injury, or one of the Curry twins who both have excellent speed. We are further away than ever from solving this problem.

IT’S TIME TO SHAKE UP THE ATTACK

JONES’S ‘phase two’ was supposed to be built around sharpening England’s attack but it feels like opponents have figured them out. Much of this is reflected in England’s lack of intensity but George Ford hasn’t produced and Jones now has more questions than answers — especially at 10 and 13.

England are not getting the best out of what should be a world-beating back division, and I feel some are feeling too comfortabl­e. Danny Cipriani hasn’t had an England start in 10 years and has been playing really very well since returning to England. Eddie is not alone in leaving him in the cold —Stuart Lancaster wouldn’t pick him, Martin Johnson wouldn’t pick him — but I most certainly would and would love to see him start. His talent deserves to be given a chance.

With Ben Youngs out long-term, I would opt for Dan Robson and Cipriani at half-back, Farrell and Elliot Daly at centre and two from Jack Nowell, Jonny May and Denny Solomona on the wings with Anthony Watson at 15.

STOP GETTING CHIPPY ABOUT CRITICISM

CRITICISM comes with the job. Eddie flared a bit a few weeks ago when he reacted to criticism of Mike Brown after the full back had a good game against Wales. But he was wrong to do that. Brown has not been playing to his full potential and the criticism — most of it constructi­ve and respectful — was valid and then vindicated against Scotland.

England have not been playing well for a long time. The last time they truly hit top gear was that big win against Scotland a year ago. Other than the last 20 minutes against Australia and the first 20 minutes against Wales it’s been pretty average fare.

Changing winning sides is an art. You don’t want to slow the momentum but when the evidence tells you your side are going backwards, you must act.

It could get worse before it gets better. If England lose to an excellent Ireland side chasing the Grand Slam that would be three defeats in a row and possibly fifth place in the tournament.

That is unacceptab­le for an England side that has targeted winning the World Cup and becoming the world’s No1 team. A huge week awaits in every sense. Another defeat and the excellent record from January 2016 to January 2018 will count for nothing.

 ??  ?? Walk of shame: a crestfalle­n England trudge off at half-time in Paris and Owen Farrell (inset) finds his way barred by home prop Rabah Slimani, typifying his side’s lack of physical presence against a dominant French team
Walk of shame: a crestfalle­n England trudge off at half-time in Paris and Owen Farrell (inset) finds his way barred by home prop Rabah Slimani, typifying his side’s lack of physical presence against a dominant French team
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 ??  ?? his way barred by home prop Rabah Slimani, typifying his side’s lack of physical presence against a dominant French team
his way barred by home prop Rabah Slimani, typifying his side’s lack of physical presence against a dominant French team

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