TYSON FURY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
England may have made a middling start to the Six nations but they are the only team in the first two rounds to claim an away win and now, with two home games on the bounce, they are in a very strong position to challenge for the Championship.
I can’t see Eddie Jones making many changes for the Ireland game. His mind seems to be made up with regards to Tom Curry at no 8, although he is clearly missing the point.
Of course Curry can go well at no 8 — he’s a great rugby player — but by playing him there, England deprive themselves of possibly the world’s best flanker.
Much attention will focus on the two captains, Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell, and I would like to see them in direct opposition at fly-half.
I haven’t always been an out-and-out advocate of Farrell at no 10 for England, simply because I always want two playmakers and george Ford and Farrell provide that. But the World Cup final convinced me to change my mind.
My main reason for switching is that, although Farrell is an accomplished no 12, he is one of the world’s best 10s and that’s where England need him.
look at it another way; I am certain Sexton could make a very decent Test 12, but why would Ireland bother with that when he bosses games at 10? I have a feeling that if an Ireland or indeed a lions coach asked Sexton to play inside centre, he might get a very short and direct reply!
Farrell in top form at 10 can drive a team on, as we saw during England’s outstanding win over Ireland in dublin last season.
The midfield that day was Farrell, Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade and, all things considered, that game is still the best display under Jones’s regime, even better than the semi-final against new Zealand.
It would be tough on Ford but Test rugby is full of tough selection decisions. The one thing I can promise you is Farrell’s dad, andy, would be delighted to see his son playing 12 and not 10!
When observing Sexton and Farrell, I want to touch on an aspect of both their make-ups. They are good captains — although not that experienced as leaders — but neither handles or ‘manages’ referees very well, something which is traditionally considered a vital part of captaincy. although for me, most of a captain’s responsibility comes into play during training and build-up.
Both are fiery characters who have a lot to say on the pitch but it is fascinating, and sometimes amusing, watching them swerve from one extreme to another with the refs.
On some occasions they are strident, belligerent, and use their position as captain to query almost every decision, while on other occasions, appreciating that they can be a little full- on, they try the diplomatic, almost compliant approach, saving their real ire for what they consider a rank injustice.
I’m not sure either works. Martin Johnson was a great captain but he wasn’t a very good manager and cajoler of referees and that’s me being polite.
I always designated that job to somebody else, normally the scrum-half, and Matt dawson was excellent at it.
The thing about scrum-halves — who are all frustrated refs anyway — is that although only the captain is meant to talk to the ref, the no 9 develops a natural dialogue throughout a game. They work with and talk to the ref constantly at scrums, as the lineouts form and at the base of rucks or mauls. It is very easy and uncontroversial for a scrum-half to have a quiet word with the ref.
I always asked Matt to loudly repeat and relay all the instructions from the ref to the team, firstly because the ref wants all the players to hear it and those instructions need to be obeyed, and secondly, it conveys the impression to the ref that the side are listening to him and working hard to carry out his calls.
The scrum-half is the conduit to all the refs’ instructions and the quasi- coaching that goes on — ‘back foot, hands away, get back onside, release, use it’ — really works and so many referees said to me privately and publicly that they enjoyed ‘ coaching’ England as the players seemed to listen to and obey their instructions.
I reckon Conor Murray fulfils a similar role for Ireland, taking a little of the heat off Johnny. I’d like to see Ben Youngs or Willie Heinz do it a little more.
My other early thought on this game is: what an opportunity for andy Farrell to go back to Twickenham as the man in charge of Ireland.
He has made a fine start this season as head coach and, although I believe England will win, I would also take great delight in seeing an English coach such as Farrell taking such a notable scalp.
We really do have some exceptional English coaches.