Jonny’s form puts Red Rose in pole position to beat France

THERE was a time, not so long ago, when Jonny May was notable as an England winger who ran sideways and did not score tries.

In his first seven Tests, spanning a full year, he failed to trouble the scorers and it was frankly inconceivable that one day he could be considered the world’s best winger.

Look at him now. The way he played against Ireland last week was as good a wing performance as I think I have seen.

He was note perfect in the rudiments of chase that ball, win that box kick, get your team further up the field by dominating in the air.

It comes as no surprise to me to hear that he was a decent pole vaulter as a teenager – for the leap he has made with his game is huge.

What caught the eye in Dublin, where he scored England’s first try and made their third with a brilliant kick, wasn’t the things that historically he can do well, namely catch the ball and run fast.

It was what he has grafted on to that through pure hard work – defensive awareness and a range of aerial skills in attack and defence which offer opponents only discomfort.

Target him with a bomb and he will diffuse it, ask him to chase a kick in attack and he will make it his own. He completely dominated the left touchline at the Aviva.

It was the sort of performance you would expect from Rieko Ioane. If the All Blacks wing is the world’s best, as he probably is, May is surely not far behind.

None of which guarantees anything against France who have a unique ability to turn a lost cause into victory with a single momentum shift.

That said, as Wales discovered, they have the same capacity to go from triumph to disaster in the blink of an eye.

With May (above) in such irresistible form, I take England by 20.