TOBY FLOOD TOUGHER TESTS WILL HELP ENGLAND LIFT THE SPIRITS
AWIN is a win. The ring rust was evident, the lack of cohesion and timing needed at international level was obvious. But England will take it, and with it the Six Nations title. The mixture of little top-level game intensity exposure added to the pressure of the result led to a stuttering performance against Italy in Rome. However, it was not all doom and gloom. England looked abrasive, and combative in those areas that have become the foundation of their game.
Where they looked poor was exactly where they were going to be the most vulnerable. That lack of exposure, not only to the opposition, but to themselves in high-pressure, decisionmaking situations hit England’s combinations hard.
The missing flow was emphasised further as a result of their tactic to kick repeatedly. Clearly England wanted to
Too often England passed up opportunities to reveal Italy’s weaknesses
win the kicking contest, and the territory battle, but with that they missed chances to squeeze Italy. Too often they passed up opportunities to reveal their hosts’ weaknesses, content to hold fast to their gameplan.
With that the Italians grew in stature, and niggled, celebrating the smallest victories as if they had won the tournament itself. It rattled some of the England players, already frustrated by the disjointed match, leading to flashpoints as emotion got the better of them.
Too much can sometimes be made of a slightly off performance. In the notso-distant past, England have lost Grand Slams, and tournaments, more than once on a final weekend.
So to achieve this feat with a 239-day gap between internationals, and with a team full of tired bodies from a shortened, intense season in which many of their stars played to the latter stages in big domestic and European finals makes it even more impressive.
It leaves Eddie Jones with an interesting few weeks, and decisions to make. Should he allow those misfiring combinations a few weeks of game time to re-find their feet? Or expose those younger fringe players in the squad to international rugby in the upcoming, less pressurised autumn tournament, with his eyes on the next World Cup?
The autumn will not have the same feel to it. No southern-hemisphere giants landing on domestic shores, no crowds and no fanfare as the country slides back into lockdown.
But with Jones and England talking often about the need to lift the spirits of the country, perhaps that will bring the motivation, pressure and intensity they are seeking to allow them to hit the heights once again.
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