Will Greenwood
Where this epic Twickenham Test will be decided
England Sharp from the start
England got off to a blistering start in Rome. The team worked very hard on the pull-back plays off quality distributors. These are plays designed to have George Ford and Owen Farrell on the ball as often as possible. Runners come short or close off them, attacking the inside shoulders of the defence, while the ‘flyers’ – wingers – float round the back and try to get on the outside of defenders who have been fixed by the decoy runners.
England were tidy, accurate and took their chances. The decoys accelerated into space nicely and Jonny May, the key man twice, floated around the corner. But they were helped because the Italian system fell apart: no one else will defend so poorly.
Pace and power
England rely on their raw athleticism and are looking to play with dynamic power. Anthony Watson, May and Sam Simmonds would not look out of shape in a running vest at an Olympic relay. Maro Itoje is a giant ball of fast-moving muscle that keeps hitting all day.
What England have also managed to add to this part of their game is acceleration. This has not always been a major part of the English rugby lexicon. Acceleration is the change of speed that disrupts defensive lines. If you can vary your speed of attack, if you can dip and increase speed, then you can pull and push the defence. It is this variation that is so disruptive.
England have been working on this side of their game as a collective. As a result, players are not allowed to dawdle if they are offering themselves as a runner. On the flipside of this, they have also refocused on becoming set-piece monsters. Scrum, line-out, restarts – every one of them was close to perfect in Rome.
Infinite variety
Off this foundation of dynamic power and the set-piece, England have been introducing greater variation in their attacking play. So many of England’s set-ups look similar but, actually, they provide multiple options.
The skill they are adding is the ability to run what American footballers call an ‘audible’. This is when a quarterback changes his mind and runs a different play on the hoof. In rugby, the England back line, particularly Ford and Farrell, are becoming adept at being right in their opponents’ faces and still able to choose between a variety of attacking options at the last minute.
It is an extraordinary skill that very few teams can pull off. The squad of 2003 could rarely manage it. Our skills were not high enough, the sessions not devised, the game not developed enough. This England side are more sophisticated and are getting much better at seamless and fast-changing delivery and decision-making.
I am also not displeased by the fact that they are prepared to kick the ball if it is slow or their other options have run out. They employ a cracking kick-chase game, and it allows them to apply the pressure to the opposition farther downfield rather than risk getting isolated in their own territory.
Wales Heavenly handling
If England have the dynamic power, then the Welsh have ball skills. My jaw dropped with some of the Welsh handling both behind the scrum and, more importantly, in their pack. It is a real point of difference for Wales and I would mark them out as the leaders in the northern hemisphere in a fullcourt running game where forwards can interlink with backs.
I am not talking about the usual Lions contenders of Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens. Both props, Rob Evans and Samson Lee, are happy to flick a ball on, have a step and change of direction and shift the point of attack. Corey Hill, a lock, was flying all over the shop, double-pumping, dummy high, dummy low, spin passing. And Josh Navidi at 7 looks like he is playing a game of ‘two touch’ when he is out there. He rarely gets shut down and if he is the link man, he knows who he is passing to before he gets the ball.
Aaron Shingler – I told you he was good – has a zero error count and had Steff Evans picked up Alun
Scrum, line-out, restarts – every one of them was close to perfect in Rome
Wyn’s pass five yards from the Scottish line then we would have been talking about that try in the same way we laud Sean O’brien’s Lions try. It was magic to watch.
Precocious Patchell
In terms of attacking play, I could not have been more impressed with Rhys Patchell. He was looking for space and opportunity all day, but without being reckless. There was the odd error, but he has the ability to understand the threat and speed – or lack of them – in the opponents’ defensive press. If you back off for a second and try to buy time because you feel outnumbered, he attacks the defender’s inside shoulder right under their nose and delivers the ball flat to his runners, putting his man away into space outside.
Patchell also provides a variety of kicking. Impressively, his cross kicks have been pinpoint, many executed on the run. He is tough and will make his tackles or carry hard himself if he needs to.
Strength at centre
In the centres, Hadleigh Parkes makes the right decision every time in attack and defence. He understands a principle that is non-negotiable for me in topquality midfield players – he stays square to the opposition.
Centres must keep their shoulders facing downfield, like a skier pointing their chest down the hill. Rugby is no different. If you are square you can go whichever way you please and a defender cannot force you into a dark alley.
Wales will have noticed that England’s defence offer space out wide from midfield scrums. The current set-up sees them aligned in such a way that if they do not get their movement perfect they can be exposed. This was evident in the run-up to Italy’s first try in Rome: Mike Brown was a little central to the field, Ben Te’o narrow, Anthony Watson unsure, and Mattia Bellini was in behind. Two phases later Tommaso Benvenuti strolled in. The Welsh, and especially Patchell, will have watched.
So, in summary? Raw power and athleticism versus sublime handling from 1 to 15 – this is an epic in the making.