ENGLAND BLOW IT AGAIN!
Champions’ title defence in tatters as ill-discipline sees
EVEN though Pascal Gauzere may never again have to pay for his own beer in Cardiff, in the end, England only had themselves to blame.
The referee will dominate today’s headlines, but this was a story of England’s chronic ill-discipline as their Six Nations campaign was reduced to dust.
Wales were at their streetwise best. They hustled their arch rivals, picked their pocket and sent their well- paid neighbours packing. Black eyes all round.
As England reach the halfway point in their four-year World Cup cycle, Eddie Jones was left with more questions than answers. Plenty of bark but not much bite. England have become a team who struggle to adapt and their golden generation of talent could end up as nearly men.
How the Welsh crowd would have revelled seeing their players rack up a record scoreline.
There was none of the usual frolics on Westgate Street as the team busses entered the stadium. A cluster of Welsh fans gathered to give the England bus a traditional welcome, before they scarpered at the first sight of a patrolling police car.
From the first kick, the sound of English desperation echoed around the empty stadium. Every cough and spit could be heard. ‘Get him! Hit him! Pressure on the kick! Wider!’ barked Owen Farrell.
‘Biggar! Biggar!’ screamed Jonny Hill as he flew out of the line to take out the Welsh No10.
In their efforts to disrupt the Welsh game, England’s penalty count quickly ramped up. Maro Itoje was often the guilty party. The lock is consistently England’s best player but he is too often at the epicentre of any ill-discipline.
Doubts have been raised about Farrell’s ability to communicate as a captain. He barks orders to his team-mates, but struggles to switch into diplomat mode in his dealings with officials.
Dan Biggar and Farrell exchanged early penalties, before England lost the ear of the referee.
‘ Have a word with your team about their behaviour,’ Gauzere warned Farrell, as Wales piggybacked their way up the pitch with penalty after penalty. Farrell’s first instinct is to argue.
Soon after, Wales showed their cunning streak.
‘ Can you tell me when time is back on please?’ Biggar asked the referee as the clock stopped for a penalty.
All of England’s players were in a huddle, anticipating Biggar to kick for goal, with the pitch still full of water-carriers. Gauzere blew his whistle and, with England looking the other way, Biggar booted the ball to Josh Adams in acres of space to score down the left wing.
‘ Every single water- carrier was on the field. You’ve got to give us time to set,’ argued Farrell, but his protests fell on deaf ears.
There were positives in the English performance. Billy V unipolar ed is covering his groove with some powerful carries and, when their formidable attack clicked, it was almost impossible to stop.
Farrell kept the scoreboard ticking but lady luck was in the Welsh corner.
With 30 minutes on the clock, Liam Williams chased what seemed to be a lost cause. A never-say-die attitude from the lad who once worked on the steelworks in Port Talbot.
Most players thought play had already stopped because of an apparent knock-on by Louis ReesZammit, but Williams touched the ball down regardless. ‘Went backwards, ref!’ shouted Ken Owens with ac hancer’ s instinct. To everyone’ s disbelief, the try was awarded.
England were given a handicap by Gauzere and were jolted back into action. Tom Curry charged down Williams and Henry Slade made a sumptuous break through midfield. Wales were penalised just before the break but Jonathan Davies flung the ball 10 yards away to prevent England copycatting their invention. Instead, Farrell had to settle for three points from the kicking tee.
‘The most controversial half of rugby I’ve seen in the Six Nations,’ said Martin Johnson at half-time.
Farrell missed a penalty to level the score shortly after the break.
Once again, it was Wales with the sharpest minds. After Hill was penalised at the ruck, debutant Kieran Hardy took a quick penalty and darted between Curry, Elliot Daly and Jamie George to score.
Farrell replied with a penalty and, when Wales lost Big ga r to injury, England targeted his replacement, Callum Sheedy, with high balls. ‘ Sheedy! Sheedy!’ they shouted as they peppered the playmaker with testing kicks. The replacement fumbled in the air and, moments later Ben Youngs threw a dummy from three metres out and wriggled past Cory Hill to level the scores. Once again, however, England were masters of their own downfall. Jones sent on his finishers and the ill-discipline returned. Ellis Genge went off his feet at a ruck, Charlie Ewels took out Alun Wyn Jones at a lineout and Dan Robson was penalised for blocking. Sheedy regathered his composure and, despite English attempts to put him off his game, he nailed all of his kicks. In t he f i nal play, Rees- Zammit broke downfield and Hill scored from close range a s Wa l e s breached the 40-point barrier against England for the first time in history.