Townsend’s men back on track in build-up to the World Cup
THE MATCH tickets proclaimed ‘this is no warm-up’ and on a scorching, record-breaking day at Twickenham, Manu Tuilagi and England proved far too hot to handle.
Never before have they scored so many points against the Irish. Never before have they beaten these dangerous opponents with so much room to spare.
It was supposed to be an intriguing tussle between two of the leading World Cup contenders, but it became a glaring, brutal mis-match.
Let’s be clear; this was not the main event. The stakes were not high. It is still the preparation phase. It won’t really matter until England and all the other nations are in Japan next month. These fixtures are always distorted by wildly fluctuating intensity and motivation levels and training schedules. In this case, Ireland spoke afterwards about having heavy legs after a tough camp in Portugal.
Nevertheless, this was a statement by England. It was a staggering feat of dominance; on the pitch and on the scoreboard. On this evidence, they are prime contenders in the Far East.
With this line-up, make no mistake, they possess sufficient firepower to claim the ultimate prize. Physically, they were on a completely different level to their vaunted opponents. Billy Vunipola kept pounding into and through tackles.
Joe Cokanasiga found space and scored two tries. And England had Tuilagi; their rampaging midfield trump card.
The Leicester centre ran amok. Ireland just couldn’t contain him. This was like a glimpse back to heady days past, in the early stages of his international career, when the Anglo-Samoan wrecking ball left the All Blacks and all-comers trailing in his wake. ‘It’s scary if you have to mark him,’ said Jones. Countless Irish voices would no doubt echo that sentiment after yesterday’s events.
Tuilagi looked strong, fit and sharp, but his head coach warned: ‘There’s plenty more left in him.’ He made the same point about his team, saying: ‘We can get considerably better than this.’ That is a verdict which will send shockwaves far and wide.
England were imperious on every level; from their set-piece advantage to their dominance of every collision to their greater accuracy and intensity and
creativity. This was one of the stand-out performances of Jones’s tenure, albeit with the caveat that it did not occur within the framework of a meaningful tournament. Ireland were stunned by what happened to them. ‘We looked dishevelled out there,’ said coach Joe Schmidt. ‘It is a serious problem.’
All the selections Jones made paid off handsomely. In particular, the decision to revert to the George Ford-Andy Farrell 10-12 axis was a resounding triumph. The hosts were so organised and alert and efficient. Their kicking game was probing and consistent. Their distribution was largely shrewd and assured. When they couldn’t blast through the visitors, they found a way around them. Andy Farrell Snr has rarely endured such a grim day. By the end, his acclaimed Ireland defence lay in ruins.
Up front, the ‘Kamikaze Kids’ — as Jones labelled his flankers, Tom Curry and Sam Underhill — functioned superbly in tandem. The two opensides were hugely influential in attack and defence; aggressive, dynamic and relentless. The fact that they combined for a second-half try, as Underhill sent Curry galloping clear to the line, capped a highly promising experiment with this openside double-act. Expect to see them operating together again in Japan.
The sight of Mako Vunipola slowly trudging off not long after making his comeback from the bench was a desperately worrying vision for Jones, but most of what he saw was hugely heartening. Not only did his experiments pay off, but his regulars stepped up too.
In all, England scored eight tries, leaving Farrell Snr squirming in the stand, but it won’t be just the Irish who review this Red Rose masterclass and find ample cause for concern. All the leading contenders will now be wary.