We’ll be even better in Japan, vows Farrell
England captain Owen Farrell warned “our best is still in front of us,” at the World Cup after helping to inflict a re- cord 57-15 defeat on Ireland at Twickenham, amassing the highest number of tries (eight) against them, and posting their largest margin of victory.
The only blot was another hamstring injury to prop Mako Vunipola. There was a man-of-the-match display from Manu Tuilagi, who scored one try and wreaked havoc. England head coach Eddie Jones believes Tuilagi has only yet reached 80 per cent fitness and “it will be scary for those who have to mark him,” in the future when he does hit peak conditioning.
“Manu is in a good place with a smile on his face,” said Jones. “When he gets to full fitness, he will be a handful. One of the best tributes to him is that people like to play alongside him.”
That is certainly true with Farrell also hailing the powerhouse Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga, who scored two tries.
“They are both really hungry and hard to stop,” said Farrell.
Cokanasiga was under pressure from Jones. “That was very satisfying as I think Eddie tried to get a reaction from last week,” said Cokanasiga who was thrilled at playing with his hero, Manu Tuilagi. “He was my idol growing up. When I was 15, I messaged him on Facebook and told him, ‘you’re my idol’. He didn’t respond, but he told me he saw it. It’s all a dream come true.”
Jones praised the England pack, no- tably locks, George Kruis and Maro Itoje. “Unless the forwards manage to give the backs the ball on a platter, they can’t do those flash things,” said the coach who will take the team to Treviso for a training camp on Wednesday.
George Kruis was yellow carded for a tackle on Jack Carty and awaits the citing commissioner’s view. Replacement prop Mako Vunipola went off on 17 minutes with a hamstring twinge.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt did not sugar-coat the loss. “It hurts right now,” said Schmidt. “That is a big score to offer. We can be better and have to be better. We were heavy-legged.” Prop Cian Healy sprained an ankle.
From heat-blasted Twickenham towards the sunny uplands of Japan, England were waved on their way towards the World Cup by an exultant crowd who were rightly impressed by this crackerjack performance.
The spectators were roasted, so too were Ireland. No matter that there is still one warm-up game to come against Italy in Newcastle on Sept 6, no matter either that there is still a month to run before the tournament begins, this was a performance that will send shivers through other contenders. It was replete with pace, power, slickness, daring and inventiveness; a statement of intent.
It comes to something when the England rugby team manage to score almost as many as their cricketing counterparts put up in the first innings at Headingley.
Above all, it showed that England, with centre Manu Tuilagi to the fore, aided, too, by a towering display from Maro Itoje, in the pack, have the muscular heft to test any opponent. Manu and Maro wreaked havoc, the “thunderball twins”. Might is not always right but it certainly helps to get you across the gain line. England did not rely purely on their heavy artillery, although Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga rose to the occasion with two blasting tries. There was craft, too, from their dual playmaker axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell.
The full house cheered and danced and saluted their heroes on their goodbye lap of the pitch. There were many hearts and minds captured on a blistering afternoon. Of course, this is far from the real thing but in terms of World Cup mood music, England struck all the right notes.
Elliot Daly assuaged concerns at fullback by showing what he has to offer when going forward, his speed as well as perception of possibility a real asset. The only blot on his ledger was an inability to haul down Bundee Aki as the Ireland centre went through for a late score. The “kamikaze kids”, Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, combined well on the flank, at no time more so than when the Bath player put Curry over for a try in the 57th minute.
There is only minor straw-clutching mitigation for a hapless Ireland in that they have just come from a training camp in Portugal and still have back-toback matches against Wales to come. But that reasoning will only take you so far. Ireland have flunked too many World Cups for them to shrug off the size as well as manner of this defeat. They were but a distant speck in England’s slipstream, bookending a dire day with tries from Jordan Larmour
and Aki, and a gifted last try to Luke Cowan-Dickie, the England hooker.
England’s attack was under scrutiny after misfiring in Cardiff. England quickly found their range and their big men began to rumble. Three first-half tries from wing, full-back and centre, respectively Cokanasiga, Daly and Tuilagi, indicate breadth as well as potency, two of them strike plays off set-piece.
Tuilagi has been a missing part of England’s armoury for long stretches over the past five years and such was his domineering presence across the Twickenham turf you mourned for what might have been for player as well as for country during those injuryplagued months.
The Leicester centre, wearing 13 but popping up here and there, time and again provided a meaningful target for the England playmakers, Ford and Farrell. His try in the 36th minute was a straightforward affair and a blob against the Ireland defence.
And if Manu did not nobble you, then Itoje would. The Saracens lock grows ever more influential, ever more clever and purposeful with each appearance. The 24-year-old plays with the relish of youth and the nous of a veteran. He makes sure that he tends to his basics first at scrum and line-out but it is his ability to do damage at the breakdown and to contribute tellingly to open play that makes him a worldclass performer.
The try he scored five minutes after half-time shattered the last shards of Irish resistance, Itoje cutting back on the angle to take a pass from Ben Youngs and power through a limp tackle from Tadhg Furlong.
Cokanasiga exudes power and strength through the tackle yet the tape measure tells you nothing about the size of a man’s heart and it was the character of the callow 21-year-old that was under the spotlight.
The burden of expectation is inevitable at this level and Cokanasiga would either rise to embrace the pressure or shrivel. He opted to show that his inner core is as hardened as his outer body, timing his run on slick handling down the England backline in the 13th minute to evade Larmour’s despairing tackle to score his fourth try in seven Tests. His second in the 65th minute showed great awareness, the wing appearing in midfield off Farrell’s shoulder and hammering to the line.
There was a late scare when lock George Kruis, who had touched down in the 53rd minute, was yellow-carded for a reckless tackle on Jack Carty which could draw interest from the citing commissioner. There was also another possible injury to prop Mako Vunipola, who managed only 17 minutes – skimming clouds on a bright blue English afternoon.
Scores 3-0 Farrell pen; 3-5 Larmour try; 3-7 Byrne con; 8-7 Cokanasiga try; 8-10 Byrne pen; 13-10 Daly try; 15-10 Farrell con; 20-10 Tuilagi try; 22-10 Farrell con; 27-10 Itoje try; 29-10 Farrell con; 34-10 Kruis try; 36-10 Farrell con; 41-10 Curry try; 43-10 Farrell con; 48-10 Cokanasiga try; 50-10 Farrell con; 50-15 Aki try; 55-15 Cowan-Dickie try; 57-15 Ford con. Referee Nigel Owens (Wales).