NATIONS2016 England on Kruis control in lineout
LINEOUTS have their own strange alchemy, a mixture of physicality and deftness, accuracy and a hunch.
Get it right, and glory beckons. Think of Ben Kay in Sydney in 2003, when his call for a long throw to Lewis Moody sparked the charge into Australian territory that led to Jonny Wilkinson’s World Cupwinning drop- goal.
Get it wrong, and dreams can die. Chris Robshaw backed his lineout in the closing stages against Wales last September, Geoff Parling made the call to take the catch himself, Welsh hordes bundled him into touch, and World Cup hopes were placed on life support.
Former England captain Steve Borthwick is the man recruited to conjure a revolution; George Kruis his sorcerer’s apprentice, the on- fi eld brains behind the brawn. Their brief partnership has certainly engineered improvement but its foundations will be tested on Saturday by the very same men who brought their world crashing down fi ve months ago.
The Wales lineout is the benchmark of this year’s Six Nations, having lost just one of 29 throws, and it is equally effective in defence. Kruis looks likely to be paired in the second row with Maro Itoje once more and, although England have lost their replacement hooker, Jamie George, to a bicep injury – with Luke Cowan- Dickie coming in on the bench – Kruis insists they are ready.
“We have been improving in the set- piece constantly,” said Kruis. “We are trying to build this brutal English pack that we talk about. We are trying to get to a new place in our lineout and obviously that involves a lot of detail and learning, trying to push the boundaries.
“We know if we do certain things well, if we have good drill, we will have good ball. You look at it like the ball is in our court.”
What is vital in keeping it in their court is variety.
Forwards coach Borthwick has introduced his own box of tricks in a playbook of up to 50 calls that is constantly evolving. “When you are analysed as much as we are, you must make sure you have variety, fi nd new ways to attack and defend, painting different pictures for the opposition,” said Borthwick.
“We need to vary our point of attack, how much we drive, how much we go off the top. And having different deliveries to ask different questions makes us harder to analyse. It’s an ongoing development process .”
And in 26- year- old Kruis, a product of the club where he ended his playing career, Borthwick has found an ideal protege. “When I was at Saracens, he was a fantastic young player. I saw straight away that this is a guy who wants to get better, who wants to get to the top level he can be,” said Borthwick.
“He has really grown over the last few years . He is making sure he maximises every bit of physical talent he has .” Kruis was not on the pitch the last time England played Wales but made his fi rst start in the Six Nations victory in Cardiff last year. However, Borthwick says neither match will have a bearing on Saturday.
“There are different players involved now, and in terms of the leadership calling,” he said. “What the opposition did three weeks ago might not be the same now, never mind three or four months ago.”
It’s your call, George.