England in vow to protect their hot-headed prop idol
‘TWICKENHAM CR0WD ARROGANT’
ENGLAND have a protection plan in place today for Kyle Sinckler in case Wales’ master manipulators try to wind up their star prop as they did to match-turning effect in Cardiff last year.
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones pressed all the right buttons to activate the self-destruct codes on a player who had been labelled an emotional time bomb before the game by coach Warren Gatland.
Sinckler was substituted after losing his cool in the hothouse of the Principality Stadium, but not before conceding two costly penalties in quick succession as England unravelled to defeat.
But if the most experienced Wales side in history try a similar ploy at Twickenham today, it is likely to fall on stony ground.
“He probably reflected on that game from an individual point of view and learnt massively from it,” said England stand-off George Ford.
“We know they will go after a few individuals. With Sink, I know in that particular game he had a few things going on but he has addressed it and got better.
“We have probably become more aware that those things are going to happen and of what we can do as a team to make sure it doesn’t escalate. You don’t want to get to a game thinking, ‘Jesus, what is going on here?’ and we have discussed what potentially could happen and the plan of what we would do to look after individuals and the team.”
Sinckler underlined the strides he has made with an outstanding World Cup that saw him elevated to the status of world’s best tight-head. If he has not quite hit those heights yet in this Six Nations, then the same is true of England.
The 24-12 win over Ireland a fortnight ago was more of a true reflection of themselves but even then they could not press home their superiority to take a try-scoring bonus point.
To hear Eddie Jones crowing over the standards in training this week you would think they will raise their game today – if only Ford had not given the game away by confessing how scratchy it had really been.
England should have the power to come through but if
SIX NATIONS clash with their archrivals and ready to flex their muscles at a stadium where they have lost just once in seven seasons in the championship.
“I’d say it’s the strongest rivalry historically,” said George. “There’s a different edge to it. The Welsh fans when you play in Cardiff make it pretty hostile, so we’re looking forward to
LFwelcoming them to Twickenham and want to make it as tough for them as we possibly can.
“Wales games have a different feel and we’ve prepared that way this week. We’re aware they’re coming in off the back of two losses and will be hungry as ever to get that win. They’ll be as physical as anything, so we’re preparing for a proper battle.”
Wales will be fired up by Twickenham itself they are unable to get away to another thundering start,Wales – not as poor as their results suggest
– can make it testing.
The back-row breakdown area, where they are schooled by a master of the art in Sam Warburton and which has been added to by
Josh
Navidi, is where they could gain some traction.
Without Sam Underhill, there is responsibility on Tom Curry, left.
“Navidi is good over the ball and obviously Justin Tipuric is as well so the breakdown is a huge focus,” admitted Curry.
The 21-year-old will again wear the No8 jersey as Jones presses on with his experiment. With the carefree nature of youth, Curry urges England fans not to worry.
“There’s a danger people start overthinking what the role of an eight is,” he said. “I’m not going to adapt my behaviour just because I’ve got a different number on my back.”
He has this covered England probably do too. according to former Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips.
“There is something that winds you up about it. There always seems to be a certain degree of arrogance about the crowd there,” wrote Phillips on WalesOnline.
“They have the money behind them, we’re a smaller nation, they look down their noses at us and you just use that as motivation. Even when I was playing at Sale, some
– of the boys up north have a problem with the way the Twickenham crowd carry themselves. That says it all.”
But England fly-half George Ford, a Lancastrian, cannot wait to hear the stadium in full cry today. He said: “It obviously has an impact in terms of getting the crowd behind you. The home team have got to be the aggressor, the ones to go and throw the first punch.”