I’ll keep faith in Sinfield’s case for the defence

WE all saw the stats last week after England lost at home to Scotland in the new management’s first game in charge.

Four tries conceded despite the opposition spending barely a minute and a half in the English 22. One in every five tackles missed.

These are not the details to inspire immediate confidence and England’s defence coach quickly acknowledged: “You can’t miss tackles at this level and expect to get away with it.”

Kevin Sinfield (above) is right about that, but given what he has achieved in rugby league and in union helping turn Leicester into Premiership champions, I’m not going to worry.

I said last week that Steve Borthwick is the right man to replace Eddie Jones and one of the reasons why is that he brought Sinfield with him. That is significant, because we have long craved the influence that Shaun Edwards has brought to the mix, first for Wales, now France.

Edwards is very much his own man and I feel Sinfield is in the same mould.

Like Shaun, you don’t have to listen to Kevin speak for long on any subject to be inspired by him.

What he’s done on the field in his own sport is astonishing, what he’s done postretirement in his personal and professional life sets him out as one of those people.

Don’t just take it from me. Freddie Steward, who worked under him with the Tigers, said he looked at the faces of teammates emerging from their first meeting with Sinfield and “loved” what he saw.

This is not to say the cross-code legend has a free pass based on past achievement.

Rather to reinforce my belief that he is going to do a really decent job for England.

Now, that needs to start tomorrow as Italy are not the whipping boys of old.

They beat Wales and Australia last year and should have turned over France in Rome six days ago.

The Azzurri have never beaten England, but this team has the talent to unlock defences more seasoned than this English one. Ange Capuozzo, for one, could sidestep you in a phone box.

I expect him to test the system Sinfield is putting in place but for England to live to tell the tale.