ENGLAND CAN TITLE CHARGE
SCOTLAND head coach Gregor Townsend conceded that the pressure of needing to beat Italy took its toll on his side as they scrapped their way to their Six Nations win in Rome yesterday.
His side travelled to Italy on the back of narrow defeats to Ireland and
England, while the omission of key playmaker Finn
Russell for breaching team protocol has cast a shadow over the start of their campaign.
The Scots ran in three tries through
Stuart Hogg,
Chris
Harris and
Adam
Hastings, while stopping their hosts from registering a single point.
But Townsend accepted that their display could have been better, while insisting that the victory will allow
Scotland to approach their final two games against France and
Wales with clear minds.
“Maybe we didn’t play as fluently today, partly because of the way Italy were playing, but also maybe because we knew how important a game this was and how important a result was for us to now kick on in the championship,” he said. “I’d now like to think we go into our last two games with any pressure on our shoulders lifted.
“The performance wasn’t perfect by any means but the defence was almost perfect when you have a zero against you. The effort was huge and it was a tough game to play in.”
Scotland captain Hogg lit up the game with a superb solo try, running more than half the length of the pitch to put his side in front in the first half.
That helped him put memories of costly errors against Ireland and England behind him.
“It was world class,” said Townsend.
“He almost had another with a few similar line breaks in the second half.”
“He’s shown really good energy and good leadership through a tough time.”
EDDIE JONES is predicting a “titanic clash” between England and Ireland this afternoon, a match every player and fan knows is likely to decide the destiny of this year’s Six Nations title. The match is certainly win-or-bust for England in front of a vociferous and expectant Twickenham crowd, watching their heroes at home for the first time since they reached theworld Cup Final.
Victory would catapult them right into contention for the Six Nations crown, while ending the Grand Slam hopes of the Irish invaders. Lose this game and they will be condemned to mid-table mediocrity, the pressure rising heavily on the shoulders of the voluble head coach Jones. He knows all this, but tried artfully to dodge its crucial importance by repeating the mantra that: “It’s just the next game to focus on.”
The England boss failed in that quest.the spotlight is fierce for this match, and he believes the contest is likely to be decided by several mighty individual battles.
“Ireland have a number of players who espouse to be
No1 in Europe, and we have a number of guys in our team who espouse to be No1 in
Europe,” said Jones. “And that means it will be a titanic clash. Everyone’s on edge ahead of it.that’s what Test rugby is about.”
One obvious and serious duel is between Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton – noisy captains, nerveless kickers and battlehardened inspirations. Even more telling, though, could be the showdown of lock forwards Maro Itoje and James Ryan.
“They set the intensity for their teams and Maro certainly does for us,” said Jones. “They are both massive work-rate players, both destructive players and that head-tohead clash is pretty interesting. I think they will be significant contributors to the game.
“Maro will definitely be at his best on Sunday.we have seen each week that he has progressed.theworld Cup took a lot
FORMER Ireland head coach Eddie O’sullivan reckons Andy Farrell can bring a Grand Slam home to Dublin in his first season – providing they see off the old enemy at Twickenham today.
The Irish are unbeaten in their two games under Farrell – father of England fly-half Owen – but this will be their biggest test.
“Today is the key game,”
O’sullivan, head honcho between 2001 and 2008, said. “England are not the same England we saw at out of our boys, and then having come back to play for their clubs has been difficult for them. But that’s part of the deal.you have to get through it.
“But now we will see the best of some of our players.”
The demeanour of Itoje himself was encouraging. He was in relaxed mood talking about the match against Ireland.
“We have a big challenge ahead, and we are now at where we should be operating,” said the Saracens star. “The attitude is right on, and you get a sense the team is ready to play and cares about this one.”
Yes, they care.and they know its crucial nature.
Itoje is aware of his own role, saying: “I’m obviously a leader within the team and I think I have an important role. I relish that.
“There are lots of way to influence your team-mates and influence change, and
I try to set the intensity, energy and attitude of the team. My game isn’t about doing silky passes or kicking the ball beautifully.
“My game is about being as energetic and physical as possible.”
And what about the importance of winning the battle of the lock forwards?
“Ryan is a good player, and he plays in the second row, so I understand the links,” added Itoje. “He is obviously influential for them, but no man is an island. No one will do it by themselves.”
A vital ingredient to the mix could be the Twickenham crowd. It was clear from Itoje that relentless noise will be welcome.
“When you have that support and the going gets tough, it puts a spring in your step,” he said. theworld Cup.they’re vulnerable and they know it. If Ireland get out of there with a win then they can finish the job. It’s quite possible they will do it too, the absence of Billyvunipola being critical to England’s poor performances so far. “England is the key game because a soft underbelly is still apparent in the
French, our last opponents.”