LOZOWSKI AIMING TO BLUNT SAMOA AT RUCK
SARACENS PLAYMAKER EXPECTED TO GET ACTION IN FINAL AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL
England must turn the ruck into a “no-contest” area to blunt Samoa’s brute force at Twickenham on Saturday, according to Alex Lozowski.
Saracens playmaker Lozowski should win his fourth cap when England host Samoa this weekend, seeking to complete a clean sweep of autumn Test victories.
Nathan Hughes dropped out of the squad to undergo rehabilitation on a knee injury while Eddie Jones also released a further eight players back to their clubs, including Bath pair Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson and Worcester’s Ben Te’o.
The 24-year-old insisted he relishes Test-rugby physicality, but admitted he has to keep on his toes to avoid the kind of crushing hits that make Samoa such a threat.
“If you look at the way the play, they like a contest at the breakdown,” said Lozowski.
“As an attack it is really important our support play is good and we are not giving them an opportunity to compete and hopefully the ruck will be a no-contest because we are there quickly to make sure the ball is won.
“Then we can play fast and get on top of them and not let them recover. The breakdown is a hugely important part of our game and I can see them going for the ball.
“I do enjoy it (the physicality), it is a hugely important part of the game.
“What puts a defence in trouble is speed of ruck ball so if you are making passive and weak tackles you only put yourselves on the back foot.
“The responsibility is on us and myself to know the consequences of our actions and that is why it is really important, when I am getting ready for a game, I am preparing to hit hard and hit well because if you can get in those good dominant tackles it can slow down that ball.”
England have seen off Argentina 21-8 and Australia 30-6 in a profitable November so far, and will now aim to subdue the aggressive and unpredictable Samoans on home ground.
Lozowski believes the experience of being flattened by France juggernaut Mathieu Bastareaud when Saracens saw off Toulon 10-3 in January will stand him in good stead for the Samoa onslaught this weekend.
“I think back to Saracens against Toulon in the European Champions Cup group stage, where the physicality in that game was unbelievable,” said Lozowski.
“Pretty much every one of the Toulon players was an international and so they played at a Test match intensity. That game is the one that stands out in terms of brutality. I managed to get cut in half by (Mathieu) Bastareaud, which I remember for all the wrong reasons!”