Opensides are in vogue – but the jackal is under scrutiny
England must change their approach against Italy and make the most of any turnover breaks
It is nothing new to see international squads stacked with openside flankers. In fact it has become almost a prerequisite for coaches to opt for poachers in their starting sides – think David Pocock and Michael Hooper for Australia, or, back in the day, Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric for Wales.
This trend was in full force during the opening round of the Six Nations. For Wales, it was Jac Morgan and Tipuric, while Scotland deployed Luke Crosbie and Jamie Ritchie.
Opensides are in vogue, but is it working? I am not convinced. There were just seven turnovers from flanker pairings during the opening round, five of which came from jackals. England, concerningly, could not lay claim to any of them.
France, a team who are normally so dominant on the floor, had a tough day in Rome, where the likes of Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch were on the receiving end of Matthew Carley’s stringent refereeing around the breakdown – a telling sign that referees are cracking down on players’ ability to poach. Wales, meanwhile, were not able to slow down Ireland’s ball and turnovers from a flanker were few and far between, with Morgan managing just one.
A good openside will know when there is an opportunity to jackal the ball, and when to back off and keep the defensive line. They need to be mobile, relish the contact and, crucially, be receptive to turnover ball when attacking the breakdown. It is almost as if there is too much emphasis being placed on winning turnovers as opposed to simply being effective in the collision and slowing down opposition ball.
Scotland were particularly effective at the latter against England. While
turnovers were scarce, Crosbie and Ritchie busied themselves around the breakdown far more than their counterparts. The figures bear this out: the Scottish pair succeeded in slowing down England’s ruck on no fewer than five occasions.
In order to win a breakdown, you have to win the collision and you do that by not allowing the tackler to dominate your momentum and carry with intent. England did not always do that at Twickenham last Saturday. At times I sensed a hesitation among their ball-carriers which made them more vulnerable. A prime example came 13 minutes in, when Ollie Hassell-collins collected the ball from a kick and ran slightly away from his support down the outside 15-metre channel and went into contact rather statically. It led to an instant turnover from Scotland’s Ben White and Stuart Hogg, who were positioned ready to poach.
There has to be a change in approach against Italy on Sunday, which is a must-win match if England are to avoid being booed off the pitch again.
Ben Curry is a fine flanker, but against Scotland he got caught out a few times, which has resulted in his omission for the visit of Italy to Twickenham this weekend. No more so was this evident than with White’s try, where Curry flew out of the defensive line, allowing the Scotland scrum-half to scoot towards the whitewash.
Many people have pointed out how Ben is not as bulky as his brother, Tom. I am also one of those who think England need a bit more bulk in that position.
By contrast, Lewis Ludlam was England’s best forward on the day, along with Ollie Chessum. He looked strong and mobile in open play and acted as a link player. On that basis, he deserves to be given another run out at six.
I am not a fan of wholesale changes, but for me there should be a swap at seven. That’s where I’d slot in Ben Earl, put the returning Jack Willis on the bench and, as Steve Borthwick has done, drop Curry entirely. Willis is an out-and-out poacher who is renowned for his breakdown craft. He is capable of injecting a sense of urgency in England’s forward play that was not always obvious against Scotland.
As Borthwick begins to mould the team he inherited from Eddie Jones into one that is capable of winning Test matches, he will need to avoid getting sucked into a merry-go-round of dropping players, only to bring them back. A hallmark of a good team is one who thrive off consistency of selection. That is why I would keep Alex Dombrandt on Sunday. The No 8 had a mixed game against Scotland – he spilt the ball a couple of times in open play and missed the final tackle on Duhan van der Merwe for his first try – but he became more lively in the second half and carried with intent.
He did not get much of a look-in under Jones but he has played well for Harlequins this season, and given that Borthwick has openly stated his preference to pick players on form, I feel the Italy game will suit him.