>> Guscott: Te’o can stop England crabbing
“Being called the finishers when you win is alright, but if you lose? Maybe ‘the forgotten’, or ‘the unforgiven’”
EDDIE Jones avoided the total reboot of the England side that I believed might happen against Italy, making just four changes. However, although England cannot assume that they will win by 60 points, that has to be their absolute minimum target. That total is a reasonable expectation given what we have seen so far of an Italian side that is simply not very competitive at the level the other sides in this Six Nations are capable of.
Although Italy are usually strong at the beginning they usually fade badly, and this England side should have too much all-round strength for them – and should be capable of matching or exceeding Ireland’s nine try haul in Rome a fortnight ago.
A lot will depend on whether mixing it up at half-back pays off with Danny Care coming in at scrum-half for Ben Youngs. They both see things differently, and although they both follow the same tactical shape, their delivery and execution – whether it’s passing from the base or box kicking – will reflect that.
On the other hand Jones has kept George Ford at fly-half even though this game presented him with an ideal opportunity to experiment by putting Owen Farrell at 10, Ben Te’o at 12, and Elliot Daly at 13.
That is still a unit I would like to see in action, but by going with the same line-up as against Wales, with the exception of Te’o replacing Jonathan Joseph, it looks as if Jones’ first priority is to score the bonus point, as well as the hatful of tries needed to ensure that Ireland are not way ahead in terms of points difference.
I’m interested to see how Te’o goes at outside-centre because of his ability to straighten the line. England have had a tendency to crab across the field, but by taking a direct line he could change the attacking dynamic. It should lead to the recycling and passing in the first, second and third phases being much quicker, and it should also mean that Farrell and Ford are available as distributors – which is their strength – rather than clearing rucks.
I would also like to see some pace and incision coming from full-back. Mike Brown has done a good job for England, but imagine what a player with more pace coming into the line could do, like Daly. The rapier speed of that incision will always cause problems for defences, and while Brown has made breaks he doesn’t tend to make the final pass.
Whether Daly gets a run at full-back against Italy will almost certainly depend on the score, because if England start to run away with it there is more scope for the coach to experiment.
That is what makes Jones’ use of the bench in this match against Italy so important. When and where he makes the changes will be crucial, because in the games against France and Wales it has been a real fight to the finish – whereas against Italy it might not be.
It was noticeable that Ireland had a flat 15 minutes in Rome, and there is the danger that if you make too many changes you can lose momentum. England need the exact opposite, with each change bringing a shift in gear which means they continue to accelerate throughout the match.
It is a different challenge rising to the occasion against a team that you are expected to beat by a cricket score, and England will have to guard against any lapses because they will not be battered for long periods like they were against France and Wales.
However, the England coaches have been talking about wanting to see a true 80 minute performance from their team, and this game presents them with a great opportunity to show that they can play with sustained intensity.
In Italy’s case it is also a difficult mission because no one gives them a chance of winning. The best course they could take is to go out there and play their own game.
Whatever England do they should aim to score as many tries in reply as they can. If Italy succeed in crossing the England line a few times with a well-executed moves then it will be a qualified success, and they can head home with some pride in their performance.
In the past the Italians have had the muscle to make life difficult for the England forwards, and they will hope to do so again. However, I expect James Haskell to be a significant obstacle on his return to the starting line up at openside flanker.
He is more direct, more confrontational, and more experienced than Jack Clifford, and I would expect that to translate into bigger momentum in the loose.
As for this idea of Eddie Jones repackaging the bench as finishers rather than replacements, I don’t mind what they are called. What is required from those who come off the bench is impact, simple as that.
One other thought is that it is alright being called a finisher when you win, but being called a finisher when you lose does not quite have the same ring about it.
In which case Eddie will have to come up with another name. How about going from ‘the finishers’ to ‘the forgotten’, or ‘the unforgiven’?