England can make big statement in Cardiff - Andy Goode
All the expectation is on Wales in front of their own fans at the Principality Stadium today and England have the chance to make a big statement with a win.
Wales took a bona fide first team to Twickenham last weekend and were expected to win by 10 or 15 points really against an England second string and on the back of claiming a Grand Slam just a few months earlier.
However, they lost by 14 points and, with just three changes to each starting XV, the scenario is largely the same in Cardiff. Of the England starters today, only Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola would currently be in the first choice line-up.
As a result, Wales have to be sizeable favourites going into the game and an away victory for England would lay down a real marker, even if it is only a warm-up match.
Warren Gatland said he tried to do things a bit differently last week but they were lacklustre and, despite the Grand Slam and a run of 14 straight wins until Sunday, there will be a few question marks if that display is replicated and they suffer another defeat.
On the flip side, many will be surprised that Eddie Jones hasn’t opted to bring in a few more of his big names and that means getting a win in Cardiff would send out an even bigger message to the rest of the world.
In terms of the selection, I think Jones is looking at the two opening pool games of the World Cup when there is a four-day turnaround and is giving the various combinations in this team more of a chance to get used to working together.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the line-up for either the Tonga or USA game looks pretty similar to this one, with a starting XV closer to the one that was used for much of the Six Nations put out in the other.
I think this front row will start together in one of those games and then you have the perceived second choice halfbacks, centres and wingers all starting alongside one another again today.
There’s no doubt the likes of Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Mark Wilson, Jonny May and Manu Tuilagi will start against Ireland next week and then it’ll be interesting to see what Eddie does against Italy in terms of whether one start is enough for some of them.
Jones knows his first choice side but it isn’t a closed shop given they didn’t finish the Six Nations in sparkling fashion and the perceived second team have started the World Cup warm-ups strongly, so there will be a few believing they can play their way in.
Of course, neither coach will be getting carried away about the results in these games as it’s about giving players opportunities to stake their claim and combinations the chance to gel but momentum is important in sport.
Keeping the feel-good factor going would be a real bonus for England and there’s no hiding the fact that it’d deliver a bit of a blow to Wales if they lost both of these encounters having gone full noise in both in terms of their selection.
There is also the added extra that one of these teams could be number one in the world come Monday morning. That’s an interesting angle for the fans and media but, believe me, none of the players or coaches will be giving that a second thought with the spectre of a World Cup looming large.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments