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England explain gamble with Malins and what they admire most about this France side
Eddie Jones has explained the rationale behind his decision to give Max Malins the first Test start of his short England career this Saturday in a Guinness Six Nations contest against a title-chasing France who have tactically got the full attention of the English coach.
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Champions in 2020, England go into round four of their title defence with their hopes of retaining the trophy in tatters following February losses to Scotland and Wales. The most recent defeat, the 24-40 setback in Cardiff to the Welsh, has resulted in Jones making three changes to his starting XV for Twickenham.
Malins, the 24-year-old who is currently on loan to Bristol from relegated Saracens, has been used as a replacement in all six of his previous England appearances but he has now got the jump in selection on Elliot Daly, his Saracens colleague who last began a match from the bench in his 53-cap Test career way back in 2016 in Australia.
The 28-year-old Daly had started the last seven England matches at full-back but he has now given away to the rookie Malins, whom Jones expects to be very busy in his first Test start. “He has really impressed us since he has been in the squad,” explained the England coach.
“He has got a good kick-return game, he has got a good feeling for the game, brings pace onto the ball and particularly playing against a team like France, which have the highest and longest kicking game in the world, the full-back’s pretty busy so he is going to have a big role for us.”
Is this enough of a change to satisfy England fans?#SixNations #ENGvFRA
https://t.co/8PEF8t4OGI— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 11, 2021
Malins’ inclusion was the only alteration to Jones’ starting backline from the loss to Wales, but there are two changes in the pack with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Charlie Ewels promoted at the expense of benched duo Jamie George and Jonny Hill.
Ollie Lawrence, who hadn’t been involved since starting in round one against Scotland, comes onto a bench where the split will be five forwards/three backs unlike at the Principality where the split was six forwards/two backs, a balance not fully utilised as the now excluded George Martin was left uncapped on the bench.
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Switching to the threat posed by France, who are unbeaten after two matches, Jones suggested England will have a job keeping tabs on the danger posed by scrum-half Antoine Dupont. “Defence around the ruck has got to be good. It’s got to be tight,” he said. “We’d like him [Dupont] to have a tidy game, do all the simple things well but not do any of the special things. If we can keep him in a little box then it will be a good result for us.
“Tactical discipline,” he added when asked what in particular had impressed him about the French in recent times. “They play that long kicking game, they don’t play anything in their half. They kick long and then create opportunities for them to attack off their lineout in your 50, and they have got some special talents in Dupont. They are able to score points and defensively they are pretty good.”
Look who's back… #ENGvFRAhttps://t.co/Irxn5pnXmB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 11, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments