That try, Eddie's meltdown & why England are still on track – Andy Goode
England have earned far from universal praise after their win over Wales at the weekend but their winning mentality and ability to find a way to win gives them the edge in this Six Nations.
I found Eddie Jones’ dealings with the press around the Wales game, especially after the match, absolutely bizarre. The media’s there to get people talking about the game and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
He had a bit of a meltdown in response to questions about Mike Brown, who put in a really good performance in a game that was perfectly suited to his style and confrontational nature, and that could’ve been to deflect from questions about the team’s performance but it seemed unnecessary.
People are going to question team selection. That is a fact and comes with the territory of being the England coach. Is he going to react in the same way if he gets similar questions the next time Dylan Hartley has a good game?
He makes the decisions and his record speaks for itself but the press has every right to question those decisions.
However, he would have every right to feel aggrieved if he felt his side wasn’t getting enough credit for what was a very good victory in a brutally intense Test match against a Wales side that had a point to prove.
England are going to have to improve if they’re going to beat Scotland, France and Ireland and win a Grand Slam but it’s a sign of a good team that they always look like they’re going to find a way to win. It’s a shame that the disallowed Gareth Anscombe try has overshadowed everything else as well.
There are different angles of that try and some suggest it came off Steff Evans’ finger before it was grounded but I think it went backwards onto his knee anyway after that. And, first and foremost, the TMO Glenn Newman didn’t spend anywhere near enough time looking at it considering the magnitude of the decision and the game.
The process was awful because even after making the decision to disallow the try he said to the referee that it’d be an attacking scrum five metres out but that was never going to be the case because it came from a kick from Rhys Patchell and then off Evans’ knee.
Jerome Garces was playing advantage after an earlier infringement anyway, so it went back for a penalty and that was inconsequential but it just shows that he was panicking.
I thought it was a try and we’ll never know what would’ve happened if it’d been given but I think England would still have found a way to win.
They just have that knack of winning tight games. England are looking like Manchester United in their pomp in terms of their ability to understand what it takes to win a Test match and do so in a number of different ways.
Owen Farrell showed once more how important he is to this England team and his control Saturday shone through. He raises George Ford’s level and their combination is working really well.
The kicking threat from both of them either side of the breakdown pinned Wales back and the kicking game put them under huge pressure and was the difference in the end.
Farrell also beat four defenders with ball in hand, put in 13 tackles and won three turnovers, so not a bad day’s work all in all!
England did lack a strong ball-carrying presence in the forward pack after Sam Simmonds went off, though, and Nathan Hughes coming back for Wasps against Quins this weekend was an extremely timely return.
Joe Marler, James Haskell and Kyle Sinckler are all back as well and there are even murmurings that Elliot Daly is making a much faster than expected recovery from his injury and will be in contention for the Scotland game, so it’ll be a real boost to have big names like that back in the fold.
And Ireland, who are the big threats to England’s Six Nations title, have been dealt a bit of a blow with a couple of injuries to really key players against Italy. Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Furlong are two of their biggest players and they’ll still expect to be rocking up to Twickenham in March with a Grand Slam on the line but their depth will be tested now as well.
It was great to see Scotland beat France on Sunday and not only will that make the build-up to the Calcutta Cup so much better, they’ll also have genuine belief that they can still win the tournament.
Greig Laidlaw kicked his goals, and you would have expected him to get most if not all of them, but the control he brought to them with Finn Russell having a bit of a wobble again was invaluable.
If they can beat England at Murrayfield, they’ll be right back in the mix and Wales will feel they can go to Dublin and win as well so it’s a wide open tournament at the moment. It remains to be seen whether that is still the case after Round 3 but four teams are in the hunt for now.
Wales lost their opening game at home to Ireland in 2013 and famously came back to thrash England 30-3 in Cardiff in Round 5 to deny England a Grand Slam and take the title off them as well, so anything can happen but England’s knack of finding a way to win might just see them over the line.
Comments on RugbyPass
Think you might have written this just before the Brumbies got thrashed last weekend
5 Go to commentsI really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
12 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
5 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
7 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
7 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
12 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
12 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
5 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
7 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
12 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
12 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
5 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
5 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
12 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
12 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
12 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
12 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to comments