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Ex-England teammate believes the Ford-Farrell axis is dead in the water
Former England flanker turned pundit James Haskell believes the George Ford-Owen Farrell axis is officially over and won’t be rolled out by head coach Steve Borthwick at this Rugby World Cup.
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A 14-man England side was steered by a gutsy 27-1o victory over Argentina by Ford in the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on the opening weekend, with the Sale Sharks playmaker claiming a man of the match award following a virtuoso performance at ten.
It’s reshaped how many view the England flyhalf pecking, not least Haskell who has played alongside both Ford and Farrell down through the years. The former Wasps flanker believes that Ford and Farrell playing at 10 and 12 together is a failed experiment and is now a thing of the past.
“No, I don’t see Ford and Farrell starting together. We have seen that the 10 Ford, 12 Farrell pairing doesn’t work and I don’t think it should be tested again at this World Cup. For me, Ford is the man to lead England through the tournament,” says Haskell, who won 77 England caps.
“As we’ve seen, George Ford and Marcus Smith are both capable replacements. In fact, Owen’s recent performances for England haven’t been at his best, even though he has been in excellent form for Saracens. This break may allow others to step up and show their worth in his absence and George Ford has certainly done that so far and should be the man to lead England through the tournament.
“Both Owen and Billy [Vunipola] are exceptional players, who I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. Owen, in particular, is a talisman for the team and has a significant impact, both emotionally and in terms of driving standards. While he won’t be on the field in those opening matches, he will continue to provide motivation and support during training.”
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Haskell doesn’t feel that Harlequins playmaker Marcus Smith, now third choice at 10, has yet to hit his straps for England and sees Smith’s immediate future as an impact player off the bench.
“I have a lot of admiration for Marcus Smith, he’s a huge talent. I’m not entirely sure if he’s hit his stride yet when representing England. I think there’s more to come from him.
“Marcus has the ability to be a game-changer. He’s a fierce competitor and has the capacity to unlock opposing teams. However, his effectiveness also depends on how well the rest of the team supports him and how he can best contribute to the team’s performance.
“I’m not sure he is the man to start at the moment, but he deserves his place in the team due to his unique skill set. He might be best suited for a finishing role, especially when the opposition is tired and there’s open space on the field. In those situations, he has the ability to make a significant impact.”
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Haskell is also looking forward to seeing what impact Racing 92 winger Henry Arundell can have at this Rugby World Cup, as well as a number of other Engalnd rookies who are eager to make their mark.
“He’s [Arundell] a powerful and physically fit player, possessing both strength and size. When you put the ball in his hands, he has the potential to make a real. I hope he gets the chance to showcase his skills and contribute to the team’s success.
“I’m eager to see how Alex Mitchell performs, as he’s a teammate from Northampton. He’s someone who can cause defences issues with his speed and skills.
“Lastly, Ben Earl, who has been a consistent performer for England, is someone I hope gets the opportunity to shine in the World Cup. He’s been a standout player for Saracens for quite some time, and I believe he has the potential to make a significant impact at the international level.”
When asked about Borthwick’s tenure as head coach, Haskell admits to concerns around his lack of charisma and ability to deal with the intense criticism levelled at him and his coaching ticket.
“Steve Borthwick is a seasoned professional and an outstanding coach. He’s known for keeping a level head and not getting overly rattled by pressures. When his appointment was initially announced, I praised his qualities, but I was disappointed when Eddie Jones was let go, as I felt it was done wrongly. However, I considered Steve Borthwick the next best replacement, given his experience working under Jones.
“While Steve is incredibly intelligent and a genuinely good person, he’s not the most charismatic figure when facing the media. My concern lies in the fact that when things don’t go well, he might not be the most vocal or inspiring presence. It will be crucial for the players to step up and take more responsibility.
“Ultimately, Steve should focus on what he does best, which is coaching. He’s won the Premiership with Leicester. He’s worked with both Japan and England and understands what it takes to succeed. With a talented coaching staff supporting him, he should take a deep breath, tune out the media noise (which I believe he’ll do), and concentrate on preparing the team to the best of his ability for the challenges ahead.
“Within a sporting environment, it’s crucial to maintain a focused mindset. It’s too easy to get distracted, especially in the age of social media. Googling your own name or dwelling on what people think of you isn’t productive at all.
“Instead, the team should be focusing on hunkering down and concentrating on what they can control. Putting in the effort, working smartly, taking care of their physical and mental well-being, and ensuring they remain entertained and mentally prepared to perform at their best.
“Having recently interviewed them at Heathrow, I could sense their positivity, readiness, and excitement. They’re well aware that recent performances haven’t met the mark, and they would have had some honest discussions about where things have gone wrong and who needs to take responsibility. We saw with their performance against Argentina that the players believe they can succeed and they are fully prepared and motivated.
“Considering their draw, I think it’s quite reasonable to expect them to reach at least the quarter-finals. Advancing to the semi-finals is certainly a possibility, although I can’t see them beating top-tier teams like France, South Africa, and the All Blacks, at the moment.
2However, there are individuals in the team who know how to win. We have Heineken Cup and Premiership winners, as well as experience in World Cup finals. They have the knowledge and lessons from these past achievements. The key now is ensuring this translates on the pitch.”
James Haskell was speaking to Pringles as part of a partnership with Movember. The partnership will see Pringles launch a ‘Talk-Thru’ cinema experience in London and Liverpool with James Haskell and Mike Tindall, to encourage men to meet up and open up more regularly. You can find more about the upcoming events here: https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/013/HO00013569/talk-thru-cinema-fact-hot-fuzz and https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/004/HO00013568/talk-thru-cinema-ritzy-hot-fuzz
Comments on RugbyPass
My favourite line/exchanges from Chasing the Sun 2. News headline: “SA. The last hurdle in ABs World Cup glory”. Something like that. “You’re all just a hurdle. A hop, skip and a jump”. Coming from Rassie and Jacque. Basically - nobody thinks you’re going to win. You’re just a pushover team. Nobody respects you. When the camera shows the players faces, you can see the effect. You can see the rev meters (die moer metertjies) firing up. Mitchell said he felt it prior to the 19 final. He said to Eddie watching the teams warming up that it was going to be a tough day at the office. Wave a red flag in front of South African, and you can expect a reaction. This is not unique - many teams rev themselves. And Bok teams in particular. With horrific consequences (discipline, poor thinking under pressure) because that’s the drawback to using emotion right? But what this Bok team does better than many since 2007 is channel the emotion and stay on task. Despite the emotion. Why, because while Rassie might play mind games - he talks about creating a safe environment. Listen to his recent honorary doctorate acceptance speech. While he uses psychology he creates psychological safety. He’s a damn fine coach. Can’t wait for Pretoria. It’s going to be a hummer.
5 Go to commentsWhat Rassie does for SA is big. It has helped people to unite and see we can win with the right people in place.
5 Go to commentsTerrible conditions for young players to express themselves just enjoy it guys. As a saffa great to see Ausie youth looking good. Wow SA have some great talent also.
2 Go to commentsYes, another example of French tv directors ensuring that incidents like this are swiftly glossed over for the benefit of their teams…
1 Go to commentsThe prospect of the club match ups across hemispheres is surely appetising for everyone. The reality however, may prove to be slightly different. There are currently two significant driving forces that have delivered to same teams consistently to the latter champions cup stages for years now. The first of those is the yawning gap in finances, albeit delivered by different routes. In France it’s wealthy private owners operating with a higher salary cap by some distance compared to England. In Ireland it’s led by a combination of state tax relief support, private Leinster academy funding and IRFU control - the provincial budgets are not equal! This picture is not going to change anytime soon. The second factor is the EPCR competition rules. You don’t need a PhD. in advanced statistical analysis from oxbridge to see the massive advantage bestowed upon the home team through every ko round of the tournament. The SA teams will gain the opportunity for home ko ties in due course but that could actually polarise the issue even further, just look at their difficulties playing these ties in Europe and then reverse them for the opposition travelling to SA. Other than that, the picture here is unlikely to change either, with heavyweight vested interests controlling the agenda. So what does all this point to for the club world championship? Well the financial differential between the nh and sh teams is pretty clear. And the travel issues and sporting challenge for away teams are significantly exacerbated beyond those already seen in the EPCR tournaments. So while the prospect of those match ups may whet our rugby appetites, I’m very much still to be convinced the reality will live up to expectations…
1 Go to commentsThe manipulative and cynical Erasmus….
5 Go to commentsWe see you World Rugby….we see you🤡😏
45 Go to commentsBoks are lucky to have a player of the calibre of PSDT in their ranks😍
7 Go to commentsI really like what the boks have done with bringing Vermeulen into their coaching setup. Perhaps they would have gone to france anyway, but Lawes and Farrell could at least have been offered assistant coaching roles. Lawes could probably aptly fill the brief (breakdown, contact skills, and handling) just given to Strawbridge; and Farrell could be a pretty good like for like replacement for Sinfield when he leaves. I probably wouldn’t want them in the national team set up just yet, but it would be good to see strings pulled to either get May, Youngs, Cole, & Care player-coaching roles in the premiership, or to move them into the under 20s coaching staff.
2 Go to commentsSo spiteful that the Springboks won again, they just had to change the laws so that they would stand a chance.
45 Go to commentsWhy would Eben lie? The guy has achieved so much. He saw it as arrogance. Any normal person who plays against the ABs year in and year out would have the same thoughts. Why even talk about the final when you have the biggest game of your lives next week in a stage you have never gotten passed? Rugly is simple in SA. Have fun but the most important thing is respect. I’m not buying any of this misinterpreted nonsense. Eben isn’t English, but no one during that interview was asking what did he say? He's speaking and therefore his understanding is perfectly fine. It was an arrogant thing to say, esp for a team that has never been to a final, never mind a semi. You guys up north can interpret it in a different way if you wish, maybe that s why you don’t win the biggest tournaments.
154 Go to comments> with Sky TV in New Zealand saying it has seen an 11 per cent lift in overall viewership this year. It’s easy for these kiwi “journalists” to throw around meaningless numbers to make it seem that things are improving, but if you look at the stats behind this 11 percent it says that after 10 rounds of rugby there is only a paltry 160k cumulative viewers in total.. That is on average 16k viewers watching a single round of Super Rugby. I very much doubt any of the other numbers that Gregor so proudly “reports” on.
38 Go to commentsGoode is a Prop that played Flyhalf…. Who gives a Sh@#t what he thinks anyway!
154 Go to commentsOne would hope when a player of such caliber is approached for transfer is traversed a lot more carefully. The question I ask, “is the players agent raising red flags in the first instance of contact”. By what I read assumptions are made by nzr based on player welfare provided to them. So what is that? Is it a wholistic approach where family balance is taken into account. Because thay’s what’s in the mix when players go off shore. I realize the money is a huge factor but when negotiations are initiated is nzr involved. As Lendrum says having our best players available is paramount to our success So here’s hoping they are effectively communicating.
4 Go to commentsPSTD, I salute you.
7 Go to commentsWhy don't they just give up on scrums and lineouts, cut the number of players to 13, and call the game ‘rugby league’? These idiots are determined to destroy the game as we know it, and instead of ‘attracting youngsters to the game’ as Beaumont suggests, it’ll deter a lot of the less skilled, maybe overweight kids who it is perfect for. World Rugby is detestable. And as for the 20 minute ‘red’ - why not teach the players to tackle better? (Like the current tackle height trials are supposed to do, but will probably be squashed by the NZRU as usual). I despair for the union game, I really do.
45 Go to commentsHere’s hoping the emphasis on how the tmo interfaces on game infractions is taken into account more seriously than what was adjudicated during the 23 wc. That was a shambles, plus Barnes the abs ref never contested some of the calls, something he’s known for. And then we're left with wr opologizing after the game that smith’s try was legit. I was even more pizzed. And as for the red card if the infringement is clearly intentional foul then the individual is out of the game and after 20mins the bench replacement comes on. So, there’s then the degree of seriousness taken into account within the 20min stand down.
38 Go to commentsNot sure they the article doesn’t hit on TMO this year, that’s were they were putting focus right. The fact the other areas haven’t improved shows just how poor the comp is at focusing on its direction. There should still have been further gains in both those areas this year even it if didn’t have the same focus as others. The whistle to restart time, like touch finders of 26 seconds, surely has to be a key focus area next year. Why should a side be given so much time to kick for touch? Cut that down to 5 or 10 seconds, penalties both become less of key stalling/defensive strategy, and become more ‘live’ with tap kicks becoming much more favourable quick actions. Theres absolutely no reason we have to wait over 10 secs for the preferred kicker to walk up and try and take maximum advantage, especially when half the time its just a delay tactic to give the forwards time to plan, as the kicker hardly even trys to find the corner with his kick, anyone could have kicked it straight out for the lineout.
38 Go to commentsShame. Hope something else can be arranged.
3 Go to commentsTitans of under-20s rugby …. Reporters tired verbiage akin to calling every player a “star” and any Fijian side as ”Flying”. The French English and Irish are the Titans of U20 rugby. Noone in the South is now. This tournament is however, good prep to regain titan status.
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