'I am struggling to think of a test match contest that could be more physical in 2019'
Former captain Nick Easter is billing England’s battle with Grand Slam champions Ireland in Dublin on Saturday as the most ferocious rugby clash anyone will witness in 2019 – including the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Easter knows all about being mugged by the Irish having lost the chance of Slam glory when he led England in Dublin in 2011 and had to endure a solemn title celebration after a thumping 24-8 loss. The Irish destroyed Eddie Jones’s Slam attempt in 2017 and ended England’s World record attempt leaving them tied with New Zealand on 18 successive wins after triumphing 13-9.
Now, it is the Irish who are billed as favourites and Easter expects England to rise to the physical challenge thanks to the return of Mako and Billy Vunipola, Joe Launchbury and Manu Tuilagi to the squad.
He also wants to see former Harlequins teammate Mike Brown chosen at fullback ahead of Elliot Daly, of Wasps who had the role during the November tests to defuse the bombs that will arrive via the boots of Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray.
Easter, who has just been appointed as coaching consultant for the Durban based Sharks in Super Rugby, said; “I am struggling to think of a test match contest that could be more physical in the whole of 2019 including the World Cup compared to what will happen in Dublin on Saturday. Given the anticipation, history and fervour that will be whipped up and how fresh the two squads are feeling after a couple of weeks off means it is going to be a ferocious battle. England will know what is coming and for the first time Ireland are odds on favourites.
“I would go with Mike Brown at full back and, arguably, we would have won if he had been playing in 2015. The game is now much more a case of horses for courses and if one player suits an opposition more than it is a case of using a better strategy. If the Irish pack is going well then it makes the kicking game so much easier but I believe Owen Farrell is just as good as Johnny Sexton at putting the ball on a sixpence. I think Ben Youngs at scrumhalf needs to find a bit of form and he is going to be vital for England if they get some dominance which they are capable of achieving.
“Youngs is England’s most important player on Saturday and his box kicking and decision making has to be on the money. If Dan Robson had played the games in November then you start thinking about him starting but that wasn’t the case and I expect Youngs to be picked.
“In 2011 the senior players in the England squad in Dublin knew that facing a team with Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll it was going to be a very hard game. We just couldn’t get the emotional level to where it needed to be to deal with their passion and quality of play. We were chasing the game after 20 minutes.
“In 2015 I was on the bench and I remember their aerial threat with England missing Brown who had been concussed against Italy. They just peppered us and George Ford was in the back field and we probably should have moved things around. There was a complete lack of discipline and we just didn’t deal with the kicking game that we knew was coming. Ireland may use two or three phase plays from Joe Schmidt on Saturday but England know what is coming and it is a question of can you stop them? It is like facing Leinster and Munster and they have phenomenal strength in depth at the moment.
“They know exactly what they want to achieve and are very comfortable with their game, however, England have the Vunipola brothers back along with Joe Launchbury and Manu Tuilagi. Those guys can make a real difference in terms of X-factor and changing a game while adding a lot of physicality to proceedings. It’s a back to the walls situation for England and it comes down to are we one game shy of having the necessary cohesion. That is the only question because there is no doubt England have the quality of player to beat the Irish.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments