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Kudos for No9 Mitchell, but England coy on wing selection vs Samoa
Richard Wigglesworth has paid tribute to Alex Mitchell for coming into the England squad as an emergency Rugby World Cup call-up and going on to quickly impress at the tournament. The Northampton scrum-half was cut from Steve Borthwick’s plans at the end of June after just two weeks of international squad training.
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However, a serious ankle injury to Jack van Poortvliet in the August 12 Summer Nations Series match versus Wales at Twickenham resulted in Mitchell belatedly getting selected for France 2023 and he has since worked his way to the top of the No9 pecking order ahead of veteran duo Danny Care and Ben Youngs.
Mitchell started both Pool D wins over Argentina and Japan and he is expected to be the starting scrum-half this Saturday against Samoa in Lille after the jersey was taken by Care last time out versus Chile.
Assistant coach Wigglesworth, a former Test-playing scrum-half himself, expressed delight that Mitchell has fitted in snappily and will ultimately be aiming to start the looming October 15 quarter-final in Marseille, most likely against Fiji.
“Steve asked everyone to be ready,” said Wigglesworth, reflecting on Mitchell’s journey from surplus to requirement to now being at the hub of the World Cup action. “He is a great example to everyone in and around the squad, next man in, what is possible.
“Came in, took his chance, and has looked really sharp. Testament to him and his character. Brilliant character around the squad as well. Just always ready to go. Gives the group good energy.
“George (Ford) because of his performance in that Argentina game got a lot of the headlines but his half-back partner controlled it when we were down to 14 men and his skill set executed that brilliantly, which is what we needed at the time.
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“We know how sharp he is and how quick to the breakdown, how good his service is. In different games has been top-drawer as well.
“That’s every game of rugby, you have got to make good decisions about what is in front of you. That’s what we are aiming to do, come up with the plan to play the best way and get a result.”
It will be Thursday evening when England confirm their team to take on the Samoans in their Pool D finale and Wigglesworth was giving away nothing about a selection where it will be intriguing to see if Henry Arundell, the scorer of five tries against Chile, will be retained on the wing.
“It’s about balance,” he said about the style of wingers that England choose. “You definitely can’t ask me about the selection process, no. It would be about balance for the team.
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“I want them to bring their best game to the field. I’m not going to change how Elliot Daly plays on the wing and try and get Henry Arundell to play like him or vice versa or for any of them.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Andy Goode just loves to be controversial. Its boring. Let’s all stop reading.
6 Go to commentsYou have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
13 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to commentsThese rule changes have been implemented with good intentions, but much like every other rule change focus on isolated symptoms instead of the root cause. If you cannot croc roll, and cannot risk any head contact with a front on clear out, it is not clear how you are supposed to lawfully clear someone out who is attempting a jackal. This will backfire massively and lead to substantially more kicking. Teams will simply not want to take the ball into contact. Or it will lead to even more dangerous methods to clear players out who are over the ball. I much prefer having the set piece on a 30 second shot clock over no scrum on a short arm infringement. Resets are not a problem in themselves, but 90 second water and tactics breaks before every scrum are a big problem. Trainers constantly coming on to the field to help players pull their socks up and delaying the game are a problem. DuPont law was a blight on the game and should have been changed the day after it was first implemented.
79 Go to commentsAh yes, the opinion of Andy Goode… Andy Goode, the man who knows what some of the Irish players said to Eben Etzebeth after the QF, better than what Eben himself knows. And, judging by this piece, the Grandmaster of clichés.
6 Go to commentsI think this is a fair view. As a South African I am concerned about the depowering of the scrum but let’s be honest, until the SA vs FRA quarter many people didn’t even know you could take a scrum from a free kick. As you say it’s going to come down to interpretation… until then we don’t really know how this is going to impact the game. That would lead to my own objection. Do the unknowns of changing a law outweigh the cons of said law. With such an obscure law that most people had never heard of, one that had never really had an impact on the game in the first place is it worth changing to invite so much uncertainty. Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t as it were…
6 Go to comments162 comments so far and counting. i didn't realize that rugby fans are on the way to join the football brothers. what is the point to share personal opinion only to get all this shi*? it seems IRB bosses are doing the great job by killing the spirit of the game both on and outside the pitch. too sad, indeed. btw, was there anything on eben’s point of view from the boys in green, who he mentioned?
164 Go to commentsJob done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
164 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
79 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
13 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
13 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
35 Go to comments