Louis Deacon pleased with England team's balance after victory over Canada
England’s 45-12 win over Canada featured four tries off their much-vaunted set piece, but interim head coach Louis Deacon was keen to pass the credit on to his team for executing the well-rehearsed moves.
“To be fair, it was the players that delivered that,” he said after the match at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
“They’ve been outstanding during the week, the preparation has been excellent. It’s very pleasing the way they went around the set piece, there are still some things to work on, mind.”
English captain Marlie Packer was proud of the effort her team showed, which was the Red Roses’ third victory over Canada this season.
“We just needed to keep building, trusting our processes,” she said.
“The way we defended, we want to be tested like that, we don’t want to be running away with score after score in the first half. We want to be tested because that’s what makes us better as a team.”
Hooker Lark Atkin-Davies was the main beneficiary of England’s efficiency, scoring four tries and being named Mastercard Player of the Match.
“I have to give credit to my forwards, set piece is a really important part of this team’s identity,” Atkin-Davies said.
“Everyone has to be doing their role and nailing their role. Luckily I get to fall over the line at the end of it, but it takes every single forward to get to that moment.”
Atkin-Davies said she would be made to sing on the team bus for scoring four tries, but wasn’t bothered as she was “super proud”.
“I’m often my harshest critic. There’ll still be loads I need to work on from that game, but it was nice to be able to show what I can do. It’s really important for me to go out and perform like I did today.”
Both captain and coach enjoyed the experience under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium, for former England lock Deacon it was a return to the place where he’d competed as a player.
“It was amazing to come back here, I played here during the 2011 World Cup and I have fond memories,” he said.
“For me it was phenomenal. The pitch was lovely, the stadium itself was amazing,” Packer added.
Incoming England head coach John Mitchell joined the side mid-week, with Deacon saying the former All Blacks coach had been in an observational role and to build relationships.
“We’re on a journey as a new coaching team, so we’re learning all the time. What’s pleasing is that there’s balance in our team, we’re not just relying on set piece and maul. We do have that in our game and at times we can show a bit more, but it’s about understanding that balance at the minute.”
England now face New Zealand next weekend in a rematch of last year’s heart-stopping Rugby World Cup final, but Packer said that revenge wasn’t on their minds.
“No, not at all. We’re a totally different group, we’ve definitely grown since last year – not just the players but the coaching staff too. We’re all really looking forward to next week after setting our stall out in these first two matches. We need to back up our performances from those weeks. I don’t think revenge is a thing, we’re going out to play rugby and enjoy it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Men should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
4 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
4 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
211 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
23 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
23 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
211 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
4 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
23 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
211 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
23 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
4 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
211 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
2 Go to comments