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'No, it’s not terrifying': England's Elliot Daly on Fijian physicality
It was curious how the drumbeat about Elliot Daly supposedly being in a very serious race for Rugby World Cup fitness suddenly fell deathly silent on the last Sunday of August. England released a short statement late that afternoon confirming their squad of 33 and that Jonny May was replacing Anthony Watson for the finals in France and that was that.
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In an instant, grave headlines from the previous week about the Saracens utility were quietly swept under the carpet. He would definitely be flying out to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and would definitely be available for selection in the September 9 tournament opener against Argentina.
About that dramatic speculation counting Daly out. “No, I wasn’t really injured,” he insisted this week in Aix-en-Provence just days out from England’s quarter-final encounter with Fiji on Sunday down the road in Marseille. “I don’t know really what happened there but I was in the bracket with other people (who were injured).”
That said, he was marked absent from the August 26 Summer Nations Series fixture versus the Fijians, an encounter that England lost 22-30. With Twickenham nowhere near capacity that afternoon, Daly took a seat in the empty West Stand upper tier along with other players surplus to requirement that day.
Seven weeks later, what are the lasting memories of a loss that left England’s chances of success at the finals widely written off? “We probably weren’t physical enough that day,” he reckoned. “We have spoken about it, our defence wasn’t where we wanted it to be so that is one thing we need to obviously up this weekend.
“We have done that; since we have come to France we have definitely improved in that area so we need to keep going with that. We know they are going to be physical and we have to be physical back.”
Daly was the only England player to start all three matches at the World Cup last month, getting named at left wing versus the Pumas and the Japanese before switching to outside centre against the Chileans. He was excluded from last weekend’s pool finale versus Samoa but has been recalled on the left wing to face the Fijians.
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How does Daly rate his form? “I have gone quite well. I have enjoyed playing on the wing and I enjoyed playing 13 against Chile as well, a different challenge there for me. I have enjoyed it so far.”
Tell us more. “I’m on the wing but really I’m there to get my hands on the ball and connect with the 10s and the 15s, get the ball wide really, and take opportunities when they are on.
“As a winger now in international rugby, you need to be able to do a lot so my role is to look for the ball, search for the ball, look for backfield space, and feed that (information) to the 10s or use my left foot to put it in there. There is not one role anymore, there is a certain amount of roles you need to look at to be there.
“The best thing for me is that when I play those positions I understand what they need. As a 13 you need to know where your winger is defensively or you need to know whether he is flat or he is back or whether you need to give the 13 comms if the guy is coming shooting and you need a little tip into that space, that kind of thing.
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“The same at 15 as well in the backfield space. I understand what communication I need to give those guys to make their job easier and then hope to get the right outcome.”
The speculation leading into Friday lunchtime’s latest England team announcement was that Marcus Smith was set to be named at No15 for just the second time as a starter in that position while skipper Owen Farrell was touted to start at out-half with George Ford benched.
That selection is what ultimately transpired, so what changes for England when Smith is on the pitch in the full-back role he has also occupied on a number of occasions as a replacement? “Not much probably changes, though Marcus probably shifts in a little bit more to be that second ball player.
“Him being a 10 he wants to get his hands on the ball and organising the outside. Freddie has been brilliant at the back there and has come on leaps and bounds the last year especially the way he attacks, the way he sees space, the way he gets his hands on the ball when he needs to, and makes good kicking decisions as well.
“I don’t think much changes, I just think Marcus goes in a little bit closer and wants to be that proper second-ball player.
“We have got a very fluid backline,” added Daly. “The way we attack we are happy with anybody on the ball and we just want to get it to the space and into the right areas of the pitch really. The way we train is very like that as well. Pretty quick. You’re not always in the right positions but you make the most of it.”
England brushed aside Australia at the quarter-final stage of Japan 2019, going on to dethrone the All Blacks in the semi-finals and set up a decider against the Springboks. What was the key to that knockout progress and is there a sense this week that what happened four years ago is set to unfold again?
“Probably how clear we were in those two weeks of what we wanted to get after and how we wanted to play,” recalled Daly. “We have got that similar energy coming bubbling this week as well.
"Fantastic, men. Fantastic!"
– England polish their defensive press in Aix-en-Provence ahead of next Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final versus Fiji in nearby Marseille. #ENGvFIJ #EnglandRugby #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/1hPUz0rXVY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2023
“When we went into that 2019 quarter-final we were just very clear in our game plan against the opposition, what we were going to do and what the outcome was going to be, and the plans we had in place if they didn’t go that way.
“It has got a very similar vibe to this week which is brilliant because everyone is getting quite excited about the weekend. It’s a big game, a game where you lose you’re out so we know what we want to do and hopefully we can get the right result.”
Daly won’t be complacent, though, in thinking semi-final qualification is a cert. “I don’t think you can ever think that. If you start thinking that then you are liable to drop off in certain areas.
“These games even if you are in front you know how tight these games are, especially Fiji with the skill they have got, they can score from anywhere. We have got to be on for the full 80 minutes and hopefully get the right result.
“There are always slight nerves. When I was younger I probably got a little more nervous but everyone is different, everyone reacts in different ways.
“The great thing about this squad is that we have got players that have been there and done that and understand what we need to get right to be able to perform when it comes to Sunday so we get behind those boys and understand what we need to do and as soon as you understand your role in the team you can just focus on that and the nerves go away.”
There has been so much media chatter about Fijian physicality. Does that prospect of getting bumped hard leave Daly trembling? “No, it’s not terrifying but they have got different strengths probably than our back line but the way that you defend, you don’t defend it any differently.
“You understand what their strengths are, you understand how important first collisions are. That’s probably the biggest thing going into the weekend, our first collisions off set-pieces and that kind of thing are probably the things we need to get right to limit them and then hopefully we get on top in the wide channels after that.
“England is a team that is working hard for each other, a team that is physical, a team that is taking opportunities. By and large this tournament we have done most of those things and we are going in the right direction definitely.
“We want to get better and improve as a team and we have done in this tournament so far. Hopefully, we can go one step further this weekend and be even better.”
New England No15 Marcus Smith perfects his step at training in Aix-en-Provence ahead of Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final. #ENGvFIJ #RWC2023 #EnglandRugby pic.twitter.com/ASxSII88jB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 13, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
6 Go to commentsGood riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
6 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
6 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
6 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
6 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
6 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
6 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
6 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to comments