Regathered kicks and three other England talking points versus Samoa
No one could have confidently predicted it would work out so swimmingly for England so far at this Rugby World Cup, quarter-final qualification and first place in Pool D both secured with a group game to spare.
Just one win in six coming into the tournament suggested that a struggle was in store at France 2023, but that didn’t materialise and Steve Borthwick’s team now have a no-pressure audition versus Samoa in Lille on Saturday to fine-tune tactics ahead of their October 15 knockout stage match in Marseille – versus most likely Fiji.
Here, RugbyPass takes a look at some talking points as Borthwick and co look to finish out their pool schedule with another victory:
England DNA
Whereas Borthwick has spent his time ducking and diving across the campaign, avoiding sharing insight and giving fans some edible food for thought about what he is trying to achieve, some England players have been the complete opposite.
Courtney Lawes was an example last Monday, chatting about the DNA of England’s various rival teams before getting put on the spot and being asked to precisely explain what his own team’s DNA is.
“We’re a really strong defensive team,” he reckoned. “That is probably our backbone; we have conceded one try in the last three games, so that is great, and obviously an aerial kicking team.
“We are very good at getting the ball back and we’re looking to build attack off that. Hopefully, by the time we get a bit later on in the tournament, that is where we want to be and show people a bit of a different side to us.”
Lawes was spot on about the defence tightening up, giving up just a single try in three games compared to 30 in their nine matches this year before the finals with Kevin Sinfield new to coaching a Test-level rearguard.
But what about Lawes’ kicking reference and England being “very good” at getting the ball back; what are the numbers for this assumption? Official stats from the games against Argentina, Japan and Chile state that the English have kicked 110 times from the hand, putting 36 into touch, regathering 28, and having three more charged down.
There is no statistical accounting for where the other 43 kicks wound up, but is the regathering of 28 – 30.8 per cent of their kicks – a really positive stat? It very much is, coming in as a tournament-best when a deep dive is done into what most other leading teams have been up to with their kicking from the hand:
France (four games –24.2 per cent regathered): 121 kicks, 20 regathered, 55 to touch, 3 charged down;
New Zealand (four games – 21.28 per cent regathered): 112 kicks, 19 regathered, 50 to touch, 2 charged down;
Wales (three games – 9 per cent regathered): 75 kicks, 12 regathered, 28 to touch, 2 charged down;
South Africa (four games – 8.1 per cent regathered): 81 kicks, 10 regathered, 53 to touch, 0 charged down;
Ireland (three games – 3.78 per cent regathered): 63 kicks, 6 regathered, 40 to touch, 3 charged down;
Scotland (three games – 1.83 per cent regathered): 61 kicks, 3 regathered, 31 to touch, 3 charged down.
England fine-tune their defensive press at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage ahead of Saturday's Pool D clash with Samoa. #EnglandRugby #ENGvSAM #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/1ivndtkfyl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2023
Canny Cole advice
Such is the air of authority that Borthwick wields that there was one awkward moment for skipper Owen Farrell at Thursday evening’s team announcement media briefing. He was asked if he – and not George Ford – would be kicking off the kicking tee versus Samoa and with his coach sitting to his right, the captain booted for touch.
“Yes, we have. Steve decided,” said Farrell without volunteering who exactly would kick. It was instead left for the coach to eventually give the answer, “Owen’s kicking at goal on Saturday.”
Surprisingly, it was veteran prop Dan Cole who gave the best piece of advice when it came to discussing the all-time Jonny Wilkinson England points record that Farrell is on the cusp of breaking. “It would help if the wingers didn’t score in the corner all the time,” he jested.
For the record, Farrell was eight from 11 off the tee the last day in the rout of Chile, three missed conversions denying him the two points needed to surpass the Wilkinson benchmark of 1,179.
Getting the band back together
It can’t go unsaid that the Borthwick gambit of playing Ford, Farrell and Manu Tuilagi as the 10/12/13 combination was always a trump card likely to come out of the coach’s back pocket the deeper England went in the tournament.
Not since March 2020 versus Wales, the Twickenham afternoon that Tuilagi was red carded late on in the Test match that was the last before the pandemic shutdown was confirmed, have England fielded this particular 10/12/13.
It’s also the first time since March 2021 versus Ireland in Dublin that the 10/12 partnership of Ford and Farrell has started. The selection is very much a throwback to old times, and it has ignited a debate about whether its revival is a good or bad thing.
Fans are going to have to wait until Saturday evening before having some fresh evidence to mull over, but Borthwick is clearly looking for a similar 2019 Rugby World Cup result with this trio now reunited.
They were the starting 10/12/13 versus New Zealand four years ago, a performance that England haven’t matched in any of the games since then.
Suited-up England get stuck into tackle practice at training in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage ahead of their Pool D finale versus Samoa next Saturday. #EnglandRugby #ENGvSAM #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/YWKrCPZtjE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2023
3-minute Curry
Here’s a crazy stat: Tom Curry has had less than three minutes of Test rugby in the 12 matches that Borthwick has been in charge of England. Two hamstring injuries, one in each leg, kyboshed his entire Guinness Six Nations last spring.
Then came the ankle injury that sidelined him from the Summer Nations Series, a lay-off followed by the third-minute red card versus Argentina last month that left him suspended for the follow-up games against Japan and Chile.
The back-rower now makes his return versus Samoa and his impact will be closely monitored. Defence coach Kevin Sinfield considers Curry a leader in that facet of the game but he wasn’t too keen to talk his man up during the week given what happened in the first week in September after he previously praised him to the hilt.
What can be said is that England have described Curry as training the house down in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, their base camp for the pool stage. The abrasiveness of the Samoans will now definitely test this level of fitness and his energy levels will be important.
With the Billy Vunipola return not having worked out due to a combination of suspension and him looking very leggy getting around the park, England need back-rowers with an engine. Ben Earl explained as much the other day.
“He [Borthwick] wants us as back-rowers to run and you look at the team Leicester were when they won the Premiership (in 2022 under Borthwick), you look at the best performances we have had as England under his regime, it has been when the back row has been at the forefront of the game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Think 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.
5 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.
5 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
5 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.
5 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.
3 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!
3 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?
233 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 commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to comments