Ireland should beat Eddie Jones' 'New England' - Andy Goode
England need to start taking risks if they want to see off an impressive Ireland outfit and give this new era lift-off.
After a clean sweep of autumn wins and comfortable victories against weaker opposition last summer, England have only one defeat to their name since last year’s Six Nations and that was the one they threw away against Scotland last month.
However, it’s fair to say they haven’t looked convincing in this year’s tournament with the attack stalling and what looks like a lack of clarity in what they’re trying to do and an absence of the cohesion that makes the Irish so dangerous.
Clearly, England are going to struggle to be as cohesive as a side that picks 11 players in their starting XV from the same club side but we need to see the handbrake taken off and the players given licence to take chances without the fear of making mistakes.
Jones has a lot of experienced players in his side but the likes of Freddie Steward, Max Malins, Joe Marchant and Sam Simmonds are all green around the gills at international level and need to be given the confidence to shine like they do at club level.
It’s in the halfbacks where England are really inexperienced, though, and they are obviously a team’s key decision-makers so Harry Randall and Marcus Smith need to be empowered to take risks and take the game to Ireland rather than being held back.
The match-up between Smith and Johnny Sexton is the one that everyone is talking about because of the contrast in styles as well as experience and it should be a mouth-watering one.
Sexton is the master puppeteer and you can be sure he’ll manage the game effectively as well as utilising all the threats he has outside him. Smith is a player who gets people off their seats and, while he’ll need to show control too, the hope is that the tactics allow him to excite.
It looks a little bit like England are trying to play the game with Smith as if they still had Owen Farrell in the number 10 jersey and they have to adapt to the Harlequins man if they’re going to get the best out of him and if he’s to get the best out of others around him.
The defeat to Ireland at the end of last year’s Six Nations marked the end of an era for Eddie Jones and what he’s now calling ‘new England’ was born. This is the biggest test his refreshed side has had and he knows it.
The usual mind games are going on, albeit with Andy Farrell refusing to engage, but the issue over Ireland’s physicality that was there for a few years has been put to bed now and I think Eddie’s right that Ireland do arrive at Twickenham as favourites.
This is always going to be a big fixture for Farrell and Mike Catt as well. They got booted out of the England setup after the 2015 World Cup when Jones came in and I think they should’ve been given time to develop as coaches.
The RFU didn’t see things that way and, although there’s a bit of water to go under the bridge before the next World Cup, those former England coaches look to have got their current side into better shape than their old one as things stand.
The men in green will definitely miss Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher up front but Cian Healy and Dan Sheehan aren’t bad replacements and England look strong in that area too, provided Maro Itoje and Kyle Sinckler are 100% after doubts over them.
That’s where the game will be won and lost and if Itoje, who missed the captain’s run through illness, doesn’t make it, it will give Ireland a major advantage in the physicality stakes.
It’s the accuracy of Ireland’s attack, in contrast to England, that has stood out for me over the past 12 months and that is most noticeable from the lineout and their launch plays. England will need to stop that at source and Itoje is a key figure in that respect too.
Ireland always opt for Bundee Aki against England and I’m a massive fan of his. He’s the complete package as an inside centre, physically abrasive but with soft hands at the line and good footwork as well.
I’ve no doubt we’ll see him running down the number 10 channel and targeting Smith quite a lot as well as trying to get the better of Marchant and Henry Slade.
England need to get Smith on the front foot and if they do that, they can win but they’ll have to take risks rather than resorting to the boot. Jones has described this game as a semi-final in the context of this tournament but the last thing anyone wants to see is a 9-6 semi-final.
The public is crying out to see this young England side express themselves and if they do, anything can happen, but it’s hard to look past Ireland as favourites given what we’ve seen so far and I can see them winning by six at Twickenham.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
20 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
7 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
20 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
7 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
20 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
20 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
20 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to comments