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Ludlam and Malins' verdict on England loss to Scotland

By PA
Press Association

Lewis Ludlam insists there is no sense of panic after England launched the Steve Borthwick era with a 29-23 defeat by Scotland that placed an early dent in their Guinness Six Nations title chase.

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Gregor Townsend’s side came out on top of a seven-try Calcutta Cup classic to post a third successive victory over the Auld Enemy and register consecutive wins at Twickenham for the first time in the fixture’s 152-year history.

England led by a single point heading into the final 10 minutes but the defensive frailty apparent throughout was exposed again when turbo-charged wing Duhan van der Merwe struck for the second time.

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Although not the result to dispel the gloom present for the final year of Eddie Jones’ stewardship, there was much to admire about Borthwick’s first outing as head coach as the buzz returned to Twickenham.

“There’s no panic about that performance but it’s important that we build on that because we have Italy coming and we need to be better,” Northampton flanker Ludlam said.

“It was a proper Test match. It’s hard not to be frustrated with the result. A few of our mistakes let them into the game and that’s Test rugby, they punished us for those mistakes.

“In terms of how we want to play and the fight we showed, it was really encouraging from an England point of view.

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“There’s a clarity about how we do things. I feel like this group is closer. There’s now a really deep, emotional connection over what it’s like to play for England.

“The boys want to fight for each other and for the coaches. It’s encouraging and while disappointing that we didn’t get the win, we’re heading in the right direction.”

Van der Merwe emerged as Scotland’s matchwinner by pouncing in each half, although debate will continue over whether his stunning first try owed as much to England’s defensive failings as his own individual brilliance.

The imposing Lions wing evaded five tackles during a run initiated from inside his own half as a combination of speed, strength and footwork swept him across the whitewash.

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“Van der Merwe was a massive threat for them and he had a fantastic game. He really got them on to the front foot and we didn’t deal with that well enough,” Ludlam said.

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“He’s a fantastic player and is very good at finding space. If we worked on our defence for the next two years, would he have made that break? I don’t know. It’s hard to gauge that.”

Like Ludlam, England’s two-try wing Max Malins was another player who had been marginalised by Jones yet was accommodated in the starting XV by Borthwick.

The Bristol-bound Saracen believes there was enough in the performance to place a spring in the step of supporters ahead of the round two clash with Italy.

“I’m sure fans went to the game not really knowing what to expect. Hopefully they can see that performance and look at the good in it,” Malins said.

“I am adamant there were some good things in there and hopefully that gets the fans excited.

“At the end of the day we get to represent our country and we’re proud to do so and want to make those fans happy. So that’ll be our aim in eight days time.”

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Bull Shark 9 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically. I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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