Eddie Jones questioning Rhys Patchell was a risk – Andy Goode
England against Wales is always a huge fixture but this one has a very different feel about it after the results and performances in the opening weekend of the Six Nations.
A lot of people questioned Wales prior to last week and some wrote them off but they proved what they’re capable of and will be in bullish mood coming to Twickenham. The mind games during the week between Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones have been fun but they both know it’ll count for little come Saturday afternoon.
Gatland suggested his English counterpart would do a great job as the next British and Irish Lions coach earlier in the week and that a 3-0 whitewash would be expected in South Africa and it’s all a bit of paper talk that’ll be forgotten once the game is done and dusted.
Questioning Rhys Patchell’s ability to handle the pressure is a bit of a risk as that could backfire on Jones but it’s all aimed at taking the pressure off his own team and piling it on the opposition.
As a fly half going into a game of this intensity you are under a huge amount of pressure already and there will be no easy holes for Patchell to exploit. Jonathan Joseph has proven himself to be pretty adept at the intercept and if Jones planting an extra seed of doubt just buys England’s defence half a second because he’s thinking about the possibility of someone flying out of the line, then I’m all for it.
I was surprised Ben Te’o was picked last week with him not having played at all for over four months and therefore having no form to judge him on but Joseph is still the first choice outside centre, especially with Elliot Daly being injured.
If anything, Te’o’s size could have been useful this week to match the physicality of Hadleigh Parkes and Scott Williams but George Ford, Owen Farrell and Joseph at 10, 12 and 13 is the combination that has served England so well in winning 23 of 24 Tests under Eddie Jones.
And, what you lose in physicality with Joseph, you make up for in pace and they’ll be looking to find some space for him in the outside channels.
You want it to be a really attacking, free-flowing game and both teams showed some real quality in attack last week but Paul Gustard and Shaun Edwards are two of the best defensive coaches in the world and both sides will pride themselves on their defence in a game of this magnitude.
England’s defence was patchy in Rome last week and they need to bring the intensity that Wales had against Scotland when they didn’t concede a point for over 78 minutes.
Wales have got some confidence now with ball in hand if they’re allowed to play and if England don’t dent that early, then it’ll be tough to dominate them physically when they’re trying to get the ball out of the contact and that’s the key battle for me.
To win against Wales you need to be physical and win the gainline battle. England had Nathan Hughes for this fixture last year but the best player in the pitch by far was Ross Moriarty and Wales lost a bit of intensity when he went off because he was playing like a man possessed.
It’ll be a huge test for Sam Simmonds after an exceptional Six Nations debut last week. Can he carry in traffic and make yards and who are the other hard-nosed ball carriers that are going to do the same against a tough Welsh defence?
That gainline and breakdown battle is going to be key and whoever dominates those areas and wins the physical confrontation will win the game.
Wales have beaten England three times at Twickenham in eight Tests there under Gatland and 10 of these players have experience of doing so, so there’ll be no fear factor among them and they’ll certainly have real belief that they can win.
However, England have won 13 straight Tests at Twickenham since the World Cup and I expect them to make that 14 against Wales. If you’d asked me two weeks ago, I’d have said it’d have been a comfortable victory by 15 points but now I think it’ll be an England win by five to seven points.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments