Farrell: England ready for any stunts designed to unsettle
Owen Farrell insists England are ready for any Welsh trickery in the tense moments before Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations title collision in Cardiff.
Four years ago Chris Robshaw ordered his players to wait in the tunnel instead of running into the Principality Stadium arena knowing that with Wales still in their changing room, they would deliberately be kept waiting on the pitch amid freezing temperatures.
The plan backfired as England prevailed 21-16 but more scheming is possible as indicated when Warren Gatland mischievously suggested that tractors of Welsh farmers could blockade the team bus when Eddie Jones’ squad travelled through Newport on Friday afternoon.
Into Robshaw’s shoes as captain steps Farrell and the inspirational Saracens playmaker knows composure is key if a campaign to unsettle his team materialises. “If anything does get thrown at us, I’d expect or hope we would be calm enough to deal with it, whatever,” Farrell said.
“I’m sure they Wales will be up for this game, we have got to make sure we are in the right place. But want to be right for kick-off, not before that. Games like this, big games, are usually about doing the simple things well, not trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.”
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England are favourites to seize the Six Nations title from Ireland and extend Jones’ unblemished winning run against Gatland to four Tests. Resounding wins in Dublin and against France at Twickenham have placed them on course for a potential title decider against Wales, the only other Grand Slam chasing team left in 2019.
England dominate the try-scoring count with 10 from two games, 70 per cent of which have been engineered during moves including a tactical kick. Finding space behind the defensive line has been a profitable tactic, but Farrell insists they have more strings to their bow.
“We’re evolving and we’re not anywhere near where we want to be either,” Farrell said. “Everyone has talked about our kicking game and what that has created, but our kicking game is only effective if there is space there.
“And the space is only there if you are a threat with ball in hand. We’re making good decisions and that’s what rugby is about. We have got continue to make good decisions because we can’t think that one way or another is going to work for us.”
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Your complete guide to tomorrow's #WALvENG showdown in Cardiff: https://t.co/K6LRkwjHEs pic.twitter.com/KmpbozZ4Yq
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 22, 2019
Gatland has identified “timebomb” Kyle Sinckler as a possible chink in England’s armour, but attack coach Scott Wisemantel insists it would be foolish to single the tighthead prop out.
Gatland picked Sinckler for the all three Tests during the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand and believes there is a “challenge with his temperament” that “other players are aware of”, although he denied there was a plan to exploit any vulnerability at the Principality Stadium.
“If they target him then they’re leaving 14 other blokes to do their jobs so good luck,” Wisemantel said. “We saw in the Australia game during the autumn that he has a quick wit and can refocus very quickly. It’s probably Warren trying to stir the pot a bit.
“On the edge is the way he plays the game. Do you really want to take that away from someone? I don’t think so. He knows how to control himself and I don’t think it’s an issue at all.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments