England rugby analysis

Under pressure?

2011-08-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Martin Johnson gets a final look at his England squad tomorrow before he has to select his squad of 30 for New Zealand. So, let’s take a look at who’s under pressure:

Manu Tuilagi’s strong performance at outside centre last week should see him make Johnson’s final 30. His ability to break the first tackle in attack and shuddering tackling in defence gives England’s midfield some much needed dynamism. I do question Tuilagi’s composure though (he tends to rush up in defence a little too quickly and therefore misses tackles and he very nearly floored Shane Williams with a dangerously high tackle) so he will need to be surrounded by level-headed colleagues. Jonny Wilkinson is one such player and Mike Tindall (captain tomorrow) is another so both should be on the plane. Ricky Flutey combined well with Wilkinson and Tuilagi last week and, combined with his ability to play fly half, should be in the 30. That leaves Shontayne Hape and Matt Banahan as the two players under most pressure. As much as I don’t feel Banahan has the pace off the mark or skill to succeed at international level, he did give the England forwards a target going forward. Banahan’s ability to play on the wing may just see him pip Hape to a place in the final 30.

In the front row, Matt Stevens made a terrific return to international rugby. He totally destroyed a (somewhat weak) Welsh front row, setting up James Haskell’s try from the base of the scrum. Although Haskell scored, Stevens should certainly get the credit. (As an aside, I hope Haskell got fined for his ridiculous celebration – plopping over the line from three metres did not warrant such histrionics!). Paul Doran-Jones and Tim Payne have not featured in either match so are likely to miss out on a final place in the squad. Given that Johnson is likely to choose five props due to Andrew Sheridan’s continued recovery from injury, David Wilson is therefore likely to fill the fifth spot. Dylan Hartley had a quiet match last week but that’s no bad thing. His lineout throwing was very solid – a weakness in the past – and he scrummaged well alongside Stevens. Steve Thompson has a chance to put some pressure on Hartley for a place in Johnson’s starting XV and along with Lee Mears will keep competition for the number two slot strong.

Delon Armitage also played well last week at full back. He was very solid under the high ball and ran well from deep. His ability to simply ghost around players gives the England attack another dimension. Given that he can cover outside centre as well as full back means his place in the squad is secure. This week, Johnson gives a chance to his first choice back three of Ben Foden, Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton to see what they can do. Foden, in particular, will want to re-affirm that he’s Johnson’s first choice full back. Charlie Sharples looked very much at home in his short spell on the pitch last week and given that Ugo Monye has not been picked for each game means the Harlequins winger is likely to be the one to miss out.

At scrum half, Danny Care looked off the pace last week and was outplayed by Richard Wigglesworth, who kicked well from the base and delivered a speedier service to Wilkinson (and Charlie Hodgson very late in the game – what was the point of that?). Wigglesworth gets a chance to start at number nine this week and looks set to be on the plane given that Wasps’ Joe Simpson has yet to feature in either warm-up match. Although Care was off the pace, he’s likely to still make the squad alongside Ben Youngs who’s still recovering from knee surgery. At fly half, Wilkinson’s man of the match performance last week still proves he’s still got what it takes at international level (was there any doubt?) and it’s over to Toby Flood to put the pressure back on Wilkinson for a spot in the starting XV.

Simon Shaw’s experience in the second row should see him make the plane ahead of Louis Deacon. However, Deacon did play quite well in the Six Nations so has a chance to prove a point to Johnson this week. Tom Palmer provided a solid platform in the lineout last week, so his place in the squad looks secure alongside Courtney Lawes. As I said last week, Tom Croft’s ability to play in the second row means that Johnson will probably be able to afford to take just three specialist locks. Johnson will be concerned about the injury to captain Lewis Moody and it will be interesting to see how Hendre Fourie plays this week. The question Johnson needs to ask himself is whether a less-than-100% Moody is worth a place in his squad. I believe he is, which means Tom Woods’ place in the squad is safe. Woods has a chance to combine with the experienced Nick Easter in the back row this week and both will need to be at their best to combat the excellent Welsh open side Sam Warburton.

A prediction for tomorrow I hear you cry? Wales have plenty to prove and I expect their centres Jamie Roberts and Gavin Henson to outplay Hape and Tindall. However, given Wales’ inability to provide a solid platform at scrum time last week, the Welsh backs may not really get a chance to cut loose. Expect England to dominate up front, Wigglesworth to kick from the base for Ashton and Cueto to chase and Foden to counter-attack at every opportunity. The atmosphere is bound to be electric – let’s hope the rugby is too.

My squad of 30 at 12 August contains three changes from the squad I would have picked last week:

Props (5)

Cole
Corbisiero
Wilson
Sheridan
Stevens

Hookers (3)

Hartley
Mears
Thompson

Locks (3)

Lawes
Palmer
Shaw

Back row (5)

Croft
Easter
Haskell
Moody
Wood

Scrum halves (3)

Care
Wigglesworth
Youngs

Fly halves (2)

Flood
Wilkinson

Centres (4)

Banahan
Flutey
Tindall
Tuilagi

Wings (3)

Ashton
Cueto
Sharples

Full backs (2)

Armitage
Foden

Johnson hints that defence is the key to World Cup success

2011-08-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Martin Johnson has given us the biggest indication yet of how he wants his England side to play in this autumn’s Rugby World Cup. Forget the forty who remain; it’s the five who were released on Monday that shows the direction of this young yet ambitious squad.

First, let’s commiserate Leicester number eight Thomas Waldrom who’s been struggling with injury. The like-for-like ready-made replacement for Nick Easter was probably number three in the pecking order behind Easter and James Haskell anyway, but injury has not helped his cause. Hopefully Waldrom will be in the mix for 2015 if he can build on the magnificent season he’s had for his club this year. Both Easter and Haskell should make the plane to New Zealand.

Waldrom’s Leicester team mate George Chuter’s omission from Johnson’s World Cup squad shows that the England manager is looking for a balance of raw power (Dylan Hartley and Steve Thompson) as well as pace and off-loading (Lee Mears) from his hookers. Unfortunately for Chuter, his solid performances for his club have left him just coming up short. I therefore expect Hartley, Thompson and Mears to make the cut. I’m delighted that prop Matt Stevens is still in the mix and hope he gets back to his form pre-ban. Along with Andrew Sheridan, Stevens must be a firm favourite to be on the plane, along with Dan Cole, Alex Corbisiero and Paul Doran-Jones. I expect Tim Payne and David Wilson to miss out.

Veteran Joe Worsley is unlucky to miss out in the very competitive battle for the back row. Johnson is looking for a balance of sheer pace (Tom Croft and Tom Wood), explosive power (Lewis Moody and Haskell), combined with the off-loading and ball-handling skills of Easter. Hendre Fourie and Chris Robshaw look set to miss out on a place in Johnson’s final 30, although Robshaw’s leadership skills at Harlequins may just see him pip Wood to the final back row place. My concern is that Worsley’s defensive game may be missed when England come up against a hard-hitting centre who attacks the fly-half/inside centre channel (e.g. Wales’ Jamie Roberts).

The final pair to be omitted from Johnson’s squad are two wingers David Strettle and James Simpson-Daniel. This gives the clearest indication yet that Johnson believes this World Cup will be won by the team who has the best defence. Whilst Strettle and Simpson-Daniel are probably amongst the two best finishers in the Premiership, Johnson clearly believes their defence is not up to the mark.

In terms of attack then, the indications are that England will not go wide off the first phase. Rather, they will attack up the middle with their powerful back row and centres, bringing in Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton off their wings as they did to great effect in the Six Nations. Ugo Monye and Charlie Sharples will battle it out for the final wing berth and if Johnson follows his pattern, the player with the strongest defence will be on the plane.

England need to find a centre pairing which is both defensively solid and which creates and, most importantly, executes, attacking chances. Hopefully Ricky Flutey will be back to his best after injury problems last year. Flutey’s ability to play at either inside or outside centre as well as fly half should see him make the cut. Shontayne Hape’s ability to put others outside him into space should also see him make the final 30.

So, to England’s ever-present problem: outside centre. I still feel Matt Banahan does not have the explosive pace to excel at international level and suspect he may be left behind in the UK. That leaves the experienced Mike Tindall who should make the cut and uncapped Manu Tuilagi. It will be interesting to see how Tuilagi plays against Wales this Saturday to see if he lives up to the hype. He certainly has the power in defence and the pace in attack, but does he have the temperament to match?

Finally, the lineout and distribution of possession from it will be key to England’s success this autumn. Given that Croft can play in the second row, I expect Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer and of course Courtney Lawes to make the final cut. Toby Flood and the ever-reliable Jonny Wilkinson must be favourites to be on the plane as England’s fly half options, which sees Charlie Hodgson missing out. Hodgson’s distribution is outstanding, but Johnson is likely to question his defence. The England manager is likely to take three scrum halves to New Zealand and I expect Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Joe Simpson to be on the plane with Richard Wigglesworth missing out.

For those who are left out, however, the dream is not over. England play three tough warm-up matches in August (two against Wales home and away and one in Ireland) and players are bound to pick up injuries. I’m sure those who don’t make the cut will have their bags packed and their passports at the ready.

My World Cup squad at 5 August:

Props (5) Cole, Corbisiero, Doran-Jones, Sheridan, Stevens,
Hookers (3) Hartley, Mears, Thompson
Locks (3) Lawes, Palmer, Shaw
Back row (5) Croft, Easter, Haskell, Moody, Wood
Scrum halves (3) Care, Simpson, Youngs
Fly halves (2) Flood, Wilkinson
Centres (4) Flutey, Hape, Tindall, Tuilagi
Wings (3) Ashton, Cueto, Sharples
Full backs (2)Armitage, Foden

England must maintain their discipline to beat passionate Italy

2010-02-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Martin Johnson has made two changes to his England starting XV to take on Italy on Sunday 14 February. He welcomes back Brive centre Riki Flutey and hands Leicester prop Dan Cole his second cap after impressing as a replacement last week against Wales. Toby Flood drops to the bench as fly half and centre cover and Bath's David Wilson reverts to the bench.

Flutey, who suffered a dead leg in training only days before last weekend's match against Wales, will hopefully provide the creative spark that was so desperately missing from England's much vaunted three-quarter line. Given the size and strength of Italy's pack, expect to see half backs Danny Care and Jonny Wilkinson to kick deep into Italy territory and utilise Flutey to move the ball wide quickly to tire out the opposition forwards.

Cole comes in to shore up England's front row in the absence of first choice props Andrew Sheridan and Phil Vickery and will pack down against his Leicester team mate Martin Castrogiavanni. Johnson clearly expects the Italian pack and, in particular, the front row to cause his team the most problems, as he has named five out of his seven replacements as forwards and three of those will be utilised in the front row if used. It is therefore somewhat suprising not to see Northampton's Ben Foden named on the replacements' bench as he can cover both scrum half and full back. Should there be an injury to any of England's back three, expect to see Mathew Tait shifted from his preferred position of outside centre and Flood to move in to the centre.

England should win comfortably in Rome tomorrow but most show patience and discipline to wear down a fired-up Italian side in front of a passionate home crowd. They must kick well, both out of hand to ensure they play in the correct areas of the field, but also to penalise any Italian mistakes. It may be Valentine's Day but Italian coach Nick Mallet and his team will certainly be in no mood for gifting England an easy victory.

England capitalise on Wales’ poor performance

2010-02-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

England's victory over Wales last Saturday at Twickenham ensured Martin Johnson's men got their RBS Six Nations campaign off to a winning start. They will take confidence from crossing the Welsh line three times courtesy of Harlequins scrum half Danny Care and a brace of tries from Stade Francais flanker James Haskell. The rest of the victors' points came from the left boot of World Cup winning fly half Jonny Wilkinson.

Care had his best game in an England jersey. We saw him at his sniping best, his box kicking was excellent and decision making much improved. The England pack provided him with a solid platform, with fellow Harlequin Nick Easter having a storming game both in the loose and the tight. He dominated the lineout in the first half, stealing three Welsh throw-ins from under the nose of opposite number Adam Powell.

Along with fellow back row colleague Haskell, Easter provided England with the necessary go forward so often lacking in the autumn internationals. Easter is fast becoming the rock upon which Johnson is building his pack, similar to Dean Richards and Lawrence Dallaglio in the 1991 and 2003 world cups respectively. If Care can consistently perform as he did last Saturday, England will once again have a very strong 8, 9, 10 spine to their team.

Although England scored three tries, they still lack the necessary creativity in the backs. They desperately missed centre Riki Flutey who had to drop out of the squad just days before the match with a dead leg sustained in training. He was replaced by Leicester's Toby Flood who unfortunately lacks the necessary bulk to play at inside centre which is vital to create space on the outside for the likes of Mathew Tait and Ugo Monye. Tait, at last playing in his preferred position of outside centre, looking threatening when given the space to run but needsto model his game on the likes of Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll and Wales' Jame Hook to prove he can create something out of nothing.

Wales played poorly. Second row Alun Wynn-Jones cynical trip on hooker Dylan Hartley towards the end of the first half cost his team dear. When he was in the sin bin, England capitalised and scored 17 points. It just goes to show what an excellent defensive player he is. Their lineout was dire and could not create a solid platform necessary for their fast-paced style. When Wales did get good ball, they persisted with using their back row to bash into midfield but Adam Powell and captain Ryan Jones did not have the necessary off-loading skills. They should have used Lions centre Jamie Roberts a lot more - indeed, when Roberts took the ball at pace into midfield, he sucked in three defenders, provided quick ball and Wales scored with ease.

Both teams were scrappy at times and this was epitomised by a dreadful intercept pass by Welsh fly half Stephen Jones which gifted England victory in the final five minutes. But Johnson will not mind one bit. The England manager realised the importance of a winning start to any campaign and will take heart from his team's ability to push home the advantage when they really needed to.

England back row must take centre stage

2010-02-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

England take on Wales today at Twickenham in the opening game of this season's RBS Six Nations. Martin Johnson has named one of his strongest line ups of his short management career with only injuries to first choice props Andrew Sheridan and Phil Vickery, flankers Tom Croft and Joe Worsley and centre Riki Flutey affecting his plans.

The last minute loss of Brive centre Flutey is a massive blow to Johnson's plans to thwart the dangerous Welsh centre pairing of Jamie Roberts and James Hook. By bringing in Leicester's Toby Flood, this gives England a stronger kicking option and a like-for-like attacking threat but does weaken the defence considerably. If Flood and Mathew Tait, who has finally been given a chance to start in his preferred position of outside centre, struggle to cope with the bullish running lines of Roberts, expect to see ex New Zealand rugby league convert Shontayne Hape brought on for his first cap sooner rather than later.

Flutey's departure also puts more pressure on the England back row of Louis Moody, James Haskell and Nick Easter to perform. Like last year when Joe Worsley man-marked Roberts for the entire match, they must make every tackle count and not let Roberts across the gain line. If Johnson needs to introduce fresh legs in the second half, London Irish's flanker Steffan Armitage can provide the exposive power required both in attack and defence to keep up the pressure on Roberts.

Up front, England must create a solid platform for half backs Danny Care and Jonny Wilkinson to launch England's back division who Johnson says have been given a license to thrill. With Wales losing two of their three first choice front row players this week, England should now have parity at least in the tight and the lineout looks strong with captain Steve Borthwick and veteran Simon Shaw running ths show. Haskell and Moody provide good options at the back of the lineout too. If the England backs are to thrill the capacity crowd, hooker Dylan Hartley must have the confidence to throw long and use these options at the back of the lineout to give Wilkinson, Flood and Tait the space wide out away from the Wales back row combination of Martin Williams, Adam Powell and captain Ryan Jones.

As captain, Steve Borthwick must quickly develop rapport with referee Allain Rolland to ensure that England do not give away needless penalties at the breakdown, especially as the laws around the tackle area have been revised. From today, the tackler must allow the ball carrier to release the ball before attempting to steal possession. Whichever team gets to grips with this new interpretation first will win this crucial game and set themselves up with a chance of winning the Six Nations Championship.

Johnson must change captain for up and coming Six Nations

2010-01-16T08:19:00.000-08:00

England rugby manager Martin Johnson selected his elite squad for the Six Nations this week, but did not name a captain. “We’ll name our captain as we get closer to the tournament” said Johnson. But will he keep faith with Saracens second row Steve Borthwick or look to someone else to lead out England against Wales on 6 February and, quite possibly, into their 2011 World Cup campaign in New Zealand?

The role of a captain is to motivate and lead his fellow players using his experience to make the right decisions at the right time. He must also be able to quietly influence the referee both on and off the field and listen to his tactical decision makers – the half backs. But, above all, he must gain the respect of his fellow team mates by putting in consistently outstanding performances on the pitch – his place in the team must be secure.

This is where Johnson will have difficulty selecting Borthwick as his captain. Borthwick’s place in the team is not guaranteed – he is not the best second row in England at the moment and in my opinion is behind Simon Shaw, Courtney Lawes and Nick Kennedy. Assuming veteran Shaw will play, Johnson must decide between whether to blood 2o year old Lawes or keep faith with Borthwick. It will not be an easy decision for Johnson but if there’s any area where he is an expert, it should be analysing the strengths and weaknesses of his second row.

Borthwick’s influence on the field as England captain has been questionable. He must take at least some responsibility for England’s dire failure to replicate the coaches’ strategy out on the pitch in the autumn . In addition, England continue to give away penalties at the breakdown so either Borthwick has not been listening to referees or his team mates are not listening to him. He has not led from the front or put in any outstanding performances either, so what other options could Johnson explore?

One player who did put in outstanding performances in the autumn was Leicester flanker Louis Moody. His place in the team is secure and many players in the current England setup see him as their on-field leader. Moody has matured as a player over the past couple of years and has cut down the number of penalties he gives away without losing the frenetic pace at which he plays. However, Moody lacks experience as a captain and has only skippered his club side twice despite holding down a regular place in the starting XV. To promote him to England captain would perhaps be risky.

Wing Mark Cueto and full back Delon Armitage definitely tick the box in terms of putting in consistently good performances in an England shirt and I think their places in the starting XV should be secure. However, as with Moody, both lack the necessary experience to captain their country – Armitage only has one season of international rugby behind him and Cueto has not captained his club Sale. It is also very difficult to skipper a side from wing or full back.

Johnson has two further candidates which tick all the boxes necessary to lead their country: World Cup winning fly half Jonny Wilkinson and Harlequins No. 8 Nick Easter. Wilkinson has experience of the captaincy at Newcastle and is an excellent communicator but he is more comfortable following orders than giving them. His responsibilities as England goal kicker and number one tactical decision maker may suffer if he is given the additional mantel of the captaincy.

Easter, the current Harlequins captain, is currently the best No. 8 in England and has been the rock of the national side’s pack for the past three years. His position at the back of the scrum allows him to not only be equally close to his front five as to his half backs to both relay instructions and listen to the tactical decision makers, but also, vitally, close enough to the referee to exert maximum influence. But, most importantly, he has the respect of his team mates gained through leading from the front on a consistent basis at international level. If Martin Johnson wants to get the best out of his team for the up and coming Six Nations championship, he must name Easter as captain to prove he is picking all his players on current form.

Johnson must learn the art of management to start building a winning mentality

2010-01-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

England manager Martin Johnson announced two uncapped players in his elite squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday. With only two years until the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, he will hope that ex-Kiwi rugby league and now Bath centre Shontayne Hape and Northampton’s prodigious try scoring winger Chris Ashton will bring much-needed creativity to the three-quarter line following a turgid series of autumn internationals. Ashton is joined in the elite squad by his team mates: second row Courtney Lawes and full-back Ben Foden. Shane Geraghty, also of Northampton, can consider himself unlucky to miss out and must settle for a place in the Saxons squad along with Danny Cipriani.

Having been ravaged by injuries for the autumn internationals, Johnson must be relieved to welcome back the experienced no. 8 Nick Easter, full back Delon Armitage, British and Irish Lions centre Riki Flutey, hooker Lee Mears and fly-half Toby Flood. However, depth in the front row remains a concern with first choice props Phil Vickery and Andrew Sheridan currently out injured along with Leicester veteran Julian White. Forwards coach Jon Wells and scrum coach Graham Rowntree will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on up-and-coming props Dan Cole and Alex Corbisiero with a view to promotion to the senior squad as cover should injuries once again deprive Johnson of his preferred choice.

Assuming Steve Borthwick will retain the captaincy, I expect him to be joined in the second row by Simon Shaw. The Wasps veteran showed on the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa that he still combines his raw power in the tight with deft off-loads in the loose to great effect. For me, Louis Deacon has not justified his place in the senior squad and can consider himself incredibly lucky to be picked over London Irish lock Nick Kennedy and World Cup winner Ben Kay who both link up with the Saxons.

The back row is missing Joe Worsley who is recovering from knee ligament damage sustained against New Zealand back in November but is still probably the strongest area of the squad. England’s star of the autumn Louis Moody, seen by many as England’s real on-field leader, must start alongside British and Irish Lion Tom Croft. Both provide tremendous speed around the park vital for quick ball at the breakdown as well as excellent lineout options. Nick Easter adds the necessary bulk and a great off-loading game at No. 8 to compliment the harem-scarem style of Moody and Croft.

Providing the England pack can produce quick ball, the half backs and three-quarter line have the talent and speed to cause problems for all defences. For me, Paul Hodgson just about gets the nod over Danny Care at scrum half – his pass off the ground is marginally quicker and his kicking game more solid. Toulon has given Jonny Wilkinson a new lease of life and is my pick to play at 10. His ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over with his metronomic goal kicking and dropped goals, not to mention his rock-solid defence, must not be overlooked.

It is, however, the choice of centres that provokes the most debate. By picking Hape in the squad, Johnson has given himself the option of playing a powerful inside centre with a creative speedster outside him. Sounds familiar? Carling/Guscott, Tindall/Greenwood and more recently, Roberts/O’Driscoll. If Johnson picks Hape to start, he must pair him with the effervescent Mathew Tait who is one of the few players in England who can beat defenders with only a yard of space. However, I expect Johnson to pick the more experienced Riki Flutey who has a better kicking game than Hape and pair him with Dan Hipkiss who provides solid defence and a good target going forward for the pack.

Finally, the back three must both be safe under the high ball to cope with the ever increasing amount of up-and-unders and have the speed to exploit rare space in attack. This immediately rules out Bath winger Matt Banahan who does not have either. How he is higher than David Strettle and Paul Sackey in the pecking order is beyond me. Delon Armitage must be one of the first names on the team sheet at full back, whilst the ever-reliable Mark Cueto not too far behind. The final wing berth is a straight shoot out between Ugo Monye and new boy Ashton. Monye should just shade it.

Whilst the starting fifteen are important, replacements are becoming more influential and I do not see this trend disappearing in a hurry. In Lawes, Mears, Haskell, Foden and Care England have the impact players to hurt teams in the final quarter. It will be down to Johnson and his team of coaches to decide when to unleash this power but does he possess the management skills to make it happen? If he doesn’t yet, he has two years to learn.