I am starting to get really annoyed by what some of the pundits or "experts" as they like to be known keep saying about this sport and every team and competition. It's like they are trying to purposely annoy and provoke you, rather than give a fair assessment of the games and circumstances a team find themselves in. For that reason I have decided to right down my own thoughts. Before I start let me say that I am English through and through but I like to think that I am not biased in any way towards the other nations. Even though I live in Wales and have no problem winding my Welsh mates up! I like to play devil's advocate so may go against the general consensus on more than one occasion, but with any luck I won't need to. So here goes nothing.....
England 54 – 12 Fiji
New Beginning
I must say that I am a very happy Englishman at the moment. The progress that Stuart Lancaster has made over the last 12 months has been brilliant and just what England needed. Through the 6 Nations we saw a young inexperienced squad come together and play no real rugby, but put in huge amounts of effort and put in some of the best defensive displays I have seen from England in a long time. The culture in this squad is incredible; you can see a real edge to England in terms of wanting to perform and wanting to win. The 6 Nations produced a team that can compete at the set piece with the best of them. It may have been a second choice Irish front row, but if that is the case then you are meant to dominate them the way we did. We also went toe to toe with the eventual grand slam winners at home and won in Paris which isn't ever an easy place to win. That tournament also showed that we can defend incredibly well. We put the effort in and the guys put their bodies on the line game after game. Brad Barritt and Chris Robshaw led from the front with this and I believe are key men to our defence and deserve their places in the team. People say that Barritt can't pass so shouldn't be in the team. Let's try and look at the glass half full guys. What he can do he does as well as anyone on the planet.
Then came a tough summer tour to South Africa where people expected to see England attacking. It was never going to happen. England went there to learn what it was like to play against the best in the world away from home. By the end of that third test I think the squad knew that they could physically match the most physical side in the world. To get a draw against the Boks was a good result considering the stage of our development. That was the end of the 'honeymoon' period. Now we want to see England develop their attacking game.
What to Expect this Autumn
Will they beat all of the big three this autumn? No, I don't expect them to win any. We have no chance of beating the All Blacks. I think we have a very good shot at beating the Boks and Aussies at home, simply because of the talent in the squad and the mental toughness they have. The key point is we are developing our attack, I don't believe we can be clinical enough to ensure victories. However give it another 12 months and I think we will be able to. I don't like the fact that this autumn has been compared to the great England autumn series in 2002. Yes we were good. But that was 12 months out from a world cup. We need to be in that position in 2014, we have 2 more years before we need to be at that level and we will need both of those years. I think it is completely unrealistic to expect anything else at this stage.I think that under the circumstances the performance against Fiji was as good as it could be. If England had won by about 40 points to 20 people would have said it was a terrible performance. If they had won 70 – 0 they would say, 'ah well it's only Fiji'. I think the final score for England was quite good. For the first 20 minutes England were rusty, no excuse but they were. Everybody questioned if England can add an attacking game to their performance or even if they would try to. In that first 20 they chucked the ball around like it was a hot potato! It didn't help them look any better at that point and you could tell they were new to it, but they were trying! As the game went on they got much better, down in no small part down to one man.
Alex Goode was a great selection by Lancaster. It was a very tough call on Mike Brown who has been in great form this year, but with Joseph injured England needed another attacking threat in midfield. Goode plays that kind of rugby, with the ability to play 10 he slotted in at second receiver and gave us another attacking option either side of the scrum. Tuilagi and Barrett did what they have always done but did show glimpses of having good hands and the overall attacking structure was good. It is by no means the finished article but was a good start, now we need time to develop this game. Please let's give it to them; they have done much to gain our support and nothing yet not to warrant it.
Selections
What about Lancaster's selections for the game. Goode was always going to get the nod over Brown because of the way he plays, and he delivered with a great man of the match performance. I think Ashton and Sharples will start on the wings next week as Sharples deserves it after a terrific brace against Fiji, with Goode at fullback. They need time to develop this game. However against the Boks I think Ashton will start with both Brown and Goode completing the back three. We picked 2 full backs in the summer to nullify to the Boks kicking game and it did work. I think it will again. Thomas Waldron got the nod ahead of Ben Morgan but I didn't see enough to convince me that he deserves it. I haven't seen Morgan play this year so can't comment on him. He may have got a little complacent which is understandable after the year he has had. This will just make him hungrier and he will come back stronger. I don't know if he will get the nod ahead of the Tank next week though.Tom Youngs was very good at hooker, and unless Hartley returns he should start next week. He was great around the park and his lineout was immaculate. That was what people questioned going into the game but they don't always look at the stats. His throwing percentage for the season is 81% where as Hartley's is 86%. Not as big a difference as people would have you believe and one bad game against Gloucester doesn't make a bad player. I applaud Lancaster for continuing to show faith in the youngsters and reward quality. On that note I think the 2 new caps in Vunipolo and Launchbury stepped up and played very well. I have not seen Launchbury play but that break he made shows his athleticism, he has a bright future ahead of him. I have watched Vunipolo play for Bristol before moving to Saracens. Even against Championship opposition you knew he would go all the way and soon. I just wish club and country would convert him to tighthead. He can play there and with Corbs and Marler fighting it out for the number one shirt, I would like to see Mako and DC go at it for the number three shirt England seem to have real quality in that position at the moment.
Openside Flankers
The selection that has been talked about most, or rather the non selection is that of Steffon Armitage. I can't comment on whether he should be selected as I haven't seen him play in a while put it does sound like he is in great form. He knew the risks of going to France, you can't blame the coaches if he is not always going to be available for selection. The biggest argument for his selection has been the 'lack of an out and out openside' in the squad. People have moaned about playing 6's at 7 for years and in the past I have agreed with that criticism. There are 2 exceptions, the first was Lewis Moody who I thought was a great 7 and deserved the slot. The other is Chris Robshaw. He is a fantastic leader and people seem to ignore the fact that he is not only a really good player but is a brilliant seven. Again we need to look at the stats. During the summer tour he had the best overall stats out of all the sevens that played, that includes McCaw, Pocock and Warburton. Not bad for someone who is not a seven! I'll never forget during the second test against the Boks when referee Steve Walsh (not my favourite ref by any means) turned to Robshaw and said "Your doing some incredible fetching today mate". I have never heard a seven complimented like that before by a ref, or any player for that matter. Robshaw has earned his place in the team and England are not the same without him.
Next up is Australia. It is a game England are more than capable of winning and can if they are more clinical than today. A long as they keep performing, developing and put the effort in then I am happy. There is still a long way to go before the next world cup, but I think England can nick this by a couple of points. On a final note here is my 23 for the game against the Aussies where I have put multiple players is simply down to who will be fit or where I just can't make my mind up who should start.
- Crobisiero/Marler
- Hartley/Youngs
- Cole
- Parling
- Lawes/Palmer/Botha
- Johnson
- Robshaw (C)
- Morgan
- Care
- Flood
- Ashton
- Barritt
- Tuilagi
- Sharples
- Goode
- Vunipolo
- Wilson
- Youngs/Paice
- Launchbury
- Wood
- Youngs
- Farrell
- Brown
C'mon England!!!!!
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