Ireland and Scotland impress; Same old story for England and Wales
There was a script for this weekend that was supposed to be followed – Scotland would probably succumb to another loss after an uninspiring and unimaginative display, an injury depleted Ireland would be bullied by South Africa, England would shoot themselves in the foot against New Zealand and Wales would find a way to lose by fewer than five points against Australia. As it transpired, two of the games went well and truly ‘off-script’.
The result which really caught the eye was Ireland’s 29 – 15 humbling of South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The hosts had been struck by the injury bug in the lead up to the game, leaving them without the experience and ability of the likes of Cian Healey, Andrew Trimble and Gordon D’Arcy, whilst the Springboks had been the first to down the mighty All Blacks in almost two years just a few weeks earlier.
But a remarkable display of physicality and stubbornness from the Irish pack, backed up by a commanding performance from Johnny Sexton at fly-half, took the visitors by surprise in the second half – and they never recovered. Ireland had done well to repel a dominant set piece and an almost constant – but predictable – South Africa attack, but in the second half the physicality went up at notch as a try from Rhys Ruddock from a driving maul put the hosts in charge, before Marcel Coetzee responded in kind. The pressure began to tell on the visitors though, and three penalties and a well-taken score from Tommy Bowe put the game out of reach.
Whisper it quietly, but Joe Schmidt is building a very powerful Irish side and they may just fancy themselves as dark horses in just under a year’s time.
More good news for the Northern Hemisphere was to be found in Edinburgh, where the Scottish team seemed to feed off the good-vibes brought on by new coach Vern Cotter. They were playing an Argentina side riding high after claiming their first ever win in the Rugby Championship over Australia but, truthfully, the Pumas were never in the game despite claiming a breakaway score through flanker Javier Ortega Desio in the opening minute.
The Scots played enterprising and high-tempo rugby to delight the home fans, with tries coming from Richie and Jonny Gray, Sean Maitland, Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour, before two late scores from scrum half Tomas Cubelli (after an earlier penalty try) gave the final score of 41 – 31 perhaps a closeness it didn’t merit. Finally, some shoots of hope to go with the new Murrayfield turf.
At Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium however, it was sadly all too predictable. England once again impressed for 40 minutes and then proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot for 20, with the All Blacks taking full advantage. After Johnny May had crossed for a wonderful solo try, silencing his doubters, Aaron Cruden (just) wriggled over in response. The English pack, though, forced the All Blacks into mistakes and, although a couple of gilt-edged chances for tries went begging, Owen Farrell booted England into 14 – 11 lead at half-time.
From there, however, England’s kicking game disintegrated (with Danny Care a particularly guilty party) and handed the All Blacks territory on a plate. The World Champions do not need such invitations, and tries from Richie McCaw and Charlie Faumuina (one of the classic wet-weather tries) killed off the game as a contest, despite a late scrum-based penalty try from the England pack, leaving the final score at 21 – 24.
It was a similar story across the Severn, as a mad first half saw the score yo-yo as Rhys Webb, Alex Cuthburt and Alun Wyn Jones saw their scores cancelled out by Israel Folau (two) and Tevita Kuridrani. A penalty try from the men in red was the only try in the second half, but the reliable boot of Bernard Foley proved to be the decisive factor as the Wallabies ran out 28 – 33 winners. A superb game… but once again, Wales lacked the ability to control the game at the crucial time.
Elsewhere, France put in a decent second half display to run out 40 – 15 winners against Fiji, with Teddy Thomas scoring a hat-trick on debut. Italy, Tonga and the USA picked up solid wins against Samoa, Georgia and Romania respectively.
Autumn Internationals Star Man: Johnny Sexton
Cardiff flies lone flag for the Welsh provinces as Dan Cole returns for Tigers
If Welsh fans found the weekend’s international result hard viewing, then there wasn’t too much joy to be found elsewhere as just one of the provinces managed a win over their English counterparts. That side was the Blues, who won a nerve-jangling encounter at Newcastle 22 – 21. Both sides scored three tries, but Simon Humberstone kicked a crucial penalty with 20 minutes to go to give his side the win. The Scarlets and the Ospreys both went down to disappointing home defeats to Northampton and Saracens respectively, whilst the Dragons were downed 31 – 21 at Harlequins.
The other big news of the day was that England prop Dan Cole returned after 10 months out with a neck injury to play 33 minutes against Sale and help the Tigers to a remarkable win after being 13 – 3 down at half time. The visitors dominated the opening half, scoring through Michael Paterson, but after Harry Thacker touched down early after the break and Cole entered the fray, there was only one side in it. With the pack suddenly dominating, Miles Benjamin scored two cracking tries, following an effort from Matt Smith, to claim an impressive 29 – 13 win. Elsewhere, there were wins for Wasps, Gloucester and the Chiefs over London Irish, London Welsh and Bath respectively.
LV=Cup Star Man: Alex Lozowski
Clermont Crush Stade to go top, Toulon fall to Castres
With the large influx of foreign stars well-publicised in the Top 14, it perhaps comes as no surprise that even the top sides can survive international call-ups with a roster of big names now ‘unavailable’ for international duty – and Clermont proved that with a 51 – 9 thumping of Stade Francais to go top of the table, with Fritz Lee, Peceli Yato and Napolini Nalaga all scoring doubles. Their opportunity to go top was handed to them by Toulon, who were beaten convincingly away at previously bottom club, Castres, by 22 – 14.
Elsewhere, there were some nail-biting moments as Bordeaux missed a simple last-minute conversion to fall 21 – 20 at home to Toulouse, whilst a late try from James Hart sealed Grenoble a 34 – 30 win over Lyon in a game that was made remarkable by the boot of Jonathan Wisniewski, the fly half booting a sensation 29 points. Brive, Racing Metro and Oyannax also picked up wins in the remainder of the weekend’s games.
Top 14 Star Man: Jonathan Wisniewski
Try of the Weekend: There were some absolute belters to choose from this week, and you could make an argument for the sheer flair of the Fijian consolation score, touched down by Timoci Nagusa, or the ‘one for the purists’ which came for the All Blacks courtesy of Charlie Faumuina. But in terms of setting the tone and for sheer X-Factor, you have to turn to Jonny May’s fantastic effort against New Zealand. Getting round Conrad Smith is impressive – beating Israel Dagg on the outside in a five metre channel is unheard of.
Hero of the Weekend: This is always a tricky call with so many big performances across the games, but I’m going to lean towards one of the fly halves. Bernard Foley impressed me with his authority against the Welsh in his first game at the Millennium Stadium, but I keep coming back to Johnny Sexton’s composed and intelligent display against the Springboks. In a feisty and ultra-physical game, his precision in general play was one of the major differences between the sides.
Villain of the Weekend: Steve Hansen rightly pointed to the growing use of TV replays as evidence for re-checking tries, but I’m going to hand the dubious honour to the whole of the Lyon side. Generally, if you’ve seen the opposition fly half slot a couple of penalties, you start to tighten up your discipline. When he’s hit five, you go into ultra-safe mode. But to hand a bloke ‘in the groove’ (Jonathan Wisniewski) NINE shots at your sticks? Ludicrous stuff. They’ll be in for a hard week of training.
By Mike Cooper (@RuckedOver)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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Same old same old after the match for England and Wales as well.
Wales – we “played well”, we “went forward”, we “gave away too many silly points”. So we can fix all that and be sorted. Except we don’t fix it. Ever. — Oh, and it was a brill game for the neutrals apparently. Could not care less.
England – “threw it away”, “shot themselves in the foot”, “not far off the ABs” etc. So again, that can be fixed and then Eng will beat them. It’s good to have hope but some realism that this current squad, management and style won’t beat them might be more useful.
Ireland were brilliant. SA seemed to think that just sticking at the physical would be enough but when Ireland didn’t buckle under that they then tried some running but too little too late. Tactically naive and underestimated their opposition.
Didn’t see the Scotland game.
Hard to disagree, England are way off the AB’s, at the moment. Switch it around, England go to 14 men, how many points do they ship?
I don’t think this squad isn’t good enough to beat them. It is. Just not without backs winning the contact.
England severely lack without Manu Tuilagi. The backs ability to break the gain line is lacking when they come up against a superior defence.
When England went for the catch and drive, never once did i feel that a try would be scored when the ball was recycled to the backs. Put Tuilagi (or dare i say potentially Burgess?!) in there and it becomes a different story.
Steve Hansen has said England have gone backwards. On that performance it’s hard to disagree with him.
So disappointed with England. You have to play for 80 minutes during a test match, not just half a game. On Saturdays evidence England are way off NZ. Pack got dominated for the first 20 of the second half when we never looked in control of the ball. Care again proved he can not manage a game on the back foot, his box kicking was pretty aimless at times. Eastmond is not a good tactical kicker so Brown should have helped out more with his boot. Too many top players (Care/Brown/Wood) all pretty poor. Would keep Brown in more because I can’t stand Goode, but Haskell and Youngs should come in for the other two.
Missed Tuilagi’s ability to get us over the gain line too. Also got proved wrong on May who was very good, even aside from the try.
Last thing is Italy – looked like a brilliant result against a very good Samoan side.
Or we could start wondering why not a single pair of centres we’ve tried has actually shone, and look at what’s happening 1 shirt closer to the breakdown?
I think everyone is getting somewhat overly pessimistic at the England result.
Had the situation been reversed and it was England who had lost just 2 games in the last 38 (!), had twice as many caps as their opposition, (including a captain with more caps than the entirety of the opposition locks and back row ) and had they taken a field against a team carrying a few key injuries, an entirely new centre partnership and a winger getting a first cap, then we would be up in arms at anything less than a hefty win. In fact, we’d probably be calling for wholesale changes in both the coaching and playing team.
As it was England lost by just 3 points to the best team in the world, who closed out a game with great accuracy and professionalism. All of their experience came to the fore in that game, above all whilst Coles was off the field. Whilst they were helped by some pretty rubbish play from England, they did not manage to run away with it and had a few things gone the other way – Johnny May looking right to see Farrell, Mike Brown with slightly stickier fingers and Aaron Cruden’s ‘try’ being referred to the TMO – then England could have been looking at a win
Even without the ‘what-ifs’, there are positives:
1. Front row – we seem to have some good replacements and there is probably an argument for Webber and maybe even Brookes to start next week
2. Locks – Attwood bought the grunt that I think England have been missing. He should be starting from now on with one from Lawes and Launchbury. Also Kruis, our 6th (?) choice lock, played quite well for his first cap and showed we have some depth
3. Backrow – Robshaw had a great game. Vunipola did ok tho’ he needs to take the ball at pace, not standing still.
4. Centres – Eastmond showed his defence is solid. Its noticeable that SBW didn’t do too much until Eastmond came off
5. Wings – May showed what he can do with a superb try. Rokodoguni got his first cap against the best team in the world and whilst he didn’t do anything amazing, he didn’t do anything bad either and on a couple of occasions kept his nerve and calmly cleared loose balls up that otherwise could have been very dangerous. Definitely deserves another chance – preferably being given some space to run in!
6. Subs – George Ford didn’t have a chance to make a difference in attack but his brilliant tackle on SBW saved a definite try
There is no doubt though that some changes do need to be made:
1. Hartley needs to get more involved in the loose and failing that Webber should step in
2. Tom Wood is failing to have enough impact. We need the greater physicality and ball-carrying ability that Haskell would bring – look at the effect Kaino had
3. All the forwards need to hit the line at pace and stop being so static when they take the ball – esp Vunipola and Morgan. Would help if the fly-half played flatter…
4. Our scrum-halves’ kicking has a tendency to go haywire – both can be as bad as the other. Not sure what we can do about that, other than practise. Is anyone else holding their hand up to be picked?
5. Farrell plays far, far too deep all the time. He needs to be told to play flatter or Ford comes in
6. Barritt whilst great in defence is too slow at the level. He looked like he was running through treacle at times.
So assuming that those injured remain so, my team for next week would be:
1. Marler
2. Webber
3. Wilson
4. Attwood
5. Kruis
6. Haskell
7. Robshaw
8. Vunipola
9. Youngs – give Care the incentive of fighting his way back into the side
10. Farrell – I would give him another chance to play flatter and improve his kicking, with the proviso that he’s off at half time if he doesn’t
11. Rokodoguni
12. Eastmond
13. Barritt
14. May
15. Brown
I think had we been playing Aus next I’d have suggested Ford to start, but I’m just not sure how he’d cope with Vermuelen running at him for 80 mins
Agree with almost everything you said but there is not chance that I’d drop Hartley, much better player than Webber. Would definitely bring Youngs in against the Springboks as his kicking game is much better than Care. Haskell is a must for me.
It isn’t all doom and gloom no, but it did prove we are some way off NZ at present. Injuries yes, but look what Ireland did with all the injuries they have.
I like Webber. I think he adds something in the loose. I’d like to see Hartley playing like Hibbard – destructive in the tackle and with the ball – as i think he can do it.
Having re-thought it though, it would be silly to drop Hartley given his excellent throwing. So scratch that as a change
Ireland did brilliantly but SA are a different prospect to NZ. They clearly thought they’d run through and over the Irish and when that didn’t happen they had no Plan B – not something you could ever accuse the ABs of.
Let’s see how England go against SA before we make comparisons. I just hope they are as aggressive in the tackle and at the breakdown as the Irish were
Regarding your point on scrum halves. Wigglesworth is the form English 9 in the premiership. Care hasn’t been that good, Youngs seems to be trying too hard to make an impact with Leicester, Dickson has fallen behind Fotuali’i, whereas Wigglesworth has started more games than De Kock.
Furthermore, if England stick with Farrell, you would have a very familiar 8,9,10 axis, and with Kruis likely to start in the second row, it would be another familiar face for him.
Wigglesworth also has by some distance the best kicking game of all the English 9’s. He’s not flash but he gets the ball away from the ruck pretty quick and controls his pack well. It’s not going to happen, but it does make you think.
I don’t think Wrigglesworth/Farrell as half backs at international level offers enough of a running threat. He has been in good form but as we know with a lot of players, good Premiership form does not equal international quality.
Too many excuses. Given that we may have similar injuries in a years time we have to take the view, that was being generally bandied about before the game, that injuries are no excuse.
We have been saying for nearly 18 months now that it is reasonably positive. We are good for 40 mins, and just need to do that for the whole match. But this has yet to materialise. NZ and SA may miss chances to score, but they do not miss chances like Browns. And the way 1 to 9 went missing for 15-20 mins while Dane Coles was in the bin was unacceptable. Do we want to compete at this level or not.
The whole team rocket up the ****. All of the “leaders” in the team and Robshaw, as captain, in particular need to take some responsibility on the pitch to address problems as they arise. Care’s kicking was attrocious and possibly that brings Youngs into the team. But where were Farrell and Robshaw saying either keep it tight or get it out to fly half.
England retreated into a Premiership conservative kicking game to match the weather conditions. New Zealand then demonstrated that at this level that does not wash…
I could go on, but… leave that to the coaches.
It might be the start of England’s year, but that sshould mean a slow start. Instead England made a good quick start then ran out of steam, either physically or mentally. That does not bode well for the rest of the matches in which you would expect them to be more and more tired.
Despite being disappointed by England losing, I was impressed at the way we came back towards the end. Five more minutes, and we could have won. I think their were key positions that let us down: Starting from the front they were
1. Hartley didn’t do enough in the loose to be remembered. Want to see more of him around the park, or Webber to start.
2. Back row. Robshaw did his job well, and Vunipola was ok, but didn’t really get enough ball to impress. Wood for me again like Hartley didn’t get involved enough around the park. I know he probably did a lot we didn’t see, but the fact I don’t remember him really doing anything is not good. If Haskell is fit, I think he should get a shot. Would love to see Ewers in there though.
3. Scrum half. Care looked lost at times in this game, and some of his kicking was poor for this level. Would Youngs be any better? Possibly not. Neither have been in great form for their respective clubs this season, and maybe SL needs to start looking outside these two for the 9 shirt?
4. We need to give Ford a start or we’ll never know if he can handle it. Farrell didn’t do too much wrong, but if we’re going to play Eastmond and Roko, Ford knows how to bring the best out of them. I would consider starting with Farrell at 12 or 13, so if Ford’s place kicking is not going well, at least we have another option on the pitch.
Back line didn’t really get enough good ball to impress. Good to see May show what he can do, and I think the fact that Savea didn’t score shows an improvement in the right wing defence. Roko didn’t get the chance to shine going forward, but he was instrumental in some defensive situations where I think if most of the other wing options had been playing, it could have been a different story.