THEENGLANDRUGBYTEAM……. THAT’S LIFE, BY MARK NELSON
There’s been lots of debate around the 6 Nations and the England Team performance. We’ve been here many times before, a 3rd 4th 5th place finish. Seeming mediocrity, ‘also rans’ in a six team tournament. There has been a brilliant series on BBC called ‘Slammed’ about the Welsh side in the 1970s and then into this Century (see http:/bit.ly/3loiTRb). Success is cyclical. A group of players click with a coach, or they don’t. They get lucky in close games, or they don’t. Teams create a momentum but it always has a finite lifespan. That’s sport for you. “That’s life. That’s what all the people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May.” [Kay & Gordon] Steve Borthwick’s England - played five, won two, lost three. Everyone says it’s been a poor showing. France was humiliating, maybe. However, let’s look at the next tournament. The big one, World Cup 23 in France. Three of the top 5 rated teams (Ireland, SA, Scotland) are in same group. France and NZ in same pool and all those big guns can knock each other out in quarter finals. England on the other hand could potentially have a relatively easy route to the semis. Once you are in knockout territory you just need to get lucky. When England won in 2003 they beat an exciting France in the pouring rain in the semi, and the best team in the tournament the All Blacks lost unexpectedly to the Aussies. Even then, England had to go to the wire in extra time. They rode their luck but no one really mentions that. England need to get a basic team picked now. Best possible set piece pack, at least 3 massively physical carriers up front with two world class destroyers at the breakdown. A decisive 9 and Farrell at 10. A line breaker at 12 and a 13 capable of controlling wide defence and holding the space for a back three who can do the technical work efficiently and finish tries when required. They need X Factor creative on bench, Smith, and a mercurial speedster, Arundel, to throw into the mix.
The replacement forwards should be like for like with maybe a flyer of a 7. Get that selected now, train with an attitude and approach that has clarity and purpose and get as fit as possible to at maximum intensity for every minute of every game. If they
are going to kick make every kick accurate and intelligent and every chase ruthless. No Defence is defensive, tackling is the opportunity to regather the ball and score from the turnover. If they all buy into a common goal that is not overly complex but has a purity of performance then there is no reason at all why England can’t have a successful World Cup campaign . I personally would bring in a selection consultant to work with the coaches. That person doesn’t even have to be named, but selection is the key thing now and once that has been done decisively the coaches can get on with building the team. The worst possible thing now is dithering and experimentation. If the coaching group demonstrates leadership and clarity, the players will follow and perform accordingly…... That’s Life.
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