Three quarters of the way through England's opening game against Fiji, Stuart Lancaster made a huge call. On 62 minutes he summoned his quarter back ashore and sent out Owen Farrell. I enquired at the time what damage this decision would do to the young and highly talented George Ford?
But with yesterday's team announcement – and I'm surprised that Joe Launchbury didn't make it – I now wonder what damage this decision, aligned to the inclusion of both Slammin' Sam Burgess and Farrell to face Wales tomorrow, will have on Lancaster and his management.
The score at 62 minutes was 18-8 with Fiji asking serious questions of the English in many facets; the breakdown, the scrum and defence off the tail of the lineout. But crucially England were simply unable to get go- forward ball. Within their pack Courtney Lawes, Ben Morgan and Tom Wood lay dormant.
Outside Ford, the English midfield were rudderless and aimless. Brad Barritt couldn't or wouldn't offer go-forward carries and when moving laterally 'ball and man' drifted towards the touchline where Fiji ushered them into touch. England looked confused, forgetting to go forward before going wide.
Most important
Notably the All Blacks pre-match warm up had many of the obvious facets all teams engage in but the last thing done is often the most important. The All Blacks before exiting got into flying four man laterals where regardless of playing position all attacked the ball with television screen hands, took one step and fired a pass to the man outside him. For those 62 minutes England struggled.
To right all this, Lancaster has had a massive change of selection. As stated on Monday, I’d love to have been in the room when Joe Schmidt explained (sold) to Darren Cave and Ian Madigan his decision of selecting Luke Fitzgerald at 12 but more so how Lancaster sold his decision to Ford. England hadn’t scored since the 34th minute and needed impact with Lancaster’s bench providing exactly that . They transformed the fixture with Billy Vunipola’s shortish cameo earning him my man of the match. Lancaster’s squad worked brilliantly but tomorrow’s selection changes all.
Joe Marler, when concentrating, had the measure of his opposite man Manasa Saulo Romumu but on the English put in on their own line he went to sleep with Fiji stealing and the monster Nemani Nadolo getting his crossfield try. England have built a great culture around their squad; great in the sense that they all buy into the Lancaster way.
Their nation
This way has squeezed the ‘bulldog’ out of their game. I’m not referring to ill-discipline, loose kicking or dangerous tackling but something far more important; bullying the fixture/tactics.
Tomorrow, with the weight of their nation on their shoulders, England will have to improve hugely but especially in bullying akin to Japan over South Africa in those closing minutes. Clarity of thought and supreme execution that was influenced no doubt by Eddie Jones but ultimately was driven by the Japanese players who didn’t need to look up into the stands for their coach’s reassurance.
Reassuringly, from the kick off Romania were giving tell tales into their world. France kicked long and, after Romania number eight Mihai Macovei fielded, his scrumhalf Florin Surugiu returned with interest. Romania's chasing line consisted of just three. Yes they challenged France in many aspects of play but have many deficiencies. I know the game was but 20 seconds old and it was a box kick that ended up in touch but Romania are vulnerable and vulnerable to the counter attack due to the narrow chasing lines off their kicks.
Everything is so narrow from Romania. Their attack is also narrow with their second receiver doing an awful lot of kicking. In fact their restarts are a superb part of their game; getting great height with lots of hang time. But they also defend narrow and will be enormously vulnerable to the Johnny Sexton loop with Ireland maintaining sufficient depth to ensure the Romanians' narrow defence is exposed out wide.
Yes the set piece will be infinitely tougher than against Canada and around the fringes they are big, big men with their captain Macovei leading the way in the trenches. A word of warning; within 22 minutes Romania forced four turnovers on the French with Macovei stealing twice in the lineout and his mates twice at breakdown.
In fact, for all my waxing lyrical about Louis Picamoles, Macovei played the full match and outcarried, out-tackled him while out-stealing in the lineout. Watch out Ireland tight head; Mihai Lazar got a massive outside and in on French tighthead Uini Atonio gaining an early opening penalty off the first scrum (French put in). This was while his openside Sandu Burcea wasn't pushing.
Too much
However the Romanian lineout struggles to get over the ground quickly enough to make our defensive lineout too challenging where simply staying in the zones and getting into the air should be enough to steal some lineout; likewise our movement should be too much.
However like last week it's our use of possession which continues to interest. Romania's backrow are huge with their wing forwards playing left and right off the scrum. Neither appear to have top end speed to take them into Ireland's attack so a target from our 12 just outside them will trap many of their forwards inside the ball forcing Romanian backs into underlaps and Irish scores. liamtoland@yahoo.com
