The Daily Telegraph - 19.08.2019

INSIDE LINE CHARLIE MORGAN

“Chaos” has

become a

buzzword for

coaches over

the past few

years as they

strive to hone

the decision-

making and

adaptability of

their players

in unusual

situations.

Saturday’s

Test in Cardiff

was decided

by a manic

passage that

ended with

George North

gathering a

cross-field

kick-pass

from Dan

Biggar to

score. Wales

capitalised on

chaos.

As Anthony

Watson left

the field after

being shown a

yellow card

for a

deliberate

knock-on,

England were

temporarily

reduced to 13

men because

Willi Heinz

had also

Biggar

Biggar

Adam

North

Cokanasiga

Cokanasiga

Youngs

Daly

Genge

Joseph

Ford

Cowan-

Dickie

G Davies Owens

jogged down

the tunnel for a

head injury

assessment.

Although

Elliot Daly was

covering deep,

the rest of

England’s

backs switched

off during the

stoppage.

Wales wing

Josh Adams

holds his

width, hugging

the far

touchline, and

Biggar has a

huge expanse

of space to aim

for.

It is naive by

Joe Cokanasiga

to leave his

opposite

number so

isolated.

Although

Jonathan

Joseph

identifies the

danger,

England are in

trouble when

Adams gathers

the kick. The

backs plus

Courtney

Lawes and

Lewis Ludlam

scramble well

enough to stop

Jonathan

Davies, who

latches on to an

offload from

Adams.

However,

England are

left vulnerable.

Daly and

Cokanasiga

remain close to

the next ruck,

and all of their

front-five

forwards are

left side by

side. Joe

Launchbury,

barely beyond

the goal-post,

is the widest

England

defender in the

absence of

Watson.

North and

Ken Owens

have, like

Adams before

them, held

their width.

A second

Biggar kick-

pass unlocks

England.

Watson

(sin-bin)

BRIAN

MOORE

Wales are deservedly

No 1 team in the world

rankings but margins

are fine as Japan beckons

C

ongratulations to

Wales for the second

ascension to

No 1-ranked team in

the world. What does

that mean? – virtually

nothing in terms of the forthcoming

World Cup, but it is a mighty

achievement nonetheless.

Before Wales v England, a quick

mention of France’s unexpectedly

easy win over Scotland. When no

less a person than former France

captain Olivier Magne says he

cannot tell you because he is not a

psychiatrist, you are on fairly safe

ground trotting out the cliched,

but nevertheless true, point of how

do you know which France will

turn up?

France look to be picking most of

their best backs and picking them in

their proper positions. Add their

powerful forwards and they could

beat England in their pool, if Eddie

Jones’s team are not at something

very near their best.

If there is a major doubt, apart

from unpredictability, you wonder

whether France’s pack is sufficiently

mobile to last games played in high

temperatures and at pace.

As far as Scotland are concerned,

they looked worryingly unfamiliar

with each other. However, with the

number of players returning from

long/medium-term injuries the

squad and starting XV were always

going to take time to recalibrate. If

their next performance is as tepid

and ineffective, more searching

questions might need asking but

for now, don’t panic.

In Cardiff, Wales edged a fairly

dour contest and although their

coach, Warren Gatland, will have

been pleased with the win, I

suspect it will be Jones, his England

counterpart, who is slightly more

satisfied with the net outcome from

their two warm-up games.

England started both games with

far fewer players that will be first

choice in Japan and won one game

handsomely and narrowly lost the

other. Wales had a far more

experienced and fuller strength

team and remain difficult to score

against. What should concern

Welsh fans is that in an almost

totally dominant first half they

scored only one try and only

partially threatened the English

line in the second half.

Going forward you wonder

whether they have the overall

scoring capacity to beat all their

challengers. Can you say with

confidence they could come back

from the sort of poor start they had

at Twickenham? And can you

survive the tightest of games if

your scrum is under significant

pressure? We will see.

For England, there were familiar

problems and one major rugby

lesson to learn.

Too many penalties; how many

times have we said this. In the last

three games against Wales, an

average of one penalty given away

every eight minutes is not a winning

formula and that includes the

Twickenham game, where they

were comfortably on top for most of

the match. Breakdown penalties can

be arguable, but whatever you think

of the official’s interpretations, you

have to define them and adapt.

The second familiar problem

concerns driving line-out ball.

Though they have improved,

England are not as good as they

need to be at this skill that features

in probably two out of three games

and has proved on many occasions

to be the seminal play of a game.

The set-up of the maul is at fault

and the tightness of the initial

three and next supporting row of

players is insufficient. If you want

to drive the ball, either throw it to

the middle or preferably further

back. Defending players have

further to run and your players

should be a yard quicker because

they know where the ball is going.

Throwing to the back also means

at least one defender is likely to

stay out of the maul as there is a

bigger blind side to defend.

The major rugby lesson is a

schoolboy one – never switch off

when you concede a free-kick or

penalty. Wales were sharp and

England dull when Anthony

Watson was shown the yellow

card. Getting completely lost in

defence will be enough to end

England’s chances in a knockout

game and must not happen again.

With regard to the decision, your

view will be entirely coloured by

your allegiance but the more

important point is that this is an

offence, like late tackles, that

should be reviewed in real time as

slow motion gives an unrealistic

view of what happened.

Finally, though England ended

the Wales game with something

closer to their first XV, fans should

note that the way they play they

need all their ball carriers to start

for them to be fully effective.

Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler,

Manu Tuilagi, George Kruis and

Jamie George complete a very

potent set of line-breaking players

and I suspect England’s ultimate

fate in the World Cup will hinge on

the form and availability of their

big carriers.

Success will depend on

potency of big carriers

I suspect it will be

Jones who is more

satisfied with the

net outcome from

the two games

NN

REREE

Flying: Leigh

Halfpenny (left)

collides with

Anthony Watson

The Daily Telegraph Monday 19 August 2019 *** 21
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