following suit.
Has the Australian gone too early? Or has there been enough in the two performances so far for England
fans to be optimistic that there will be no repeat of the 2011 and 2015 nightmares when the tournament gets
underway next month?
Here’s what we’ve learned from England’s two Rugby World Cup warm-ups so far.
Discipline remains an issue
England conceded eight penalties at Twickenham that will be a few too many for Eddie Jones’ liking, but
more concerning will be that as the pressure ramped up in Cardiff, so did that tally to 12. That essentially
cost the England a shot at victory, and the talk among the players immediately after was that their ill-
discipline had let them down - and not for the first time.
The problem is that this issue only rears its head when England are up against it - and therefore when it
matters most - so while it may seem that the problem has been fixed early in Japan it will not be truly tested
until the pool games against Argentina and France, and beyond.
Watson provides a reminder of his talent
The overwhelming positive from the two games against Wales has been how Anthony Watson has not just
come through unscathed but how good he has looked with such little game time under his belt. Watson
missed 13 months of rugby with a serious Achilles injury as well as setbacks along the way, getting just three
appearances under his belt at the end of last season.
But the way he has handled his international return has been a huge relief to those who love watching the
attacking aspects of the game. Watson took an eye-catching aerial catch in the first match back, but it wasn’t
until he surged away from the Welsh defence in Cardiff after Jamie George’s show-and-go that we really saw
that raw speed that made him such a threat on the international stage.
Ludlam has lots of learning to do but he’ll go far
The young Northampton Saints flanker felt the heat in Cardiff as Wales kept him out of the frame at the
breakdown, but we should not be over-critical of his performances too soon. The 23-year-old remains an
international baby with only two caps to his name, the majority of which have come out of position at
openside.
What we should judge is the way that he has adapted to the higher level of game, and it would be very fair to
say that Ludlam has not looked out of place in the slightest - at Twickenham or the Principality Stadium.
Sure, there have been lessons along the way and he was exposed at not being a natural ball threat last
Saturday, but he possesses impressive power and the eye for a smart support line that will hold him in good
stead if and when he returns to the No 6 shirt.
Reserves will make ample replacements
What has been reassuring for the England squad is how the strength in depth looks to be where it needs to
be to mount a realistic World Cup challenge. Both Wales and Ireland showed what can and will happen if
the depth within a squad is not there when inevitable injuries take their toll as the crunch games come
about.
In particular, Dan Cole and George Ford has shown that should injury strike in the key positions, they will
be able to step up and take on that responsibility. There are other areas where that applies too - the return of
Joe Marler at loosehead not only provides considerable experience in the front-row nut takes the pressure
off Ellis Genge - while there are a wealth of options in the six back-three players that Jones has named.
Jones has taken risks at tighthead prop and scrum-half among others, but this does appear to be a