Jeremy Guscott’s verdict: Scrum has the X factor now we need some backs
To come back from a 17-3 deficit after 20 minutes against New Zealand – and a very good New Zealand side at that – takes a lot of bottle and mental strength and that’s the thing that excites about this England team.
It was actually more than just a brave effort, it was resourceful and well thought through and augers pretty well for the future. They had done their homework before the game and clocked the fact that New Zealand are generally happy to concede penalties in their 22. That’s what happened on Saturday and for once the referee, Craig Joubert, was on their case and England decided to proactively pressurise New Zealand in that area, opting for lineouts, rolling mauls and scrums.
It paid off and also contributed to Keiran Reid earning a ten minute sin-bin. One of the few things that worry the All Blacks is a really lumpy streetwise pack who know exactly what they are doing and are up for the battle.
It was encouraging as well on Saturday to hear the Twickenham crowd beginning to roar and become a real factor in the game. Come 2015 that is going to be vital in the big games. Never underestimate the motivating power of a home crowd and you could sense that on Saturday when England were 17-3 down and Chris Robshaw opted to go for the corner rather than collect a fairly routine three points from Owen Farrell. The fans loved that, got really loud, and the result was England’s best 20 minutes of the autumn heading towards half time.
On Saturday, as with the rest of the November Tests, it was clearly the England pack that carried the game to the opposition and the way England’s forwards are shaping up gives real encouragement for the future. They look like a proper unit. Their basics – scrum, line-out, restarts and the contact area – are very good and they showed against both Argentina and New Zealand that they have the potential to maul teams off the pitch. That’s a real weapon if used cleverly.
With the exception of openside flanker where, despite all the talk a few months ago, Chris Robshaw is really out on his own, there is fierce competition for every single place and that intensity within the squad is a strong driving force. You could almost field two England packs of genuine international standard and, given the attrition rate in international rugby and the injuries that are bound to happen, that is a good place to be.
There was no Mako Vunipola or Alex Corbisiero on Saturday through injury yet still you have Dan Cole and Joe Marler. Dylan Hartley is back doing the job you expect him to do and is being kept on his mettle by Tom Youngs although Tom has been struggling with his lineout throwing. The second row has seen a big advance with as good a player as Geoff Parling now the second half impact player. Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury have enjoyed a solid autumn together, done well at lineout time and been a real force in the tight. These three are an impressive force.
In the backrow Tom Wood has gone well at six but Tom Croft will push him again and provide options when he gets back from injury next year. Robshaw is clearly established at openside and Billy Vunipola saved his best performance until last at No 8 with Ben Morgan again providing a viable option. Taken overall, England are in good shape up front.
It’s a much less settled picture behind the scrum. The two stand-outs for me over the three matches were Mike Brown who was arguably England’s player of the series and is now clearly the man in possession of the No 15 shirt while Owen Farrell also stands alone at fly-half. Farrell is tough mentally and physically and his goal-kicking’s deadly. If he isn’t getting the back division moving as fluently as I would like, that’s not entirely his fault
Let’s be honest – it’s just not happening in midfield at the moment which is partly down to injury disruption but not totally. The question is do you persist with Billy Twelvetrees – who had some better moments on Saturday – and Joel Tomkins or do you start looking elsewhere?
Both Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt, by all accounts, are struggling to get back for the Six Nations, or at least all of it, and I would like to see Luther Burrell and Henry Trinder involved at some stage. Trinder might well have got a run out this month if not injured. I would like to see a midfield of Farrell, Burrell and Trinder trialled at some stage – there is certainly the potential for that trio to cause some damage although until tested at the highest level you are never quite sure.
On the wing it is as you were. Chris Ashton isn’t at his best but is putting in plenty of effort, Marland Yarde is still short of game time at this level and Christian Wade is an exciting talent who you hope England will have a serious look at some time soon. Jonny May down at Gloucester needs to keep motivated as well because he may yet feature in Stuart Lancaster’s plans. It’s all to play for behind the scrum.
