Jeremy Guscott’s verdict: Te’o and Care’s cameos may force Eddie’s hand

Ben Te’o offered more of a threat in the final 12 minutes than the entire back division in the 68 preceding it. Along with the increased urgency Danny Care brought around the fringes, England looked a different beast in those final passages of play and Eddie Jones has some big questions to answer this week.
While the George Ford/Owen Farrell partnership has served England over the past 12 months, for me it lacks the necessary clout to punch holes in the heart of the best opposition. While Farrell did make a couple of nice half-breaks, each time the cover defence seemed to reel him in at will.
However, when Te’o made a break, he punched clean through with such pace and power the defence looked fragile. And no-one was going to stop him from five metres out for the crucial match-winner.
At 6ft 2in and 16st 7lb, he brings a different presence to the midfield, one to rival the biggest in the tournament in Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Roberts. What’s more, he hits hard in defence and England’s midfield looked far more abrasive in the tackle for those final 12 minutes.
Eddie Jones was keen to get Manu Tuilagi back in the England squad simply because he wants destructive physical presence in his midfield, and Te’o is a like-for-like now the Leicester centre has been ruled out for the season.
I’d love to have played with an inside-centre with his power – and both Jonathan Joseph and Elliot Daly will enjoy far quicker ball with him inside them than Farrell. It was only a cameo from Te’o but we have seen at Worcester how effective he is at drawing defenders and slipping the killer pass, so I’m intrigued to see him get more game time this Six Nations.
Farrell’s eye of the tiger when it comes to kicking crucial penalties still makes him a dead cert for me, so it’s a choice for Jones whether to drop Ford and start with Farrell at 10 next week.
Whatever the midfield combination next week, as Dylan Hartley said at full time, England will need to up their game considerably to be successful at the Principality Stadium.
And, first things first, they need to sort out the set-piece. Again, only in the final quarter when Maro Itoje took three or four clean lineout balls did England start to exert any authority over the French. It was the big bashers in blue who set the tone in the first half and without the Vunipola brothers, England lacked punch in the ball-carrying department.
While Nathan Hughes grew in stature as the game progressed, he was no match for the giant Louis Picamoles, who deservedly picked up the man of the match award.
Without Billy Vunipola doing his usual one-man wrecking job, England need Hughes to get more involved from the off next week and try to dominate the Welsh.
And while it is up to the big forwards to be punching their weight in the loose, it is crucial that the No.9 is buzzing behind. When Danny Care came off the bench England’s intensity seemed to sky-rocket. Playing at pace and relying on instinct rather than over-thinking, Care could draw his runners into the space he wanted and it was one such simple move that allowed Te’o to wrap around for the scoring pass.
If Ben Youngs keeps the shirt next week he must up his game and try to bring similar tempo from the off.
Likewise in the back row, where James Haskell’s return in the final quarter helped turn the game in England’s favour. Without him, they lacked the offensive defence upon which England have been building their reputation under Eddie Jones.
While it is impressive to win ugly, Wales will not have seen too much to be scared about ahead of next weekend on this performance. A win is a win and it keeps momentum building but Jones will be demanding a lot more this week.
He wanted England to explode into the tournament but they spluttered, rarely finding top gear. While it is an average performance compared to usual standards, it is a high level average. They are still building on the defensive template put in place, and are doing enough without excelling. That’s the next level they must reach.
The All Blacks have a habit of raising the tempo at just the right time when the opposition is flagging.
The bench did that for England yesterday and now they must find ways of upping the ante throughout the game by getting the big carriers involved more by taking the ball at pace and attacking the line.
France had no answer when Care set up wave after wave of attack.
Jones may well tinker in the week and who knows, he could opt for a midfield of Farrell, Te’o and Daly. But I’m not sure how much impact a bench containing George Ford and Jonathan Joseph would have.
At the moment England are proving that they have a magnificent 23, but not yet a brilliant XV.
Still, the run goes on and after they watch the video nasty on Monday morning, England will not dwell on mistakes. All focus will be on another win in Wales – and I’m sure Eddie would happily take another ugly one.