Billy Twelvetrees has vision to perform Ma’a Nonu role for England
After scoring 38 points in consecutive games against New Zealand and Scotland, the tries dried up for Stuart Lancaster‘s side with just one – Manu Tuilagi‘s fortuitous effort – against France coming in the next four matches.
That, former England coach Ashton believes, will force Lancaster to address both his philosophy and his personnel to bringing back England’s cutting edge.
And he told The Rugby Paper that Twelvetrees can become a second set of eyes for the fly-half in the same way that Ma’a Nonu is for All Blacks No.10 Dan Carter.
He said: “You can see the way that they play the game now.
“They pick a fly-half like Owen Farrell who sits that bit deeper and kicks for territory and two centres who like to challenge the opposition on the gain-line but do not necessarily think that their first option is to play the ball into the wide open spaces.
“Twelvetrees is a guy who can play fly-half or at No.12 and gives you that option in the middle of the field of another pair of eyes for the No.10.
“I was talking to one of the New Zealand coaches about the All Blacks’ way of playing and they said Ma’a Nonu is the eyes of Dan Carter.
“If you play a quick game then it is very difficult for your guy at first receiver to spot what is going on around the field because things are happening so quickly.
“But whoever is stood at No.12 has the opportunity to take a step back and find the time to see what is going on around the field.
“I think that if you have got Twelvetrees, who has played at 10 as well as at 12, then he has got the skill to fulfil that role – he has got the distribution, a good kicking game and he brings those varied options to the game ten metres farther out than at fly-half.
“By its very nature of moving that focus of attack ten metres away, it poses different problems for the defence.”
The tour to Argentina in the summer represents the perfect opportunity for Twelvetrees to be integrated in the England midfield.
And that holds many parallels with Sir Clive Woodward and Ashton’s Red Rose tour of North America in 2001.
Just like this year’s tour it took place away from the media gaze during a Lions series after England won their first four Six Nations games.
And, crucially, it allowed Woodward to fine-tune his philosophy and personnel before the 2003 World Cup. “It’s going to be a real time for reflection now, not so much the way they approach the set-piece or defence, but the time for reflection is in attack,” added Ashton.
“Have we got the right strategy and the right personnel in the right places to be a real threat all over the field?”
“At the moment they have a physically confrontational way of playing. They might decide we need to continue with that physical confrontation but add a mental confrontation where they do things that are a bit different and more challenging.
“I can remember going in 2001 to North America with Sir Clive when the Lions were in Australia. We had players like Josh Lewsey and Lewis Moody who came through that tour and suddenly found themselves leading lights in the 2003 World Cup squad.
“This is an ideal opportunity to have a look at certain personnel in certain positions and if there is a change of philosophy this is an ideal time to do that.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD
