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International Test Matches
[2014 EOYT] England v Australia
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<blockquote data-quote="Mrs. Peter Quinn" data-source="post: 695016" data-attributes="member: 12190"><p>For all the talk of bad journalism on the other thread I'm happy to say I agree entirely with this posted (extract here) by Tom Fordyce. Albeit little that hasn't been already said on these boards...</p><p></p><p>T<strong>here are reasons for optimism, most importantly the impressive displays of the undercooked understudies in a pack missing six British and Irish Lions, not least the settling-in at international level of winger Jonny May and the blooding of 20-year-old Anthony Watson.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Beyond that? Brad Barritt proved he is relentless in defence. Courtney Lawes is a second row who can chop men down and run through them with equal alacrity. Chris Robshaw will run and burrow and tackle and carry all day long.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>All that we knew too.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>On Saturday, England's forwards, for the fourth time in four weeks, won plenty of possession. For the first time this autumn, their half-backs played in a way that allowed that set-piece supremacy to be exploited - kicking to the corners, for territory, beyond the defence and in front of them. </strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Where against the All Blacks and Springboks there was often panic, this time there was pragmatism.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Too often there was also a predictability and lack of precision with ball in hand.</strong></p><p><strong>Lancaster was keen to point out afterwards that his team have scored 28 tries in this calendar year, with 21 of them coming from the backs and 13 from the back three.</strong></p><p><strong>They have also left plenty out there. On Saturday they were typically industrious but often easy to read. Having Barritt bash the ball up the middle is one tactic. It should not be the principal one.</strong></p><p><strong>That lack of variety, of dummy runs, made England easy to read. Twice in promising positions, Billy Twelvetrees was caught man and ball by an onrushing defence when a little more ingenuity and surprise would have spared his bruises.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Lancaster's strategies have been disrupted by injury. A fit Manu Tuilagi would have given his side an uncomplicated threat that is almightily hard to negate.</strong></p><p><strong>They have also been upset by a selection policy that has lacked consistency and veered towards the puzzling.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>It is laudable to try new faces and combinations. It is sensible too to give them time to bed in, let alone flourish.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Many pundits thought fly-half George Ford should have started for England from the first autumn Test</strong></p><p><strong>Ford should have been handed his opportunity earlier, not least because Farrell was out of form and desperately short of game-time after an injury-disrupted start to the season. A full debut against the world champions is a formidable prospect. So too is facing them after a solitary run-out for your club.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Kyle Eastmond was thrown in at inside centre against the best two sides in the world when Farrell inside him was struggling to keep his head above water. When his Bath team-mate Ford came in, he was gone from the squad.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Ford and Farrell were tried together. The experiment lasted just over an hour.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Stick or twist? It is an unenviable choice sometimes for a head coach, but it is arguably his primary concern. Lancaster has backed young guns in the pack and been rewarded for his hunches. In the backs he has seemed to make his picks under pressure and slightly panicked.</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mrs. Peter Quinn, post: 695016, member: 12190"] For all the talk of bad journalism on the other thread I'm happy to say I agree entirely with this posted (extract here) by Tom Fordyce. Albeit little that hasn't been already said on these boards... T[B]here are reasons for optimism, most importantly the impressive displays of the undercooked understudies in a pack missing six British and Irish Lions, not least the settling-in at international level of winger Jonny May and the blooding of 20-year-old Anthony Watson. Beyond that? Brad Barritt proved he is relentless in defence. Courtney Lawes is a second row who can chop men down and run through them with equal alacrity. Chris Robshaw will run and burrow and tackle and carry all day long. All that we knew too. On Saturday, England's forwards, for the fourth time in four weeks, won plenty of possession. For the first time this autumn, their half-backs played in a way that allowed that set-piece supremacy to be exploited - kicking to the corners, for territory, beyond the defence and in front of them. Where against the All Blacks and Springboks there was often panic, this time there was pragmatism. Too often there was also a predictability and lack of precision with ball in hand. Lancaster was keen to point out afterwards that his team have scored 28 tries in this calendar year, with 21 of them coming from the backs and 13 from the back three. They have also left plenty out there. On Saturday they were typically industrious but often easy to read. Having Barritt bash the ball up the middle is one tactic. It should not be the principal one. That lack of variety, of dummy runs, made England easy to read. Twice in promising positions, Billy Twelvetrees was caught man and ball by an onrushing defence when a little more ingenuity and surprise would have spared his bruises. Lancaster's strategies have been disrupted by injury. A fit Manu Tuilagi would have given his side an uncomplicated threat that is almightily hard to negate. They have also been upset by a selection policy that has lacked consistency and veered towards the puzzling. It is laudable to try new faces and combinations. It is sensible too to give them time to bed in, let alone flourish. Many pundits thought fly-half George Ford should have started for England from the first autumn Test Ford should have been handed his opportunity earlier, not least because Farrell was out of form and desperately short of game-time after an injury-disrupted start to the season. A full debut against the world champions is a formidable prospect. So too is facing them after a solitary run-out for your club. Kyle Eastmond was thrown in at inside centre against the best two sides in the world when Farrell inside him was struggling to keep his head above water. When his Bath team-mate Ford came in, he was gone from the squad. Ford and Farrell were tried together. The experiment lasted just over an hour. Stick or twist? It is an unenviable choice sometimes for a head coach, but it is arguably his primary concern. Lancaster has backed young guns in the pack and been rewarded for his hunches. In the backs he has seemed to make his picks under pressure and slightly panicked.[/B] [/QUOTE]
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