Just watched the England v Australia game.... Basically, it was a game of 2 halves and Englands Forwards against Australias backs... again! England dominated the forward battle, but the Aussies looked dangerous behind. The visitors probably feel pretty aggrieved at a few of referee Mr Clancys, decisions, but in the grand scheme of things... England were the better team... They built the pressure throughout the game and looked after the ball in key areas. They took their chances when they were offered and defended well! The young players did not seem at all phased by the occasion and some old faces showed signs of maturing into quality players at the right time!!! My opinion... for what its worth... of the individual performances of the England squad: 15 - Mike Brown (Harlequins) - Definitely Englands Man of the Match, (as much as it hurts me to agree with Stuart Barnes), but... at Full Back, he is able to show what he is truly capable of. Good all round skills. Excellent under the high ball and when chasing kicks, he kicked intelligently and he always makes ground, with 8 tackles broken and 108 meters made with ball in hand!- 9/10 14 - Chris Ashton (Saracens) - Better than he has been in previous England performances, but that is not saying much. Didnt hear or see much of him. He has a tendency to dive in, in defence. I still think that there are better wing options out there. - 5/0 13 - Joel Tomkins (Saracens) - A very good debut. Strong in defence and carried the ball well. A good first showing in a new mid-field partnership with Billy 36. Made some excellent tackles and was a big influencer in the very tight, closing 10 minutes. - 7.5/10 12 - Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester) - For me... A 6 and two 3s, if you will excuse the lame attempt at a play on words / numbers. Didnt see a huge amount of the attacking flair that he promises. Showed a few frailties in defence, not least the missed tackle on Toomua, which let the Aussie centre over the try line! Not a disaster, but can do better and will need to with the all conquering AB centre pairing of Nonu and Smith only 2 weeks away! - 6.5/10 11 - Marland Yarde (London Irish) - Didnt have a very busy day, because he didnt get much ball! The question is... Could he do more to go and find opportunities? However, he showed what he is capable of when he did get the chance - Definitely one to watch. - 6.5/10 10 - Owen Farrell (Saracens) - Scored 15 of Englands 20 points, including a well-taken, opportunistic try, created by team-mate Dylan Hartley in opening the door in midfield. Missed 3 penalty goals in the first half, which was unusual for him. Typically busy and combative in defence, but is he the man to get the England three-quarters firing on all cylinders? 7/10 9 - Lee Dickson (Northampton) - The robust saints Scrum Half took his club form to the International arena and did exactly what was required of him by the England team. Good service to Farrell and kept the England pack rumbling forwards. - 8/10 1 - Mako Vunipola (Saracens) - Some may argue that he does not bring the same level of scrummaging power as Corbisiero, but he certainly had the better of Ben Alexander in the tight yesterday! Excellent around the park and demonstrated his natural ability to read the game, with the charge-down which led to Robshaws try. - 8.5/10 2 - Tom Youngs (Leicester) - The Leicester Pocket-Rocket didnt have his best game in an England shirt, with a few wayward Line-Out throws and a missed hook at scrum time. Not as prominent in the loose, but contributed to the overall England forward dominance! Id have him in the team over Hartley, every day, but he will need to pull his socks up if he is to cement the position for himself! - 6/10 3 - Dan Cole (Leicester) - A very pleasing performance from the Leicester Tight-Head. Dominated in the scrum and was a key influence in the loose. A much improved showing by a man who needs to step up to the mark in time for 2015!- 8/10 4 - Joe Launchbury (Wasps) - Another creditable demonstration of modern day, Lock-Forward play. Strong contributor in the forward exchanges and some good support work and ball carrying by the young Wasp! Line-Out work was fine. - 7.5/10 5 - Courtney Lawes (Northampton) - More than coped with the responsibility of calling the Line-Out in Geoff Parlings absence. Typically busy, if not has hard hitting around the park. Seemed to assume a general leadership role in the pack and performed well on his return to the staring XV. - 7/10 6 - Tom Wood (Northampton) - Always in the thick of the action and relishing the opportunity to showcase his talents on the international stage. A good Blind-Side display by another player who could be integral in Englands 2015 RWC bid. - 7.5/10 7 - Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), CAPTAIN - Another Captains Performance, by the guy who seems to be written off and underrated by nearly all the critics in world rugby. With 13 tackles and 5 gain-line breaks, he delivered on all fronts. Was more than up to the challenge of the fast and low-to-the-ground, Aussie back row. Great leadership. - 8.5/10 8 - Billy Vunipola (Saracens). A superb Twickenham debut for the young No.8. Still more than a handful for most tacklers, even though he has shifted a noticeable amount of timber, thanks to the hard work done at Saracens. Some great carries coupled with some big hits in defence. Sure to enjoy his 21st Birthday today after that performance!!! - 9/10 Replacements: Dylan Hartley (Northampton) - Replaced Tom Youngs at 54 mins - Probably a better line-out thrower than Youngs (on this showing), but still, in my opinion, a bit of a liability. Could easily have been penalised for obstruction when Farrell scored his try. Lives on the line, and is known for it... by the referees. A marked man who could be as much an achilles heel as anything else to the England team! Joe Marler Harlequins) - Replaced Mako Vunipola at 54 mins. Another feisty character who loves both the tight and loose work in equal measure - Another modern day prop! David Wilson (Bath) - Replaced Dan Cole at 66 mins. Doing everything he can to challenge Cole for the No.3 shirt. Might look more like the old-Fashioned prop forward, but a tough character who helped maintain the forward dominance on his introduction to the game. Dave Attwood (Bath) - Replaced Launchbury at 75 mins - Not really enough game time to be able to comment. Might see more of him against Argentina. Ben Morgan (Gloucester) - Replaced Billy Vunipola at 66 mins - Busy and enthusiastic when injected into the game. Needs to find his 2012/13 form, if he is to challenge for a start at No.8, but certainly no mug and will not let England down! Ben Youngs (Leicester) - Replaced Dickson at 54 mins - The 2013 Lion would have wanted to prove a point when he came on. With a lot still to do when he did step onto the field, he proved that the No.9 spot is certainly not a done deal. Toby Flood (Leicester) - Replaced Billy Twelvetrees at 66 mins - Yawn.... reasonable marks for pedestrianism! Ben Foden (Northampton) - Was not used - Wont be happy! This England team looks like it has a certain something. Its young and inexperienced in certain areas, but with a number of key players still to return from injury, the prospects for the 2015 World Cup, could be looking a little better! They possess an edge, which has been lacking in recent years. Whilst it is early doors and yesterdays performance was by no means emphatic, I am strangely enamoured with the current England squad. Looking ahead to the next few weekends action from HQ... Argentina will be no mugs, but they shouldnt pose that much of a problem to Lancasters 2013 crop! The All conquering New Zealand All Blacks will be a completely different proposition and England will need to raise the intensity and accuracy by a fair few degrees if they are to compete. The 2011 World Cup winners will be out for revenge after the unexpected defeat at Twickenham and that game is sure to be a thriller at the Cabbage Patch!
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 12:03:54 +0000
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