Jack Willis' The defiant performance of Toulouse will delight Steve Borthwick. Credit: Getty Images/Ramsey Cardy
It seems it's been a long time since critics complained about the lack of a «blatant open flank» in the England back row. Prominent among those voices was Eddie Jones, who forever called Chris Robshaw «6 and a half at best» before Stuart Lancaster's side were eliminated from the 2015 World Cup.
Jones came to respect Robshaw, who was fundamental for the Aussie's success between 2016 and 2017. But there will be another permutation in the back line. In 2019, the tight-knit alliance of Tom Curry and Sam Underhill put together a great tournament for England.
Four years later, competition is fierce on openside as Steve Borthwick looks to put together a dynamic and well-prepared team capable of taking his team to the playoffs. England's No. 7 put on a daring performance at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.
Jack Willis: skill, courage and courage
Toulouse can consider themselves miserable because of some aspects of the semi-final loss to Leinster Champions Cup, but will also be disappointed with the performance of the team that was crushed by the patches.
Jack Willis may have been their best player ever. Leinster expected him to break and the 26-year-old did his best to break the rhythm of the hosts in Dublin.
Third minute this passage starts with the carry James Ryan. See Willis and Peato Mauwack:
The former kills Ryan so the latter can jack off. Wayne Barnes, the referee known for wanting to keep the game running smoothly, does not award a foul penalty:
Willis 1
Willis is back on his feet. Although he starts this phase on the opposite side of the gap, he is wary of Jamison Gibson-Park as the Leinster midfielder evaluates Dorian Aldegheri on the periphery:
When the scrum half fires a shot, Willis helps with the tackle and digs in. The ball escapes, but Andrew Porter picks it up:
Willis 2
Willis is again watching the game from the opposite side of the ruck…
…and again playing Ross Moloney downed. However, Willis fails to keep up with the theft:
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Instead, he is penalized for failing to roll back in the next phase:
An unflappable Willis leads the Toulouse chase after a restart after Leinster lead 3-0. Follow also Juan Cruz Mallia and Pierre-Louis Barassi:
Mallia takes down Jack Conan and Barassi with counters before Tadg Furlong and Ryan knock him out. Willis digs in as soon as the ball is exposed, knocking Josh van der Flier out of his hands. Mallia the jackal is next, and unfortunately he was not given a penalty, while Conan seems to be holding on:
Willis 4
Phase later, Porter carries Leinster. Willis hides:
Believing Leinster's supporters have gone mad, he reaches over the pile of bodies towards the ball. At this point, it is worth reminding yourself how mentally and physically strong Willis must be to continue to expose his body to such situations, given the injuries he received.
In this case, Ryan is attentive to Willis and sends him to stretch out with violent cleaning. For a terrible fraction of a second, the latter's right leg seems to flex awkwardly. Luckily, he didn't fall into a trap when Ryan came in:
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Willis was constantly annoying on the floor, although he would have been uncomfortable if he missed a penalty for rolling Van der Fliehr's neck in the middle of the match . the entire first half while Toulouse had the ball:
Another aspect of its performance was its snappy carrying even in heavy traffic. Here Willis dribbles over Richie Arnold to give Toulouse more width. This way they will be able to attack Ross Byrne and Charlie Ngatai instead of Ryan and Van der Fliehr:
Willis pierces this second hole between the two backs and crosses the amplification line:
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Toulouse score in the next step:
Willis couldn't stop a decisive rush from Leinster, although Dan Sheehan rushed to the test track and Dan Sheehan showed a decisive one-on-one showdown:
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Toward the break, while Toulouse was looking for an answer, Willis hunts for Mallia's shoulder on the edge of cancer…
…and takes you close:
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Emmanuel Meafu maneuvers in the next phase:
In the second period, Willis continued to display this deceptive power with the ball in his hands. Here he notices the option for self-pickup:
With the help of a locking Arnold, he breaks through Furlong and earns a penalty:
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Even at the end of the game, after all hope of Toulouse faded, Willis did not relent. Here he receives a pass from Antoine Dupont and gains momentum, earning a penalty as Ciarán Frawley can't roll away:
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This leads to a lineout from close range and Willis is blocked. as part of a moving hammer:
Despite a first-half faux pas when the ball bounced off his face to Sheehan and hit an explosive hooker, Willis earned himself credit. On another day, with a different referee, his performance at the Aviva Stadium would have been more generously rewarded. As the question of his admission after the World Cup is being discussed, this was a timely reminder of his quality.
There is no room for hesitation in test matches. Where possible, England will want to compete hard on the breakthrough. Willis suits this approach, and his carrying can be very valuable. England are unlikely to model their attack on Toulouse, but Willis is showing his smarts by choosing smart support angles and matching up with teammates like Dupont. He helps teams build momentum, a trait that will carry over to any attacking formation.
Once his Top 14 commitments are met, Willis will head into the World Cup camp looking to solidify his position as a forward winger. flank player. There are others who want to draw attention to themselves.
Ben Earl: seeking to impress at the business end
Although he became an official Premier League player for the 2021-22 season, Ben Earle was disappointed with his individual performances against Toulon and Leicester Tigers in the last weeks of the campaign.
The 25-year-old has yet to start test match, wants to confirm that he is more than just a highlight player; criticism from Jones.
Margins are fine on the international stage, which Earl inadvertently stressed during Six Nations. Minutes after a 23-19 lead against Scotland, he and Nick Izikwe pounced on Finn Russell in pursuit of the ball.
Earl addresses the ball but is penalized for failing to hold his weight:< /p> Count 2
A 50-50 call goes against England, robbing them of momentum. Earl was similarly punished during a brief cameo against Italy. It looked like he was eager to imprint himself in these matches, perhaps so much so that he lost his patience.
If Borthwick wants Earl to show relentlessness, his recent effort against the London Irish was a good start.
p>Back in December, Tom Pearson became the scourge of the Saracens in the Exiles' 29-20 victory. That evening, he gained 77 meters with 16 carries, beating six defenders along the way. Earl was sent off in the first half. Although the red card was later annulled, it was painful for him to watch the positional rival thrive in his absence.
In the second leg two weeks ago, the Saracens set their sights on Pearson. Earl knocked him out with three of his nine carries. This was the third and last of these tackles:
Earl 1
Pearson, who appeared to be overwhelmed by the kick he received in the first half, only hit three meters in total, according to Opta. Earl, meanwhile, has spurred a Saracen triumph that hasn't succumbed to a lackluster start.
He often moves to the back of the fight for Saracen throws and will do so more regularly as Billy Vunipola recovers from knee surgery. Here Earl is accelerating away from the standard part…
…before gaining a foothold in wider channels just two phases later…
…and punch through Lucio Cinti, wing Exiles:
Bortwick has consistently stressed that he wants Premier League players to be in top shape, and the following two passages are evidence of Earl's fitness.
The first starts at 38.56 on the clock when Theo Dan throws in the line:
The Saracens hit the line, but lose the ball after about 45 seconds. Pearson passes to Paddy Jackson as the Irishman explores an opportunity to hit the ball from deep. Earl's pace, which is near this sideline, discourages Jackson, and deletion follows:
See what's next. The Saracens support themselves to outlive the Irish with a fast lineout that keeps the ball in play. Earl dives into the wide channels, finding space and using his pace to capitalize on the overlap before making a go for Alex Good:
This speed will also come in handy at the end of the second half. At this stage, the result is undeniable, but Earl keeps his standards high.
Hugh O'Sullivan strikes fast within his 22s…
…and, with tired bodies everywhere, breaks out into outer space. Earl needs to dig deeper:
And so it does, dragging O'Sullivan to the floor and throwing himself at the jackal:
Earl 3
As the Saracens seek to avenge their latest Premier League defeat last season, Earl has the opportunity to prove he can make big headlines and influence games when the stakes are high. His hallmark is his athleticism. This and his positional versatility make him an attractive option for England at the moment. Borthwick will want to see team performances during the play-offs.
Ben and Tom Curry will also take part in the payoff for England's seventh-place finish. The former has recently shown himself to be a strong carry for Sale Sharks, which may have been the only area he seemed to struggle in during the first Six Nations.
Pearson, strong and capable, is another contender. Underhill, however, endured another disjointed season and found himself on the outside, looking in. As always, it all depends on the balance of the back five. Lewis Ludlum ran the Six Nations on the flanking flank blind. Courtney Lowes could either show up there or return to the castle. The placement of Tom Curry at age six, where he was sent for sale, theoretically allows Borthwick to choose a pair of mobile scavengers.
Another key consideration is Borthwick's preferred number eight. Alex Dombrandt was above Sam Simmonds in the hierarchy of the Six Nations. Billy Vunipola should be in shape for the World Cup and proved to be a good opponent for Curry and Underhill in 2019. Zach Mercer and Tom Willis should also be available. Tom Curry, Ludlum and Willis worked there.
Jumping from the exit line, being on the boost line, and being able to break are all the basics that need to be covered. In 2019, the starting combination came late and inspired England all the way to the final. Now, as then, there will be no shortage of traditional open sides.
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