England won but had a tough time against Wales at Twickenham. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
The spectacle of three of England's most powerful players lined up on a naughty step being sacked by Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli was the epitome of disaster that turned into the second half. Indeed, the hosts have untangled themselves in a spiral that they have largely created themselves.
Ellis Genj probably suffered the most as a victim of Amashukeli's special execution of a set piece. Slacker, one of the two official vice-captains, has just arrived to replace Joe Marler and win his 50th cap. Shortly thereafter, he paid the price for repeated infractions that brought the entire match to a halt. Will Stewart, who conceded four penalties, was the main culprit and Jenge looked understandably annoyed. The other two cards were more of a concern.
The steward was ordered to march and was lucky enough to see yellow instead of red after Wales isolated the full-back and revealed his lack of lateral speed in the outfield. Dan Biggar's smart shot across the field hung high and Josh Adams got up early. The steward seemed to panic and dived to turn over the trap. Often relied upon in air exchanges, this was a rookie mistake:
As for Owen Farrell, no one could say it wouldn't happen. Throughout his career, he has favored an aggressive, direct style of play. The reward is the occasional loss he was obviously trying to get against Thane Basham when Wales objected. The risk in this era of heightened awareness of concussion and player head protection is clear. After receiving a four-match ban last season, which was reduced to three following the end of World Rugby's 'takeover school' initiative, Farrell now faces the very real prospect of missing out on the opening World Cup matches. The player can only visit the capture school once to reduce the punishment. A sanction for five or six weeks is just around the corner, and Farrell can't have a claim. What's more, Steve Borthwick's captain staged an unwanted sideshow.
A view of three England players in a wastebasket at the same time shown, that, despite the victory, this match left Steve Borthwick with more questions than answers. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers Attack ineffective
It seems clear that Borthwick pushed his chips into the Saracen mold, both in terms of selection and philosophy. Not only did Farrell lead midfield, he had Elliot Daly wandering down the back line, starting one scrimmage in the far center between Ollie Lawrence and Joe Marchand, and the back row was also borrowed from Mark McCall. /p>
Look closely at the mistakes, and there were encouraging signs at the start of each half. Farrell pushed forward and Ben Earl kept the width, fitting into the game. England's first points were born of ambition after Wales canceled a lineout. Jamie George collected, and Farrell could clear the area directly from his own territory. Instead, he threw the ball to Joe Marchand and Elliot Daly ate the ball:
England team
The counter bought a penalty and the second in quick succession was kicked to give a 3-0 lead. This willingness to pass the ball over the hands, even one stage, to challenge the defence, provided there was room, was a hallmark of the campaign.» Saracens» 2022-2023. Mark McCall's men threw a lot of fast shots from 70 meters or more. Space in test matches is clearly of great importance, but comfortable meters can be chosen accurately and convincingly.
The trouble is that the Saracens relied on the cohesion of familiar combinations. Even then, their evolution was a gradual process that took time. England don't have much of that, as a difficult first leg of the World Cup against Argentina looms on September 9th. They strive for fluency, but cannot withstand the pressure. It was promised that Henry Arundell would enter the game. The 20-year-old was another who received a yellow card after Liam Williams' misguided tackle at the end of a futile chase with Jack van Poortvliet lying down stricken. He registered fewer than a few touches before being substituted in the 57th minute.
Farrell is unlikely to take the field for the foreseeable future, leaving the tiller to George Ford or Marcus Smith. The return of the only try that came from a fight from a 160-minute match against two experimental Wales sides speaks eloquently of England's breakup.
Coming selection difficulties
All in all, it must have been a day to overshadow the best-laid plans. Curiously, despite Billy Wunipola being the flagship omission of Borthwick's First Six Nations team and suffering a serious knee injury, it seemed like Billy Wunipola never risked missing the World Cup party. There was a murmur from the camp that his ball-carrying ballast was still valuable. He made dents on Saturday and held firm in difficult areas such as restarts and at the heart of the scrimmage in England's own 22nd cap. But England were full of energy when Jack Willis came on the field, adding mobility and Ben Earl moved to number 8.
Billy Wunipola made some holes in the Welsh defense at Twickenham. Photo: Shutterstock/Neil Hall
The prostitute's noticeable lack of depth was highlighted by the fact that Jamie George had to last 80 minutes while Theo Dan remained on the bench. Jamie Blamire also warmed up with the team on match day, suggesting that Jack Walker's fitness was still questionable. Finally, Van Poortvliet was on crutches at the end with a nasty ankle injury. If the worst happens and he is excluded from the World Cup, Borthwick has a script.
Ben Spencer is a controlling option, Alex Mitchell is a sparkling sniper. Participating in Six Nations certainly puts Mitchell ahead, and he will add some much-needed lightning to phase play. Backed by a wild win that nearly brought England to the bottom of the world rankings, Borthwick could justify both. Because quick improvements are essential.
Brian Moore's verdict: Key to Ford's composure in a crazy finale
After a high tackle sent England into hot water, a low one helped pull them out. Twickenham were calm, stifled in disbelief, when George Ford restarted play in the 67th minute. Wales had just scored Tomos Williams at long range, going past 12 white-shirted players to take a 17–9 lead. Then George Martin, a 22-year-old with a high rating, bent down and hacked Keiran Williams.
Courtney Laws dug in for a penalty and there was hope for England. Lowes was the target of the next corridor and was pushed by a sledgehammer. The sinful Genj rejoined the fray and, while the pursuit of England was effective, Wales faltered due to an unnecessary offside. This signaled the return of Freddie Steward, restoring England to 14.
The Welsh were encouraging in some aspects, but their most devastating shortcoming was the lineout. They conceded a free kick for holding their own shot in the 72nd minute, allowing Ford to raise a dangerous spiral bomb that Liam Williams was unable to put together. A standard push by Genge, Jamie George and Dan Cole resulted in a penalty. England were lucky that Amashukeli came back with the lead after a miss by Joe Marchant — is catching the ball over the try line enough of an advantage? – but they were lucky with Ford's decisive blow.
Ford's composure was the main positive of the wild ending, as were the contributions of Jack Willis and Earl. While the fight died down in Cardiff, it ended convincingly on Saturday. Maro Itoye overcame the loss and became the winner, which epitomized the struggle of England. From the wreckage, a little positive.
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