George Ford struggled to get the back line going, which only exacerbated England's problems in attack. Photo: Getty Images/Ramsey Cardy
Those who expected a seismic shift in the fortunes of England when George Ford starts at six months will be disappointed, but not that he can really be blamed.
His cameo off the bench against Wales showed how well Ford can run the show when the tactical handbrake is released, which only seems to happen in England, or when they find themselves chasing a downside in the last 20 minutes or losing a player from -for a red card, a trend that picks up last fall with Eddie Jones against the All Blacks.
Here in Dublin, where England started for the first time since the 2021 Six Nations Championship, Ford would like to put an end to it. And, perhaps, in a sense, he did it, albeit only internally, giving the coaches exactly what they wanted, strictly adhering to the attacking tactical plan provided for him – if you can call it that – with predictably minimal impact.
< p>No England defender has scored a try for England since Freddie Steward against France in the Six Nations at Twickenham. Since then, England have lost three out of four Tests and have averaged 13.5 points per Test. Sometimes the system is to blame, not the players. And if this England is delaying anything for the Rugby World Cup, which doesn't seem to be the case, then we're in for an almighty shock.
At times the intention was on Ford's part. do more than just send the ball up to the top tier. His late ruck transfers have kept the Irish defense on their toes, but even a player of his skill can't do that much when the English ruck's pace is bordering on foot and some of Ben Youngs' serves were below par.
About 40% of the English team's speed in the first half was between one and three seconds, compared to 71% for Ireland. Ford saved one rough pass from Young by passing the ball to Billy Wunipola, but he couldn't do anything with a single daisy cutter Youngs later sent him. Combined with poor and slow service and the tactics of sending scammers to nowhere, he is almost pathetic.
Brian Moore's verdict – Match in Ireland
The fact that Ford's main achievement was defensive work merely highlights England's lack of offensive power, but is still commendable; breaking out of the defensive line to put pressure on Irish No. 8 Cyan Prendergast and forcing him to pass the ball, clearing the field to end Ireland's attack. Typically in what was a neat recap of the current class gap between the two teams, Mac Hansen smoothed Ford's kick perfectly before James Lowe managed a perfect 60m hoof.
For a team whose attacking identity revolves around free-kicks and bombing to reclaim territory, England seem unlikely to win back those kicks. Of a quick run of three hits sent by Ford halfway through the first half, one dropped tantalizingly outside the Irish 22 but went too far for England's pursuers. The next tricky spiral took too long and was marked. Only a third gave England a chance to retain possession as Mac Hansen beat Elliot Daly in the air.
The introduction of Marcus Smith with 11 minutes left, not to replace Ford but as a cornerback, was an interesting quirk that came up shortly after Ford did his best to try and slip with the dummy and get out of the way, only to be stretched by Tadh Beirn.
And all this on a day when the Irish initially worked carelessly, resulting in lenient fines. Once they got rid of the aggressive rust and clicked dangerously, it looked like they were playing a different sport, and Ross Byrne enjoyed the comfort of an Irish No 10 T-shirt that Ford could only dream of.
Was Ford better, What was Owen Farrell recently? Forgive me if the fact that Farrell got off to a pretty good start against Wales last week is out of your mind given the events of the past few days. Farrell is branded for being boring, but Ford is unlikely to set the world on fire, and at the same time, blaming him seems reckless.
At the moment, the England number 10 jersey is just a few straps away from a straitjacket. And if the English standard fails and the defense fails to continue the lackluster attack, what are you really left with?
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