Joe Marchant was an outstanding defender for England at the Rugby World Cup. Photo: Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
For a striker who likes to score, it may seem strange, but tries can be overrated.
So a replacement for Henry Arundell, who scored five tries in goal Chili replacing Joe Marchant, who usually plays at center, will leave a lot of people scratching their heads, but there is method behind the seeming madness.
As good as Arundell. Played against Chile and I was very impressed with the way he chased the ball. Marchand is my standout defender for England at this World Cup. His work rate off the ball is ridiculous and that's what Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield love to see in defence. He is always at the end of the defensive line and covers the holes on the opposite side.
The outside center position is a very difficult one to defend and he always seems to read correctly and more often than not make a dominant tackle. If you look at Marchand's technique, nine times out of ten it is flawless. It hits low, into the ribs, into the stomach, and throws people back. I have a hard time remembering him missing many (if any) tackles at this World Cup. If there was a threat on the verge, it was he who turned it off.
But Marchand's super skill – and I think the reason he starts on the wing – is his ability to catch the ball over his head. I think it's a skill you're born with because it's very difficult to learn. I've been trying to do this for years but never really trusted myself to do it in the game and it just does it automatically. You see Freddie Steward catch a lot of high balls, but never catch them over his head. Fortunately, he is tall and can jump high, so he can end up taller than people anyway.
Marchant, England's best defender, hits Japan's Tomoki Osada hard and low. Photo: Paul Harding/Getty Images
When you catch a ball over your head, you end up standing 2 feet, maybe 3 feet higher than you would have been if you had caught it on your chest. This allows you to technically beat most people. In a game where cross-field kicking has become so important, this is truly invaluable.
Automatically, it performs a contested box shot or 60-40 high ball in your favor. Someone like Elliot Daly, Max Malins or even myself wouldn't want to pick up this skill naturally and you might end up faltering a bit. Someone like Joe will just take that on board.
This is important because England's style of play is based on winning the last quarter. They hit the ball relentlessly to turn teams around and provide opportunities in the final 20 minutes when the other team is tired and starting to leave gaps.
Marchand has been in enough big games and played well enough at the World Cup that he can be completely trusted to get the job done.
Winning these high ball competitions has become such an important part of modern rugby and especially for the way Steve Borthwick wants England to play. The game plan was never just a shot. 9-10-12-15 has the feeling that if we feel the pressure, let's push them again and reset.
This wing takes some getting used to. When I came to Saracens they said they would play more because I was a bit hesitant in chasing shots. At the end of the day, you have to humble yourself and play in style, otherwise you don't play, and the team will choose someone who will play that way.
You also have to understand that opportunities will arise. But there was a moment at Saracens when I had to choose: go with him or fight him all the time. You have to understand and accept why you are doing something in order to benefit later or benefit somewhere else. You stick to the game plan. If it is a kick, you should be able to master chasing the ball and be able to stand behind the ball, knowing that you may have the opportunity later after you have played the ball. It took me a long time to come to my senses, and that comes with experience.
Arundell doesn't have that experience yet, but he couldn't have done more against Chile. It was great to see him leave his flank and go roaming around in search of the ball. On his fifth attempt, he traveled two full widths of the field and returned the ball to his wing, where Marcus Smith gave him one at the plate. Three sentences before, he is on his wing and running to the other side of the field in search of the ball.
As I watched him, I commented to myself: He needs to get to the other side now.” You can look for the ball all you want, but when the ball hits the right side, you have to be there. He did his best to come back, so he had the opportunity to get on the field.
But it's a completely different thing to do it against Chile and to do it against Samoa, which I'm sure they will consider the perfect dress rehearsal for match. quarter-final against Fiji. So it's important to win, but it doesn't matter if we win by one or 50, it's more about planning for next week.
Trying to score doesn't matter now. I know it looks good, but I'd rather the team prepare well for the quarter-finals, even if it means neither wing scores.
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