Ollie Lawrence came of age in the 33-31 defeat to France. Photo: Getty Images/Sean Botterill
That England would score four tries despite losing to France last Saturday would have been unthinkable after their opening rounds of the Six Nations were marred by a distinct lack of clarity and intent. However, this loss clearly demonstrated what they were starting to do right and what they need to improve in the future.
The first thing to note is that the unavailability of Owen Farrell made it impossible to avoid a straight choice between the various contenders for the first half. The failure to make excuses for selecting Farrell in the middle forced England to look for a genuine partnership in the middle. This fiction is not Farrell's fault, but the vaunted but erroneous claim that England benefited from having two playmakers has never been properly substantiated. Ollie Lawrence has now blossomed: he has good experience and a real partner, and England's midfield has become more balanced.
Liquid rugby from England 😍
Ollie Lawrence with a brace!#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/T2GvLPtcdU
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 16, 2024 g.
Despite three tries against France, England's defense improved. Gradually it took shape and became more effective. No defense is invulnerable, and the rush defense leaves wide open spaces and is vulnerable to short chip hits. However, both of these weaknesses are difficult to exploit, and the pressure applied by persistent lightning was on full display in England's victory over Ireland.
If you look closely at the French tries, you'll see that two of them came because England simply failed to win their lineout ball. The first walked around the England back line ready to attack. The second came from a speculative shot from Tomas Ramos that accidentally bounced straight into the hands of Damian Peno, who didn't even have to slow down to score.
🗣️ “This is French brilliance.”
The embodiment of French talent 🔥#GuinnessSixNations | #FRAvENG pic.twitter.com/hC6fUqTgjY
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 16, 2024
England's defeat was also due to the fact that in the first half they were unable to create much pressure, there were too many handling errors and inaccuracies. In the second half they lost the dogfight. Too many shots were either too short or too long, and it was France rather than England who had more of the ball. Had they added more solid kicking to their four tries, not even France, who had also improved markedly throughout the tournament, would have been able to claim victory.
What pleased fans most was England's attack. showed more sophistication and ambition. In their last two games against the top two teams in the Championship, England have finally shown a recognizable identity. It is important to note that they presented many problems for the defense. Simple one-ball possession had been the hallmark of Borthwick's previous teams, but this tournament ended with a clear improvement.
The choice of a more attacking and faster full-back gave England a dimension that was missing with Freddie Steward. George Furbank has improved since the tournament and offers the difference. When Marcus Smith was forced to replace Furbank, he helped finish or score two tries. It's a tough sell for Steward, who hasn't done anything particularly wrong and has proven to be ultra-reliable with the high ball, but if England are to create a consistently threatening backline they need speed and creativity at full-back.
ENGLAND IN THE PLAY AGAIN!
Three tries in six minutes, another amazing result ⚡
This move from Marcus Smith 🤤# Book of Records Guinness SixNations | #FRAvENG pic.twitter.com/niEIzIYSOo
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby), March 16, 2024
After the game, French defense coach Sean Edwards condemned France's defensive effort as perhaps the worst under his tutelage. This statement was justified — but only partially. Ramos continued to try to find colleagues to throw in front of him to make tackles, and Ollie Lawrence's first attempt turned out to be a woeful attempt at a simple one-on-one tackle. However, two clear runs off the line that led to Lawrence's second try and one for Marcus Smith were created by England, creating more difficult problems for the France midfield.
On both occasions England presented the French with two potential ball-carriers. The first of these breakthroughs found Maro Itoje inside the future aircraft carrier, Ben Earl, and the second found Earl himself outside of Ellis Genge. Instead of knowing which England player would be the best player, the French defenders were forced to consider more than one simple option. This, as well as any French reluctance to fight, caused the breaks and it continued the pattern England set last week at Twickenham.
Cynics might say that all the creativity will be greeted with jubilation after England's victory a long lack of inspiration, but it ignores the fact that making three attempts in six minutes away from home is a remarkable achievement. Of course, replicating and amplifying these improvements will not be easy. England must be more precise in almost every area of their game. However, the change in atmosphere around the games and what we saw towards the end of this tournament cannot legitimately be ignored. We finally saw the direction of England's development and its emerging identity.
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