Maro Itohe celebrates his victory in the trade and brought England over the line against Wales. Photo: Getty Images Europe
For all the mistakes made earlier, especially in a frankly terrible game that cost three maps and two tries as Wales took a 17-9 lead, England's finish was impressive. The unlikely comeback began with 12 men on the field. And not only did England's victory avoid the shame of their lowest world ranking; it also provided some straws to grab onto.
The improvements that Steve Borthwick had hoped for did not materialize. World Cup contenders will not lose sleep at the prospect of meeting his team. Still, with the disappointing prospect of a trip to Ireland as one of only two games left before the start of the tournament, England will be grateful for the crumbs of comfort. Here are the lessons of a wonderful 14 minutes that showed true character.
George Martin is one of those who look to the future
Whatever happens in France this fall, it could be even more difficult for England ahead of 2027 as they have to rebuild the backbone of their team. However, in George Martin they have great talent in both senses.
He didn't have his own way in this mini-series against Wales, but the 22-year-old castle player lay down the only way he knew how — by driving himself into earth. Note his starting position and that of Courtney Laws as George Ford restarts the game after Tomos Williams' attempt:
< p>At Leicester Tigers, Martin is known for his spectacular tackles and technical prowess. These attributes save England's 12-man team. Martin bends low and knocks down Keiran Williams, the debutant who was attacked by Ford. Laws digs in, beating Adam Beard on the ball, and does just enough to earn a break penalty:
Martin Tackle, Lowes the Jackal
Ollie Chessum warmed up with the team on Saturday and will be back in action soon, however Martin insisted on further involvement.
Lightning to (re-)gain momentum
Given the experience of their head coach, England should have an effective corridor in Steve's era Borthwick. Maul's defense was the most positive aspect of their first half and the drive brought their only try. With Ellis Jenge in the basket of sins, a five-man formation is created with Ben Earl in the receiver slot and Jack Willis in the tail:
The attackers arrive late, run into position, and Martin and Maro Itoye pick up Lowes. Wales is undefeated in the air and the drive builds quickly:
Corridor Pier 1
Elliot Daley, Ben Youngs, Ollie Lawrence and Joe Marchant all tuck in, throwing Itohe over the trial line:
Moments later, after an unnecessary offside penalty from Wales, England have another chance to start. This time, with Genge back on the field, they use a different five-man formation. Jack Willis, not Earl, is in the receiver slot and Genj is in the tail. Earl is in midfield.
This demonstrates the collective adaptability of attackers so that individuals can play different roles depending on the circumstances. Lowes, who circles before throwing in an intricate motion, deserves attention:
Martin makes the mannequin before than jump out to let Itohha jump with support from Dan Cole and Lowes. Again, the drive is established quickly and a significant gain follows:
Corridor pier 2
Penalty after slip thwarts this particular attack, but George Ford goes ahead.
George Ford's balance
Despite a distinct lack of depth elsewhere, England are as well-prepared to lose a 100-cap midfielder as they could get test team. Borthwick has selected three specialists from his team of 33, and in the absence of Owen Farrell, who faces a suspension, Ford will take the reins. His composure shone in the chaos of Saturday's finale.
Both Farrell and Ford became masters of the spiral bomb and each used it to torment Wales from free kicks. Visitors are pinging here for delaying their own push…
…and, with Earl chasing relentlessly Ford confuses Liam Williams:
George Ford's spiral bomb
Ford almost found Joe Marchand with a beautiful pass. Here, after a long shot from Genge, he hides behind his attackers and appears to be demanding a pass from Ben Young. Instead, the ball goes to Martin:
A phase later, Ford stands behind another group of three. forward, looking at the defense. He notices a small patch of space behind Josh Adams in the far corner of the field:
With England playing around half an hour with six or fewer defenders, their attack was often compromised. When Youngs finds him this time, Ford takes matters into his own hands, cutting off a pass that Marchand almost scores:
Ford passes Marchand
England may have been lucky to come back for a penalty in the scrum that Ford converted . Later, with a two-point lead and a good position on the pitch 79 minutes into the game, Ford is looking over the Wales defense when Earl takes a pass from Ben Youngs:
Sliding down the short side, Ford puts the ball out:
Ford touch
If Wales wants to win, they must carry the ball 80 meters. Ford informs teammates that there is one minute left:
From now on and in the coming weeks, Ford's leadership and the variety of his strikes will be doubly important.
The fight has hardened
The fights changed after the first warm-up game, when Wales rose and England faded. Here England were strong and won the last two set pieces.
Martin starts behind Dan Cole, his Tigers teammate, in a tight lock…
…and a strong push is rewarded with a penalty advantage. Ben Earl's explosive carry from the base, breaking far beyond Tommy Reffell's tackle, epitomizes how he entered the competition and held out in the late exchanges:
Earl the scrum carry
This second penalty in the scrum is more convincing :
England second bout penalty
Will Stewart, the starting curmudgeon, converted four penalties on an unsettling day and the sobering truth is that England will face more sloppy fights at the World Cup. Wales has bled several new faces on the front row over the past two weeks. The fact that Jamie George played 80 minutes in the warm-up is a clear reflection of the depth of the hooker's game in England.
It all goes to show that the power of the set-piece is the fundamental pillar of what Borthwick is trying to achieve. A vital aspect of the game came out under pressure.
Earl and Willis performed well
Billy Vunipola generally gets better with time on the field and should improve from there as the rust is shaken off, but it was noticeable that his departure with Ben Earl moving to the base of the scrimmage and Jack Willis moving to an open flanker was a coincidence. with the rebirth of England.
This sequence starts 76 minutes after Itohe's attempt. Willis is between Max Malins and Martin ready to chase Ben Young's boxing punch:
He does grab Liam Williams, and then jackals, significantly slowing down the ball. Itoye follows, destroying Wales even more:
Willis the Jackal after being hit by Young
A low-key skirmish ensues, allowing England to reorganize, and Matthias Kemsley pours out on the first recipient:
Earl wandered around the field, contacting Farrell for two powerful shots in 12 seconds in the same spot in the third quarter. Willis is one of the most skillful and experienced players in England. Borthwick still has a Tom Curry to return, but will he replicate Earl and Willis back row?
Old stagers empty the tank
After being ridiculed a week earlier for their low level of fitness, England's effort could not be called into question in the final game; and some of the veterans set the example. First, Courtney Lowes jumps in to compete and gives Wales a messy line-out platform:
Lowes messes up
Now with Keiran Williams hitting midfield, look at Jamie George. It's dangerously crowded in the depths of England, and Elliot Daly calls for reinforcements:
A prostitute walks to the nearest 15m canal. Although he eventually misses a tackle on Gareth Davies, the scrum half slows down and is challenged by Freddie Steward:
Jamie George's speed
Two phases later, Wales zigzags in the opposite direction. Itoye closes the gap and pushes Genge to make England's defensive line as wide as possible. George, who has the team's most tackles with 12, is working in the same direction from the short side. All the while, Itoye has been watching the base of the ruck:
When Liam Williams, deputy half of the scrum, attempts to take the ball away, he gets hit with the ball and coughs up the ball:
Maro Itohe loses the ball
Looking at the humiliating defeat, England stubbornly responded. They have a mountain to climb, but a daring finish could be their foothold.
Match images from Amazon Prime
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