Confused because I know Steve's methods work and I don't know any trainers in general. the world will work harder than he does.
Every game I think, “This is going to be a game, this is going to be a game, we'll see it today, we'll see it today.” ' But we didn’t see that.
My only conclusion: there is still no understanding of what Steve wants from the players. Proponents also misunderstand what these methods are. I've seen Steve's style described as boring and unadventurous, which I think is very unfair.
When he moved to Leicester he changed the club so quickly. He gave up everything and only worked on the fundamentals of the game, be it kicking, chasing or defending with Kevin Sinfield. He made sure the foundation was strong before they could move on. After creation, we got the opportunity to expand.
There was never any explicit instruction from Steve or the coaches to hit for the sake of hitting. In fact, it was the other way around. He wanted us to play first and then hit. George Ford at the semi-final was the foundation of this philosophy. Kicking itself is not a boring tactic. The very best teams in France, New Zealand and even South Africa have high kicking rates because they use kicking as an attacking weapon when they are in the front row.
The problem with England is that they don't build the right form and don't put people in the right position, so the only option is to slow the ball down and hit it with your back foot, which is not fun to watch.
When you saw George for sale this season, there was always a certain form surrounding him. What George Ford needs is the ability to hit, pass and run. If he doesn’t have this, then he gets tense, and the whole team gets tense too. If the game is intense, it can consume you and you won't have time to stop.
George Ford's kick has proven to be a successful tactic for Borthwick's Leicester team. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
It’s the same in defense: I know Kev’s system and what he wants from the players, especially from the wings, but we’re not seeing that yet. They get caught out of position too often.
The wing is one of the most difficult places to defend, not only physically but tactically, and you will be comfortable in open space using it to your advantage. You must take a high position in the defensive line, block any pass to the outside and stop the overhand pass. Even if you do all this, it can create space behind for an easy shot from the winger. So you need to get out of line, watch the body language of the midfielders or centers, how they are holding the ball and whether they are preparing to shoot, and be able to react to the option they choose — these are split second decisions.
There's so much involved in defense that it's ridiculous. That's why I'm not surprised Steve chose two of his most experienced defenders — Jonny May and Elliot Daly. In the pressure of Saturday night, we need strikers who have been there and done that many times for England so they can be a voice in attack and defence.
It takes a long time to change behaviour. Even eight weeks isn't enough time to make it all completely instinctive, and Test match rugby is an incredibly cutthroat environment. Mistakes can accumulate very quickly, be it missed penalties, handling errors or missed one-on-one rebounds.
Jonny May received the nod for Argentina despite not making the initial 33-man squad. Photo: PA/Mike Egerton
The onus is clearly on the leadership group to take control of the situation this week. It's hard to find anyone who dedicates more time and detail to his teams than Steve, who has taken a lot of criticism over the past few weeks. Saturday is the time for the experienced players to take charge and set the level required.
Especially when you play Argentina, you need to match their physical and emotional intensity, so I would look for two players to step up in particular . I would really like to see Maro Itoje get in the face of the opposition and become a general pest. I think there is a direct correlation between how annoying he is to play against and how effective he is as a player. England needs to bring back the old groovy trader.
There's also Tom Curry. I don't think people missed him that much in England because he essentially plays like two players. He's everywhere. He fills in the gaps and never stops running. You need him there, and you need him in the fire. My only fear about Tom is that he might show too much interest and prove what England has been missing.
There is so much noise surrounding England, but I can't stress enough how A big opportunity for players to make it all go away with a win on Saturday.
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