Mako Vunipola has the best hands in rugby, well certainly of any forward and definitely of any prop in world rugby – he's on the bench and will impact! Sitting beside him, Jack Clifford is an outstanding backrow, dare I suggest a far more thoughtful and certainly skilful operator than James Haskell whose role will be to batter green jerseys.
Courtney Lawes is like a Malcom O'Kelly on speed – powerful, athletic and devastating in the offensive tackle. If Johnny Sexton is still on when Lawes arrives it won't be for long; in fact both could exit early. Replacement scrumhalf Danny Care changes things rapidly and centre Elliot Daly glides through the holes leaving Alex Goode the only non-explosive impact off the bench – but still a quality player. And Mako is as described above, a real 118kg thing of beauty. Alongside him are the talented Jamie George and Paul Hill.
Eddie Jones’ bench has been very interesting thus far. Six forwards and two backs against Italy. Against Scotland Dan Cole played a full 80 from tighthead – extraordinary at this level. Mako’s brother Billy, number eight, also played a full 80 in securing Man of the Match in Scotland.
Like Mako, Billy is not to be trifled with, especially off the Irish box kick. Watch as he loiters in the back field to soak up Conor Murray's efforts. With beautiful hands and explosive power England can turn this Irish positive into an English one very quickly.
Billy's positioning also affords the English back three a different and more challenging way for Sexton and Murray to expose green grass. Remember when fullback Mike Brown receives, his entire team react to maximise his potential. Brown has been meaner with his counter attacks since the day Munster sucker punched him at the Stoop. But when he goes his team follow.
Constantly power
Has the hindmost foot become a thing of the past? Referee
Romain Poite
must be especially vigilant as the English will constantly power off the line with the intention of taking man and ball 15 metres behind the Irish gain line. Yes, they commit few to the breakdown, fill the field and power in their defensive channels.
Ireland
, like Italy, will manage it for a time but then the English bench will arrive and so too Ireland errors.
Look at Jonathan Joseph’s 53 min intercept try over Italy. Not convinced, then look at Joseph’s third try. Secondrow George Kruis smashes Martin Castrogiovanni who spills and off England go. England will target the corridor of power as a major goal to win – Ireland to chip over it?
Last Friday I noted World Rugby's six principles. Well whatever way you examine England, Eddie Jones has improved them all. The biggest challenge for Ireland and by extension the new caps will be the "application of pressure" from England. Look at Haskell's 47.10 hit on Italy's 15 Luke McLean: in the air, idiotic but totally focused on pressure.
Haskell is an interesting selection at openside. There’s no doubt he impacts but I question his reading of the game and his mental preparation arriving to the ruck. Possibly because of his outrageous physique Haskell gets into poor positions. Technique will always win out where, should Josh van der Flier survive the opening onslaught, he can steal before Clifford arrives.
As for “contesting possession” Dan Cole has re-emerged brilliantly at the scrum but Joe Marler’s concentration ebbs and flows so Mike Ross needs all his brains to lull Marler into defocusing before bending him out of shape at the crucial scrums. These two have form dating back to Harlequins-Leinster battles where I expect absolutely nothing from Ross but the 10 scrums tomorrow.
Incredible athleticism
England’s lineout structure will change with Maro Itoje starting in the secondrow. His athleticism is incredible but his technique is from a computer, allied to his ability to read the game (a challenge for other English backrowers). Itoje by burrowing his way through rucks onto our ball is a bigger threat than Haskell. But his talents will be most seen tomorrow in the air against our lineout ball.
George Ford gets very close to the gainline, making the first three English carries very important. If they get across the gain line then both Ford and Owen Farrell can hit a very flat line unlocking further space out wide for Joseph to exploit. Bizarrely Ford at ten made little impact tactically against Scotland. But when both Vunipola brothers were on the pitch there's little for the ten to be doing: both can turn a crap ball into gold.
To the captains. Ireland were too innocent in Paris expecting the referee to spot and sort problems of French making. Right or wrong, Dylan Hartley will not wait patiently for Poite. On top of this Hartley's lineout is outstanding – he has the best trajectory of his throw-in flight in the Six Nations.
So Ireland, as they did in Paris, will run out of attackers especially as England will not engage the ruck. So how to go forward? Crucially, avoid the brick wall fringe defence – by pouring through the ruck as England spill away in defence. Ditto the lineout maul and clever chip kicking into green grass.
But the real excitement is the point of attack through Stuart McCloskey and him crossing the gainline with his off-loads. But! I note Joe Schmidt “wants him to express himself but he has a responsibility to be as watertight as we can be”. Can he, or indeed Ireland, do both?
PS. Another Kerry man in the secondrow. Phenomenal!
liamtoland@yahoo.com
