England sapped the life out of Argentina and their clinical performance bodes well for the rest of the tournamentFull marks to England for a clinical performance against Argentina. It is never easy playing against a team down to 14 men and I thought that England were patient and ruthless in equal measure. I’ve heard a lot of talk about how it wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t, but it was effective and being pretty does not win you World Cups. Related: France survive Tonga scare and set up England game to decide Pool C winner Related: Owen Farrell puts his head where it hurts but the pain is all Argentina’s | Andy Bull Continue reading...
Pumas will feed off emotion of occasion and will enjoy being underdogs so it is important for England to keep their controlThere is no doubt in my mind that the midfield trio of George Ford, Owen Farrell and Manu Tuilagi is the best available to England if they have front-foot ball. That is going to be a big if in the latter stages of the tournament and I would urge caution against taking as read that this is now England’s first-choice combination.It is a midfield who can carry out a gameplan very well and if they click it will be a good day at the office for England against Argentina. But would Eddie Jones really opt for those three against...
Mixed messages from officials and disciplinary panels suggests a breakdown in communication as the sport tries to evolveThere is a plaque on the wall at Rugby School, commemorating the exploits of William Webb Ellis, who “with a fine disregard for the rules of football first took the ball in his arms and ran with it”. There are reasons to be suspicious about this origin myth. Like the idea, wildly implausible to anyone even vaguely acquainted with the species, that any self-respecting English PE teacher would have praised Webb Ellis’s wit and ingenuity rather than cursed him for his pig-ignorance and set him to doing press-ups in punishment. Still, that’s the story and, two centuries later, it’s Webb Ellis’s name on...
USA’s full-back has exonerated the England centre for a high tackle and called on back-up officials to offer more help to beleaguered refereesThank you so much to all those, including a number of England players, who sent me sympathetic messages after I was knocked unconscious late in the game in Kobe last Thursday. It was not exactly the World Cup impact I was hoping for but I am feeling better now and, with any luck, should be available for our last pool matches against Argentina and Tonga.I have seen the footage of me falling at an angle and being tackled by Mark Wilson but, otherwise, I can’t remember anything about the incident. All I know is that I woke up...
Coach Jamie Joseph knows Japan cannot win by physicality – they maximise their quick-footed, explosive players insteadI played with Tony Brown at the Highlanders and watching Japan’s stunning victory against Ireland I could see the extent of the influence he has as Jamie Joseph’s assistant. In fact, I see so much about this Japan side that is similar to how the Highlanders played when they won the Super Rugby title in 2015 under Joseph and Brown.Tony has an ability to give players the confidence to play what they see, the courage to act on the pictures that are good, whether that’s run pictures, kick pictures or offload pictures. It can look effortless on the pitch but so much work goes...