France must not get carried after beating England, while Ireland will need to bolster their defence at TwickenhamWhen the post-match debate centres on whether England were poorer in Murrayfield or Paris, there is definitely trouble at mill. They never looked remotely likely to score the four tries required to retain a mathematical interest in the Six Nations title race and it would have been distinctly rough justice on France had the visitors sneaked home late on in Saint Denis. One or two England players felt afterwards they might have received a penalty for French defenders going off their feet at the final ruck under the posts; it would still not have erased the horrors of the previous 79 minutes. In...
Eddie Jones dreams of perfection but his England side look a long way away and in reality were overtaken by Ireland a year agoSometimes it is only when you look back that you realise you have crossed a border. A year on from England’s 13-9 defeat by Ireland in Dublin, their first loss under Jones, that game seems to have been a clear watershed in the fortunes of both teams. It was the point when Ireland passed England to become the best team in Europe. Ireland are unbeaten in 11 Tests since and are now Six Nations champions. England are still faltering, looking for the sure footing they had before they tripped in that match. According to the world rankings,...
Eddie Jones’s men were short of inspiration, leaving the coach with much to ponder in terms of personnel and preparationThe battle was lost and the war long gone with barely a shot fired in anger until the closing stages. Thus did England unravel in Paris to the extent they are now at their lowest ebb under Eddie Jones. A late glimpse of what Owen Farrell can do when he is let off the leash may make for a silver lining, if he is given free rein from fly-half in the future. But make no mistake, the clouds looming over English heads have blackened.England were beaten by an underrated French side who were thrown together at the start of the championship...
Six Nations collision in Paris to be a huge struggle for France but England must not allow them to be in with a sniff late onI know precisely what it’s like to play against a France team in the mood. It may be 11 years ago now but I can still vividly remember being part of the All Blacks side who lost the 2007 World Cup quarter‑final against the French.It was as if they grew another leg, arm, heart – it was wave after wave and it was unstoppable. There were blue shirts everywhere and it didn’t matter how hard we tried, there was nothing we could do. I’m sure it was a great spectacle but not so good for...
Maro Itoje is not looking his freshest in the Six Nations and Mako Vunipola has also gone quiet after the exacting tour to New ZealandOne of the most interesting sequences in sport is threatening to repeat itself yet again. Every four years, during the Six (or Five) Nations season immediately following a British and Irish Lions tour, it is as if lead weights have been attached to the legs of one nation and restorative oxygen pumped into the dressing-rooms of the rest.Spot the common theme in the following list of champions in post-Lions years since the late 1960s: France, Wales, no winner, Wales, Wales, France, Scotland, Scotland, Wales, France, France, France, France, Ireland. It is necessary to spool back 55...