I am of the firm belief that the team who scores the most tries at the World Cup will be crowned champions at the end of October. Putting personal preferences or philosophies to one side, it’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about the best way to win rugby matches – and if it looks good then all the better.
You look at the top four teams in the world at the moment – Ireland are averaging four tries a game, France the same, South Africa just under four and New Zealand over. My biggest frustration with England is that I can see the potential in the team to play in a manner that matches that sort of strike-rate.
I’m convinced that they can play with more ambition, that there is a greater skillset than is being showcased and that, put simply, they can score more tries. I fully understand the need to have a framework but equally it’s important to recognise trends and where the game is. And I honestly believe England have the players who can produce the kind of fluidity that the best sides in the world are demonstrating.
I won’t be told that England do not have the right group of game-controllers in the right positions – 9, 10, 12 and 15 – or that we don’t have spark in our try-scorers out wide. There are centres who can get over the gain-line and pass the ball, too. The key is how can they best connect all those dots to be the best versions of themselves?
We haven’t seen it very much this summer but the times that we have were when they were down to 12 men against Wales, and in the second half against Ireland. In other words, England playing with a bit of urgency when they had to. They were chasing scores and suddenly they came to life: there was urgency, speed, desperation, more attacking impetus and more ball movement. In those moments it felt like a snapshot of what this England side could achieve.
The turbulence that has surrounded England for the past couple of weeks may make things harder but there remains one fundamental point that gives me optimism about the World Cup, and that is the draw. For all the lack of form, for all the ongoing issues on and off the field, I believe that each of the other home nations would happily trade places with England. Amid the turbulence, England must maintain their focus on their No 1 priority – they must keep the main thing the main thing.
As a player, it’s impossible to ignore the noise, all the more so in the age of social media. The most important noise needs to be the one within the camp. I still believe that the voices they are hearing, whether that’s Steve Borthwick, Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes or Ellis Genge, will be the loudest, but as much as you can try to block out everything else, it still permeates into that bubble that you try to create.
But once you can see through the fog of the conversation around this team, England really should find themselves in a World Cup quarter-final against Wales, Australia or Fiji. The pathway to get to where they want should be smooth. Despite all the noise, the thing that matters above all else is going deep into the tournament.
Again, if I’m being optimistic, I also look at how tournament sport is a different animal to anything else. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in the Fifa World Cup in Qatar and went on to lift the trophy. That wasn’t part of their pathway but they were able to adapt as the tournament wore on. And as much as the dark clouds are circling around England, as soon as they decamp to France, touch down and arrive at the World Cup, things will feel different. It’s go-time.
England would admit that they are not where they want to be but if they can stay focused on getting out of their pool then, with a bit of momentum, they are three wins from lifting the trophy. All of a sudden, Farrell is back, Billy Vunipola is back and the narrative around the team can become much more positive. I’m not getting ahead of myself because there is a huge amount of work still to do, but then I look at the World Cup draw again and afford myself a wry smile.
Saturday’s match can provide a platform from which they head to France. I watched Fiji against France last week, and do not be fooled by the scoreline: Fiji were incredibly competitive and looked their threatening and deadly selves. It’s going to be a really good challenge and I’d love to see England move the ball more and get more touches on the ball – for that to be their first instinct. The set piece and kicking game is pretty well rehearsed now, but I want to see what England look like when they start with the outlook they have finished their past two matches with.
