I don’t feel over this Six Nations we have seen the ‘New England’ yet.
They are not too different from where they were in the autumn, but I do think a lot of players have now had the experience of playing in more big games against really tough opposition.
Young players have been blooded in some tough environments and the experience of Saturday’s defeat to Ireland will no doubt help forge some really close bonds.
England lost the game, and of course in Test match rugby it is about winning, but I think the squad will have a new-found respect for each other. When it gets tough they can now look left, look right, and see brothers who are ready to give absolutely everything for the cause with them.
The first test of those new bonds fortunately comes this weekend when England travel to Paris and take on a France side who are chasing a first Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam since 2010.
France didn’t have a great night against Wales on Friday, but the atmosphere for the England game is going to be absolutely electric.
What better occasion for England to see, in a short space of time, how quickly they can process the loss, recover, regroup and put everything back together for ‘Le Crunch’.
It’s a great opportunity and learning experience for the younger guys who won’t have played in an occasion like this yet.
The response from England against Ireland was incredible. They were thrown a massive curveball as all the planning they had done in the week went out the window after 82 seconds.
They had to quickly adapt and come up with solutions against an Ireland team that are playing very well.
England were able to contain them for long periods - their set-piece delivered multiple scrum penalties, the leadership and drive from both Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje was fantastic and Jack Nowell showed that he knows his way around a scrum.
It was a real mental test around work-rate and effort, and just trying to hang on in there. It could easily have been a lot different but for a few errors at 15-15 that shifted momentum back in Ireland’s favour.
Ultimately it was a bonus-point loss, but England deserve huge credit for how they fought back and for their resolve.
There is plenty to take to France this weekend.
No complaints with Ewels red card
You read social media and you see a lot of split opinion, but it was absolutely a red card for Charlie Ewels.
There is the fact that he was so upright in the tackle and the fact there was head-on-head contact. The consequences are irrelevant, but James Ryan does also go off for a HIA and doesn’t come back onto the pitch.
The whole reason the framework has been brought in is to reduce the amount of head trauma that these players might have to carry into their lives way after rugby.
We are after a change in behaviour, you want to see players dip before they tackle, and if they don’t do that you run the risk of this happening.
It’s not the first time we have seen it this season. It’s just this one has happened in a massive Test match with millions of eyes on it.
Nowell excelled as hybrid player, but I am not sure we will see it again
I know Eddie Jones has spoken about hybrid players before, but when you are emotionally charged like that people will just dig in.
Jack being as powerful and built as he is, he would be the first person you’d put as a substitute forward.
But long term, you want your players in their best positions so they can go and perform to the best of their abilities.
I think Saturday was just Jack playing on emotion and enthusiasm. It was a chance for him to get involved in the play - and he absolutely did that.
