timeHe predicted rain during Saturday’s game. Both coaches have been keeping an eye on the weather apps all week, with Warren Gatland already having to cancel Wales’ outdoor training because conditions were so poor in the build-up to the game that they have plans in place to suit. Eighty thousand spectators wearing boots, coats and hats, holding umbrellas, everyone expected another gray, rainy day and a tough game, but what they got instead was the first sunny afternoon in February. A routine, chaotic game.
The game started under a gorgeous sunset, which illuminated the old ground in the West Stand a brilliant pink. For a whole hour, I thought this might be an omen. Red sky at night, Gatland’s joy.
He warned Welshmen not to be intimidated by the prospect of playing here and his side delivered on his word. Wales beat Twickenham on the hour and although England eked out a win, the reality is that their latest game here has been their most inconsistent since their last one, when they were in the eighth They lost to Fiji by eight points. It’s been a long six months since then, with seven wins from eight away games in Marseille, Nice, Lille, Paris and Rome, with the only defeat coming in a 16-15 defeat. South Africa team. World Cup semi-finals.
This run of results was the result of a streamlined, pragmatic style of play that suited the circumstances and the short time head coach Steve Borthwick had to work. Now that the championship is over, Borthwick is trying to build something even more ambitious. This is good and right. Just watching his team here, it’s clear they still have a long way to go before they’re anywhere near perfect. They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but you do wonder if this should be a step back.
Especially England’s new lightning-fast defense, which obviously takes a lot of time to adapt to. This is the job of their new defensive coach Felix Jones, who joined them from South Africa in the winter. “What most defenses are looking for is increased pressure on the opponent’s skill,” Jones explained in his game plan. England, on the other hand, seemed to be giving Wales a chance to showcase themselves.
Seeing it in action is a bit like watching the fire brigade take turns rushing in to put out a fire with wet flannel. The tackler would burst out of the defence, and the Welshman would often simply pass the ball out and the next man would slip into the gap the tackler had left behind them. England have conceded more goals in their first two games of the tournament than in all four of their World Cup group stage matches so far.
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But they have a certain resilience. You could see that in their attempts in the first half, where they managed to score from an attacking scrum despite having two forwards in the penalty area. Ollie Chessum was sent in for a high tackle on Keiron Assiratti before Ethan Roots scored five minutes later before Wales kicked off fell him in preparation and joined him. It was quite a task considering they were packing their bags with seven people, one of whom was Tommy Freeman. They held steady long enough for Ben Earl to pick up the ball and rush over the try line.
Unfortunately, George Ford was not able to convert to Christianity. As Ford moved inches to his left, the Wales defenders began sprinting at full speed and he stood stunned as they chopped the ball off his tee for him. This can be said to sum up their performance, which is so serious and full of effort, but lacks a little intelligence. This time, though, the effort was enough. England got back into the game in the second half and eventually scored after passing the ball to Fraser Dingwall.
Coupled with a couple of penalties, it was enough to give them a slim two-point win. The profits make it a fun old game. Indeed, England also attracted huge crowds. The atmosphere on the pitch was better than it had been for a long time and the fans were singing throughout, but you still got the feeling that England needed to get better, and quicker, if they were to beat one of the three teams waiting in front of them. The champion of any of them.
