SSometimes it’s the clips you see or hear during Test weeks that resonate, and the most memorable thing from the recent England training camp was Jamie George telling the players at the end of training, “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. ”. It makes me very excited about this new-look England team.
That’s exciting because it tells me the players are trying new things in training. Whether it’s offloading, or extra passes, or just scanning and playing more instinctively. England have been seen as too restrained or too rigid in attack of late, but hearing Jamie’s statement about the team fills me with optimism that we will see some of their attacking potential.
I looked at the team that was selected and it was a team that was built for operations. The backline may lack punch due to the absence of Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence – something that will be more of a concern against other teams – but England have a coaching staff smart enough to Develop a game plan that suits their players. They won’t be perfect – anyone expecting England to be perfect in week one is exaggerating expectations – but I want to judge England on their intentions, which are to play with more space. That may be down to the boots by the way – kicking is a big part of their identity – but I’m happy to see them turning things around in attack and bringing that extra sense of freedom within their structure, enabling them to realize their potential.
There are several types of excitement. There are five new captains, new faces, new players and their thoughts on what they can achieve and where their careers can go. It’s all team sheet based, selection based. I think the biggest excitement for me is how England are going to play. The temperature in Rome was 18 degrees Celsius, which couldn’t be better for England. They start with Italy, who finished last last time, and then Wales, who finished fifth, so it’s an ideal start to a tournament where everyone is motivated.
It hasn’t been an easy week for England, with Marcus Smith sidelined and Alex Mitchell unavailable for much of training. Smith has been in the best form possible for Harlequins. It’s not just the moments of magic he delivers, his control and management are superb. The experience at the World Cup was a good experience for him and he really matured. It’s a blow for him and it’s a blow for Steve Borthwick because I believe he will be first choice for this game.
Having said that, we were lucky to have the experience of Fin Smith and George Ford. It is known that Finsmith came to the camp during the final Six Nations and trained the squad. Anyone who saw him play against Munster at Thomond Park will see what a level head he has and what a technical skill he possesses. I can’t wait to see him come off the bench. Ethan Roots is another rookie that stands out – he’s a big boy, a big presence – and I’m interested to see what kind of physicality he brings to the table. The same goes for Emmanuel Faye-Waboso on the bench. If Italy doesn’t perform well in the last 20 minutes, he can really turn it around.
I was really happy to hear the England players talk about how quickly they came together at the start of the season because that has been an issue for them in the past. They have lost their first Six Nations match in each of the past four years, meaning they must try to compete for the title in the second round, which brings extra pressure. The fact that some of them spent five months together in camp last year will be a big part of that. Granted, this is the same for all six nations, but it could be significant for England, who seem to have a harder time making the transition from club to international than most.
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That said, Italy will play its part in the first week of competition. I believe there is extra pressure on Italy to win in the Six Nations. They were very unlucky last year, coming close against France, Scotland and Wales. But in the context of the World Cup, especially Portugal and other countries outside the top ten, have proven their quality.
If Italy’s six-nation alliance fails, pressure will mount. It does feel like another big game for them, but I’m excited to see what happens with them under a new coaching staff.
