Battle of wits rather than nerves
Eddie Jones said this week England were petrified of playing in Wales, citing what he described as their horrendous record in the country of 21 victories, four draws and 36 defeats in 135 years of travelling across the Severn.
“I have been there and it is just another ground,” said England’s head coach. “We will have to work out why England don’t play well in Wales. Mentally there are things that go on and psychologically you have to get it right.” When it was pointed out Wales had had some strong teams over the years, he replied: “I am sure they have but they are a country of three million people.”
New Zealand has a population of four and a half million but England have struggled to win there, two victories in 15 Tests. Like Wales, New Zealand has long regarded rugby union as its national sport and in the amateur era the structure of the game in both countries, based on a strong and vibrant provincial/club system, more than compensated for their far fewer chimney pots.
England’s record in Cardiff was made worse by their failure to win in the Welsh capital for 28 years after 1963, 12 defeats and a draw pockmarking the ledger. The National Stadium became a ground where they arrived without hope in their kit bags. “The [1970s] Wales team had no peer in the world”, wrote the former England prop Mike Burton in his autobiography, Never Stay Down. “Their selectors met to pick two players – the other 13 were permanent fixtures: never have so many world-class players existed at the same time in the whole world, let alone in one country. All the while the England selectors were engaged in a determined attempt to find needles in haystacks while afflicted with gross short-sightedness. Rugby is an expression of the whole Welsh way of life.”
Burton, whose book was published in 1982, predicted that, should rugby ever abandon amateurism, English rugby would quickly become stronger. He was proved right and in the professional era England have won five of their nine championship matches in Cardiff; three of their four defeats came between 2005 and 2009 when they were in a period of drift following the 2003 World Cup success. They won only three of their 12 away matches in the Six Nations during that period with Italy twice the victims.
Having won on two of their last three Six Nations visits to Cardiff, victories that 11 of Saturday’s 23 against France were involved in, it is hard to imagine the champions being all aquiver when they cross the Severn Bridge. The emotion that used to be a feature of the amateur era has largely been sweated out of players, if not supporters. Rather than intimidate opponents, the atmosphere generated by a crowd now can lift the home side at key moments, such as when Wales were defending their line against an Irish barrage two years ago and every tackle was cheered, with the roar greeting a turnover as loud as if a try had been scored.
An image of England in Cardiff is 2001, their first visit to what was then the Millennium Stadium: as the crowd saw on the big screen the visiting players, led by their captain, Martin Johnson, leave their dressing room to make their way to the tunnel, a cacophony of boos erupted. Johnson paused, opened the door to the tunnel and let in the noise. “Let’s shut them up,” was all he said; and they did.
Just as England used to struggle in Cardiff, so Wales tended to return from Paris humiliated (and their record at home against France then was little better), unsuccessful there for 24 years until 1999. Since then they have won five matches there and lost four.
It is Scotland who have not cured their travel sickness. The last time they won at Twickenham Margaret Thatcher was in her first term as prime minister; they have lost on their last eight visits to Paris, their destination on Sunday; and it is 15 years since they won in Cardiff. They have been close on their last two visits to the Stade de France and Saturday’s victory over Ireland, especially the way they responded after they lost the lead in the final quarter, will embolden them this weekend.
France have had narrow defeats in their last three matches: two points to Australia, five to New Zealand and three to England. They blew a winning position against England and a difference between the two sides was that the champions have forgotten what it takes to lose and Les Bleus have lost sight of what it takes to succeed.
England are reminiscent of Tiger Woods in his pomp, when he was average in going from tee to green in regulation but continually salvaged his round with his powers of recovery, whether from the roughest rough or the deepest bunker. They have developed the capacity to play their way out of trouble. In contrast they to all intents exited the 2015 World Cup in the final 10 minutes against Wales at Twickenham when their lead in a match they had dominated evaporated and they failed to react when injuries left Wales with an unfamiliar back division. Eddie Jones has made a difference there.
They were vulnerable to the unexpected then but are more resourceful now. Jones knows the importance of Saturday in terms of the title race with home matches against Italy and Scotland to follow. Victory would extend their winning run to 16 Tests but more significantly, following Ireland’s defeat at Murrayfield, would be a large step towards retaining their title. Since England won in Cardiff in the 2015 Six Nations Wales have lost at home once in 11 Tests when they have picked from strength. It is that record Jones will be wary of, especially with Wales looking to have an advantage in the back row, not petrified players. Gone are the days when men in white would go knock-kneed when they heard the roar of the Cardiff crowd, beaten before they shuffled out. It will be a battle of wits rather than nerves.
This is an extract taken from the Breakdown, the Guardian’s weekly rugby union email. To subscribe just visit this page and follow the instructions.
