No one can accuse England of being predictable. One minute they are taking Cardiff by storm, the next they are allowing a moderate Italian side to play like the Barbarians. Saturday’s win at Twickenham was another mixed bag, just when the coaches were seeking ruthless certainty. If they do not up their defensive intensity, in particular, they can expect to finish an uncomfortable second to Ireland in Dublin on Sunday week.
The better news for English supporters, however, is that opponents have increasingly little idea what to expect either. Will the men in white batter them in the set-piece, outlast them in the final quarter or – and this really is a step forward – wrong-foot them in the 13 channel? Every decent side needs different ways of winning and England, even when way short of perfection, have an increasingly well-stocked tool box.
In Jonathan Joseph they also have the tournament’s outstanding player so far, his three tries in two games a reminder to every Premiership player that talent will out eventually if they can endure the dips every young professional is bound to experience. Having not made England’s expanded squad for last summer’s New Zealand tour, the 23-year-old Joseph is rapidly emerging as the missing link in Stuart Lancaster’s World Cup plans.
The Bath player supplies a fluidity and acceleration to England’s backline that has previously been lacking, forcing defenders to make hasty, flawed decisions. Just as Wales were unnerved at the Millennium Stadium, so too were the Azzurri here as Joseph, with ball crucially held in two hands, led them a merry dance, most memorably for his 61st-minute second try when he ghosted on to George Ford’s lovely delayed pass.
Those assuming Manu Tuilagi will amble back into the No13 jersey the moment he can manage a semi-jog are missing the beauty of Joseph, not least his excellent understanding with Ford. He may have scored his two tries while theoretically playing on the wing following Mike Brown’s premature departure but deploying him out wide reduces the uncertainty – and potential space – he creates at close quarters.
“For Manu to get his place back you’re going to have to see some fireworks,” murmured Mike Catt, England’s attacking skills coach, who played with Jeremy Guscott and can spot a class midfield operator quicker than most.
“I made those comparisons (with Guscott) four years ago. JJ’s footwork and his ability to slip out of tackles is phenomenal. That’s the X-factor you need to win games. Ireland have two weeks to do the video analysis on him. But can you work him out or is it very difficult, when you’ve got feet like that, to contain someone?”
It is a tricky question, as is the ongoing dilemma surrounding Lancaster’s best line-up for the Ireland showdown. England, it is worth remembering, have not lost to the Irish during Lancaster’s tenure. Not only that, Ireland have scored only one try against them in 240 minutes of rugby. Shut them down and deny them easy points and the job is half done.
The possibility, therefore, of their defensive totem Brad Barritt returning to the match-day squad cannot be ruled out, with Exeter’s in-form Jack Nowell also a contender if Jonny May’s below-par performance is held against him. May can forever dine out on his autumn wonder try against New Zealand but he butchered a glaring three-man overlap and was beaten too easily for Luca Morisi’s second try late on. Joe Schmidt, Ireland’s coach, will also have noted Rhys Webb’s try for Wales down May’s touchline. Lancaster’s post-match comment about England being “a bit soft around the edges” was not a throwaway remark.
Up front, too, Courtney Lawes’ return to fitness will be closely monitored, while memories of Ireland’s set-piece struggles in 2012 may still be fresh enough to earn Alex Corbisiero a bench recall. Whoever he picks, though, Lancaster needs his team to start quicker; giving Wales a 10-point start and allowing Italy to set the pace is not a characteristic of trophy-winning sides.
Admittedly Brown’s nasty collision with Andrea Masi, in which the full-back was knocked cold, caused a fair amount of disruption but Italy already had a try chalked up, the peerless Sergio Parisse having crashed over inside four minutes. England were also slightly fortunate to be awarded their opening try by Billy Vunipola in the absence of conclusive television footage.
It took Joseph’s first try, a classic shimmy past Kelly Haimona followed by a 50-metre dash, to give England a 15-5 half-time lead, only for another sharp break by Morisi past an out-of-position Dave Attwood to reward Italy’s collective spirit.
Could they possibly beat England for the first time? Not until they can play for 80 minutes rather than 50 or 60. Ben Youngs’ tap-and-go and Joseph’s technicolour dream of a second try duly prised open the door before the scoresheet flicked back to the future with tries from Nick Easter – making him the oldest man to score for England – and Danny Cipriani, on his first Twickenham appearance since 2008.
There was no disputing the quality of Cipriani’s supporting line and equally interesting to see him resist any temptation to kick the ball into Row Z in celebration, clearly conscious of Lancaster’s preference for players who stay grounded at all times. Less satisfying were a missed conversion and two iffy kicks out of hand but the fly-half’s joy at representing England at Twickenham again overshadowed any other emotion.
“To get the reception I did was very humbling. It was one of the highlights of my career to get back out there,” said Cipriani. England, even so, will need to raise their game at the Aviva Stadium if their Six Nations ambitions are to be realised.
England Brown (Twelvetrees, 12); Watson, Joseph, Burrell, May; Ford (Cipriani, 61), B Youngs (Wigglesworth, 66); Marler (M Vunipola, 62), Hartley (T Youngs, 58), Cole (Brookes, 58), Attwood (Easter, 49), Kruis, Haskell (Croft, 61), Robshaw (capt), B Vunipola.
Tries B Vunipola, Joseph 2, B Youngs, Cipriani, Easter. Cons Ford 3, Cipriani. Pens Ford 3.
Italy McLean; Sarto, Morisi, Masi (Bisegni, 70), Venditti; Haimona (Allan, 70), Gori (Palazzani, 70); De Marchi (Agüero, 58), Ghiraldini (Manici, 58), Castrogiovanni (Chistolini, 58), Biagi, Bortolami (Furno, 45), Minto, Bergamasco (Vunisa, 58), Parisse (capt)
Tries Parisse, Morisi 2. Con Allan.
Referee J Lacey (Ireland). Att 82,061.
