STATS SUGGEST JONES IS LEAVING GARNISH FOR LATER
The opening round of the Six Nations did not provide the exhilaration of the final one in 2015 with the total number of tries, nine, less than the number served up both in Rome and at Twickenham 11 months ago. France and Italy at least had a go in Paris, in a match that ended with Sergio Parisse, arguably the player of the weekend, taking aim with a drop goal that would have won a see-saw match and hooking the kick short and wide.
England are the only side going into the second round feeling satisfied after a victory over Scotland at Murrayfield that was less troublesome than they would have expected. Wales drew away to the defending champions Ireland which, ordinarily, would have given them some succour, but they were leading against opponents ravaged by injuries with six minutes to go only to concede a daft penalty, a poor clearance kick followed by an offside.
The statistics from the weekend showed that England, the only team not to concede a try, enjoyed a greater share of possession and territory than any other side – 54 and 56% respectively – but took the fewest risks. They kicked the ball from hand more than any other side, 33 compared to the lowest figure of 20 (Ireland); they made the fewest offloads (one) while France got through 22; had by far the fewest carries – 55 to Scotland’s 106, Italy’s 113, France’s 124, Ireland’s 142 and Wales’s 144 – and their total of three line-breaks was fewer than all the other countries except Wales, who did not manage one.
Consequently, their figure of defenders beaten was the lowest (12) but it was proportionately the highest, one every four and a half carries, while with Wales and Ireland it was one in 10, and Scotland the next best with one in seven. It shows a level of premeditation matched by application. Two statistics that will exercise Eddie Jones this week are a tackle success rate that was better only than Italy’s and a penalty count against England of 12; only Italy gave away more with 13. They would have paid a higher price against better resourced teams than Scotland.
The reaction to England’s victory has been positive, ranging from the cautiously impressed to the gushing. It is still the season of goodwill for Jones and it is hard to imagine the same response had Stuart Lancaster been retained as head coach and overseen the performance. There was, though, a difference from the World Cup even though largely the same players were involved.
England had a clarity they lacked in the tournament they hosted, a game plan based on doing the simple things well and minimising mistakes. It is hard to imagine them playing in similar fashion a year from now and while Jones may be an Australian, his style is not derivative but quintessentially English, with an emphasis on the set-pieces, looking after the ball, defence and strategic kicking. The garnish will be added later and there were signs of greater awareness on turnover ball.
Judging by their display against France, Italy will pose more of a threat in possession than Scotland. The Azzurri kicked less than expected, wary of the attacking threat of the opposition back three, and were prepared to move it wide. Parisse was everywhere, and if Billy Vunipola and Taulupe Faletau impressed at No8, the Italy captain gave the impression of getting younger with age. It may not have been a weekend high on quality, but his was a display of the highest class, one reason for England not to assume too much ahead of Rome.
France were willing participants in a loose encounter as they looked to shake off the yoke of previous regimes, but England will not suddenly go gung-ho. Their second try against Scotland showed an attribute Wales lacked, the ability to create space when in possession – Mako Vunipola’s quick inside pass to Owen Farrell taking out two defenders – and their strategy in Edinburgh was based on patience. The temptation will be to take chances against Italy and build a score, but the draw in Dublin reduced the chances of the title being decided on points difference. Victories in the next three rounds would end the challenges of Ireland and Wales and leave only France, whose next two games are against Ireland at home and against Wales in Cardiff, to be knocked off.
Wales paid for a slow start in Dublin and a continued inability to turn pressure into tries. Their one against Ireland was almost accidental, a slewed scrum forcing Faletau to pick up and clatter through Jonathan Sexton: they went wide often enough but, like their hosts, made few offloads and on two of the occasions they worked a man clear, Alun Wyn Jones was wiped out by Andrew Trimble and Scott Baldwin dropped a routine pass.
Ireland did create some space, largely through Sexton who showed the form of a couple of years ago. They kicked from hand less than any other team on the weekend and continued to move the ball even though Jamie Roberts was knocking down everything in his eyeline in the Wales midfield. It was another physically gruelling encounter between the only two sides who have won the Six Nations since the 2011 World Cup, compelling because of the effort put in by the players who have a short turnaround before their matches on Saturday. A draw was a fitting result because neither side had that little bit extra.
Scotland were the side with the least to take out of the first round. They have now lost their last eight Six Nations matches and what was most disappointing on Saturday, after the manner of their World Cup exit and a sanguine feeling north of the border before the game, was the slow start they made. The passion shown by the home supporters in belting out Flower of Scotland was not taken on by the players who took 20 minutes to get going. The professional era was not very old when coaches talked of the need to strip emotion from performances and put the focus on game plans, but there are times when it should fuel players. Murrayfield on Saturday evening was one of them.
