England are riled up, they feel backed into a corner and if history shows us anything, it is that they tend to perform when their backs are against the wall. It’s a very English trait and Steve Borthwick’s tenure has been punctuated with performances when his side feel as though they have a point to prove. The players certainly have that as they begin their autumn campaign against Australia.
It actually makes me more confident in an England victory. They will have a siege mentality, just as they did against France in the Six Nations – they might not have won that match but it was the best performance of the campaign by some distance. They will want to put on a real show of unity and that can have a galvanising effect. I was nervous about this fixture at the start of the week; I’m less so now.
The concern I would have is that England could be too eager, try to do too much early on and the ill discipline that has plagued them of late creeps in. That is where Maro Itoje is so important. He wasn’t on the summer tour so there is something rejuvenating about his return as captain and as leader he must ensure that England find the right emotional pitch without overstepping the line. This performance is going to be all about emotion now and Maro must make sure it does not boil over.
I look at the team selected and that gives me confidence too. Particularly on the bench. It feels like England have got their Pom Squad back. Long-term injuries to Fin Baxter and Will Stuart took that weapon away from Borthwick but he has the ability to empty his bench for the fourth quarter again and I expect that to be crucial on Sunday.
The breakdown battle is going to be hugely pivotal too. We often talk about rugby’s cyclical nature and how things can so often come full circle and here we are again, discussing Australia’s strengths at the breakdown and whether England have the personnel and the capacity to cope with it. It sounds familiar doesn’t it? Whether it be Phil Waugh, George Smith, David Pocock, Michael Hooper or, as it is now, Fraser McReight, the Wallabies bring jackalling prowess. Can England match it on Sunday?
It is a question that is all the more relevant after Tom Curry was ruled out of contention. All of a sudden, England are light at openside flanker again. Not quite as light as in the days of selecting “six‑and‑a‑halves” as Eddie Jones used to call them, but with no Tom Curry, no Guy Pepper and no Sam Underhill, the cupboard is looking a little more bare than, say, 12 months ago. That in turn puts a lot of pressure on Ben Curry, who has at times looked the part for England, at other times struggled and has been part of a Sale side who have not exactly pulled up trees this season.
The breakdown battle takes on more importance given what we have seen in the opening weeks of the Prem season. Borthwick has long been concerned by the differences in how the breakdown is officiated at domestic level and on the Test stage and that puts pressure on England to adjust quickly and hit the ground running on Sunday.
To break it down, the referees who operate in the Prem are all English. It creates a closed shop and does not expose players to different interpretations. They then get on to the European stage and experience Welsh, Scottish, South African, Irish, French and Italian referees, who may all have their slight differences in how they go about things. That lack of exposure is one of the reasons Borthwick has concerns.
Another is that in the Prem, the attacking teams tend to be favoured. Hence the narrative that scoring tries has become much easier. I wouldn’t say that defending teams do not have the ability to compete, it’s more that they are not rewarded as often or as quickly as they are on the international stage. There just aren’t the rewards for competing hard at the breakdown in the Prem so inevitably there is less of it.
And the final point to make, as much as it may seem obvious, is just that the standard is higher at international level. To put it incredibly simply, the players are better. In any given Prem match, of course you will have international players on show but you may also have rookies making their debut. Inevitably there is just more space and more time to make the right decisions at domestic level.
The key comes in the decision-making. In keeping clear heads amid the raging emotion that England will be feeling. This is such a pivotal match for England. There are only nine matches left until the World Cup campaign begins and the coaches must have the ability to step back and maintain that panoramic view. But the time for building towards next year’s tournament is over. It’s time to produce. Events of this week make getting the right result all the more important.
