ENGLAND can do themselves a massive favour, and improve their chances at the forthcoming World Cup, by sparing us the blather that the team came back at the end because they were not only utterly outplayed for the first 72 minutes but large parts of their play was a sheer embarrassment.
How painfully ironic that a large number of those who inspired what might otherwise be called a revival with late tries from Danny Cipriani and Jonathan Joseph are those who will be ejected from the squad later this week or have hardly been given a run in the build-up period.
In fact, they scored the tries from their first two attacks of the match and until then their scrum, lineout and attacking sharpness had been almost non-existent, there were parts of their performance that were more than embarrassing and the notion was born out that England favour steady Eddies who do wonders on the statistical charts rather than people of real power and potential impact.
The good news for the World Cup is that France look at least partially restored, the pack came together and they had any number of props to batter England. If they keep it up they can transform the tournament. They’ve been away for far too long.
The midfield has been torture from the start. At least Luther Burrell put to bed any nonsense that Sam Burgess deserved to be in above him. Last weekend’s Burgess performance thrilled everyone but amounted to little more than two tackles and one pass. Burrell, as he proved last night, is quicker in thought and deed, more powerful and simply miles better.
Advertisement
And then you think of the partnership that Stuart Lancaster is now said to covert for his starting team — Brad Barritt and Joseph — and how many times in the scores of games played in the Lancaster reign have they played together? Never. That rather dispatches the notion of a measured and consistent build-up, does it not?
Before we move on to the action, why not address a word to Jaco Peyper, the referee? He may not quite be a global favourite. But, Mr Peyper. The defensive line is meant to wait in an on-side position until the scrum-half has lifted the ball. If you ever considered penalising the defensive team for being two yards or more offside when the scrum-half picked up the ball, do you not think we might have a better game with more space for attacking?
You have to admit that England could not have attacked successfully in the first half if they had had all the space to themselves on Hackney Marshes. They were horrendous with the ball in hand, so embarrassing that it was very close to half-time before they forced the French tackle-count into double figures.
The scrum and lineout were ropey. George Ford — albeit with no decent possession — looked unsure of himself, there was no threat from the back and only Burrell and James Haskell ever threatened the advantage line. France were worth every point of the 15-6 lead and, indeed, England were extremely fortunate to be that close.
Michalak kicked four penalties and Scott Spedding one as England almost disappeared under a welter of their own silly infringements, with Dan Cole prominent. To his credit, he does compete hard at the breakdown but he does not have quite the skills of a Richie McCaw. And whereas McCaw has the famous cloak of invisibility to stop him being refereed, Dan has only a rather balding head, which shines in the floodlights.
Advertisement
Billy Vunipola was fortunate to stay on the field after a high tackle on Yoann Huget and no-one wearing white could have really complained that France scored the try which they occasionally threatened — even Michalak, teamed up in midfield with the giant Mathieu Bastareaud — the world’s most unlikely pairing – was in confident form behind the better pack.
In any case, the French try duly came along after an England second half revival which lasted a matter of seconds. The scrum collapsed on Joe Marler’s side and France set up an attacking platform. From a ruck in midfield, Michalak, though rather flat-footed, put Yoann Huget through on the pop pass and Huget steamed through the England back row and rounded Mike Brown with ease to score.
The conversion made it 22-6 and France could easily have scored again when a kick from Michalak bounced dangerously from the England line and England were able to lift some of the pressure only when they were awarded a nonsensical penalty at a scrum with most of the England pack standing upright and France still pushing. And it was still 22-6 into the final quarter with France rolling mercilessly forward on the drive.
Michalak, just before departing to a hero’s welcome, as the match disintegrated underneath all the replacements, kicked a penalty and then we had, after more than 70 minutes of play, the first England attack of any note in the whole game. Their attempt at a driving maul after another controversial penalty was feeble but when the ball went wide, there was some space and Cipriani checked and held off defenders to score before Joseph added his own try. And how painfully ironic it was that a raft of players either largely ignored or about to be excluded from the final squad, were prominent late on. Anyone who feels that late scores exhumed this England performance, however, should see a leading sporting psychiatrist.
Star man: Frederic Michalak (France)
Advertisement
France: Spedding; Huget, Bastareaud (Fickou 67min), Fofana, Nakaitaci; Michalak (Tales 69min), Tillous-Borde (Kockott 69min); Ben Arous (Debaty 56min), Guirado (Kayser 56min), Slimani (Atonio 63min), Pape (capt) (Flanquart 67min), Maestri, Chouly, Le Roux, Picamoles (Nyanga Kabasele 56min)
England: Brown; Nowell, Joseph, Burrell (Twelvetrees 63min), May (Cipriani 63min); Ford, B Youngs (Care 48min); Marler (M Vunipola 65min), T Youngs (George 48min), Cole (Wilson 65min), Launchbury (Attwood 53min), Lawes, Haskell (Easter 53min), Robshaw (capt), B Vunipola