England batter errant Ireland
17 Mar 2012
England ended their Six Nations campaign with a comprehensive 30-9 victory over Ireland in London.
There was no sense that the sides’ intensity and ambition was affected by Wales’ earlier title-securing win. Indeed they were brutal at the gainline, driving runners back with force and in the process dislodging the ball many times. Certainly the torrential showers that fell on Twickenham throughout the Test contributed to this but the poor ball protection in contact ensured the contest never settled into a flow and tempo.
England lead 9-6 at the break, Owen Farrell trading penalties with Jonathan Sexton. However, Ireland had enough possession in England’s 22m to have been in a better position on the scoreboard at that point. But they were wasteful, predictable and unimaginative and as a result were easily repelled.
England weren’t much better in this regard for 50 minutes of the match, their phase play laboured and their attacks often lateral. Their scrum, however, was vastly superior and their breakdown contest rabid which earned them regular shots at goal.
Tom Croft butchered an excellent scoring opportunity early in the second half but England took the ascendency going into the final quarter when they were awarded a penalty try. Farrell converted to go with an earlier penalty and added another three pointer shortly thereafter to give England a comfortable 22-9 lead.
Ireland’s scrum capitulated under the pressure exerted by England’s eight and you sensed their resolve reversed as quickly as their shove. They never looked like mounting a late comeback and England and when England massacred them yet again at scrum time, earning another penalty, Ben Youngs quick tapped and caught Ireland in a deep slumber to score.
You have to think that England advanced their caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster’s cause to get a full time gig with this impressive performance. Expect him to be named ahead of Nick Mallett when that announcement is made in the near future.
6 Comments
17 Mar 2012, 21:43 pm
If RFU got any brains they leave Lancaster in charge.. give it to either Mallet or White and they go all the way back down the drain again…
17 Mar 2012, 22:43 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1: so true…..and maybe an opportunity for Meyer to get Mallet on his Bok coaching team? Sorry just thinking outside the box here…….
17 Mar 2012, 22:43 pm
English look good this year.
18 Mar 2012, 07:12 am
A very young England front row destroyed the Irish. This wasn’t a pathetic Australian front row, it was a fairly decent scrummaging unit put to the sword. Considering they are about 4 years at least off their prime, there could be a lot more dismantling of international scrums by England over the next few years.
18 Mar 2012, 13:29 pm
What’s wrong with Ireland? (besides their lack of a scrumming front row)
18 Mar 2012, 15:33 pm
England tests in SA should be very interesting, as will be who the coach is.
After celebrating their win against ireland yesterday they looked like they had just won the RWC and everyone seems to like lancaster, especially the players. So maybe everyone having 2nd thoughts over Mallett. Cant say i mind, i would not fancy Mallett coaching England when touring SA.
As for England, their scrum is looking ominous again, i have not seen such scrum domination in ages, i hope jannie du plessis is up to it, pity one of kitshoff or greyling or coenie are not TH’s – there is a bok place available imo.
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