England rejig backline
14 Jun 2012
Toby Flood has been preferred at flyhalf for the second Test against the Springboks while coach Stuart Lancaster has made several other changes to his starting backline.
Flood replaces Owen Farrell at No 10 after the Saracens player had an ordinary outing at Kings Park last Saturday. Flood is far more experienced than Farrell and has enjoyed a good halfback partnership with Ben Youngs at Leicester.
‘Owen has had a fantastic season and I am sure he will make a significant impact from the bench,’ said Lancaster. ‘However, Toby has waited patiently for his opportunity and the time is right to allow him the chance to demonstrate his experience and skills in what will be a very tough challenge.’
The injuries to fullback Mike Brown and centre Brad Barritt have forced further changes to the back division. Ben Foden moves to No 15 and David Strettle takes his place on the left wing. Manu Tuilagi shifts to No 12 while Jonathan Joseph comes into the midfield for his first Test start.
‘It’s a shame for Mike Brown who worked hard to get that Test start but Ben Foden naturally reverts to fullback and we return to the wing partnership of David Strettle and Chris Ashton that served us well in the 6 Nations,’ said the England coach.
Meanwhile, Lancaster has kept the starting pack intact. There are changes to the reserve bench, with prop Alex Corbisiero replacing Paul Doran-Jones and Alex Goode coming in to provide backline cover.
England – 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 David Strettle, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Subs: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Alex Corbisiero, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Owen Farrell, 22 Alex Goode.
114 Comments
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14 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
pom dragons are copying heyneke
14 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
England will look to move it around a bit more probably. Why else would they put in Flood after Farrels flawless kicking display. (hows that for alliteration keoites?)
I think M Steyn will have Tualigi running at him a fair bit as well.
14 Jun 2012, 11:40 am
@John Galt(John Galt)-2: a.la jamie roberts…and we know msteyn was s.hit at defending that channel in that game.
14 Jun 2012, 11:41 am
@John Galt(John Galt)-2: msteyn won’t stand around to be bounced like jdv was on the weekend, he will let tuilagi go.
14 Jun 2012, 11:48 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-3:
Yeah but at least M Steyn has F Steyn next to him this time.
Against Roberts he had Jacobs!
The first test against the Lions, Pienaar played 10 and i remember Roberts wearing Jacobs like a leg warmer. Just dragged him around.
M Steyn did ok on defense on Saturday but will have a whole new problem this time round.
If M Coetzee tracks across in cover and with F Steyn next to him, he’ll be fine.
14 Jun 2012, 11:58 am
Ag Enland have to get the ball first.
They seem pretty clueless …. dropping Farrell for flood seems to be like ‘deer in the headlight’ stuff i.e. panicking. They threw Plan A, Plan B and EVERYTHING including the kitchen sink at the Boks in the first Test and came up short.
They are struggling to to find Plan C ….
They are going to get pumped.
14 Jun 2012, 12:08 pm
It’s a better backline from England. Foden was dangerous and he will have more room from FB. That new centre looked good from his few minutes on the field. Steyn will have to help out Steyn in defence with that monster targetting Morne, creating space on the outside which will need to be shut down quickly by the cover defence; Coetzee will have his hands full covering.
14 Jun 2012, 12:12 pm
Well, Toby’s not gonna last the game… he always ends up “flooding” blood and with a bewildered look on his face… especially when playing the Boks…
Let the big guys run into him at full tilt in the first 10 minutes and you will see what I mean…
14 Jun 2012, 12:26 pm
I think it is a big mistake dropping Farrel. Anyway he will probably get a run on in the second half. Just read that Tuilagi weighs 110kg, very big for a centre!!
The Boks will win, they are looking the more settled, but again it wil be a close win.
14 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
This is the most exciting backline England have had in years. Farrell is a great kicker for posts, but the rest of his game needs far more development. Mike Brown is a big loss, because David Strettle hasn’t been on form for a while, but everyone else is very attacking minded and the new kid Joseph has great feet and real pace for an outside centre which will blend very nicely with the brutality of Tuilagi.
The real question, which “The Analyst” posed is can England get the ball? There is no kicking game now from England, so this match will be a completely different test to last weeks.
14 Jun 2012, 12:39 pm
Much stronger England team than last week. Boks will still put 20 past them.
14 Jun 2012, 12:40 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-9: Yeah he is huge. JDV had his hands full last week. F.Steyn will be able to handle Manu.
14 Jun 2012, 12:41 pm
Expect England to go short-side more often on Saturday, and pass the ball just before making contact.
Their intentions were clear immediately after the second half started in Durban.
14 Jun 2012, 12:45 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-9: @Sasuke(Sasuke)-12: F Steyn is also 110kg and he put a few decent hits on Tuilagi last week – will be a good match-up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Steyn
14 Jun 2012, 12:47 pm
looks a more settled backline too be honest. England know how to stop the boks, they did it very well in the 1st 40, and with this backline they will certainly look to attack the inside channel.
Expect to see a much faster and wider game from England. The boks however, back on the highveld will trust Morne Steyn’s tactical boot. Boks will only use their strike runners in the right areas.
14 Jun 2012, 12:52 pm
Don’t fret about their backline guys. If their forwards can’t do the business their backline becomes irrelevant.
14 Jun 2012, 12:53 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-12: Jdv stood up to the tackle every time, never shying away. To me, that’s all you need to not give Taulagi momentum. If we stop Tualagi from getting over the gainline with one defender it’s job done.
Ps. Did anyone see Fsteyn seek out Tualagi on saturday. He was looking to get the big hit in. I loved it!
14 Jun 2012, 12:56 pm
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-16: but their forwards did just that for a solid 40mins before the boks stepped it up.
14 Jun 2012, 12:57 pm
The England rugby team went to visit an orphanage in Soweto. “The hopelessness in their eyes will haunt me forever.” said Sipho, aged 6.
14 Jun 2012, 12:59 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-19: C L A S S I C!
14 Jun 2012, 13:04 pm
Mormot Steyn has actually increased his tackling skills a bit. He still doesn’t have that grit needed to be a good defender, but at least he is going in for the tackle these days. I remember him being bounced of tackles with arms waving and squint eyes like a scared school boy.
14 Jun 2012, 13:11 pm
England backline status: rejiggled
14 Jun 2012, 13:15 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-18: Yup, and that was their chance, and they didn’t use it. They won’t have those chances again this Saturday. They didn’t even have those chances again in the same game once the 2nd half rolled in.
14 Jun 2012, 13:20 pm
I hope the Springbok players are not as over confident as some of their fans on this site,or they may find things are not as easy as they expect.
14 Jun 2012, 13:21 pm
Better backline, still gonna get pumped.
14 Jun 2012, 13:28 pm
@papashanga(papashanga)-24: With you on that one.
The current wave of optimism is reminiscent of the confidence we had prior to the 2nd BIL test (which was also at a higher altitude, mind you).
Complacency is the age old South African enemy.
14 Jun 2012, 13:35 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-19: Love it
14 Jun 2012, 13:35 pm
da poms gettin jiggy wid it…
14 Jun 2012, 13:38 pm
@willievz(willievz)-26: I’m not sure Willie. I think a lot of us just feel confident that this Bok side has the ability to play better rugby than the English side. Based on our record against these guys at home, last week’s performance, considering everything we had against us in terms of new coaching staff, min prep time etc. I really can’t see how you wouldn’t see the Bok side as favourites?
Skybet’s odds for the game are: South Africa 1/4 and England 3/1. I think that sums it up quite nicely.
14 Jun 2012, 13:45 pm
The England backline should have more pace and power on attack – weaker on defense though! Alberts, F. Steyn and (hopefully!) Spies should love running at Flood’s channel.
I am pleased they did not pick Care, he is much better than the other 2 scrummies.
If Cole get injured, they are in big trouble in the scrum – the other 2 cannot play tighthead.
I wonder how they are going to cope without much less oxygen in Joburg? … especially if the game is tight going into the last 20 min!
14 Jun 2012, 13:49 pm
Looks like both Styen and JdV will have a field day on Saurday, they must be licking their fingers?
14 Jun 2012, 13:51 pm
I personally feel this is a mistake from an England perspective. While Tuilagi might give them some go forward ball running down the 10 channel, that is all he is capable of at 12.
His distribution is horrible and I wouldn’t bet against either de Villiers or Habana adding to their intercept tally from a stray Tuilagi pass. Any backline move by England from first phase ball will be with runners coming from deep behind Tuilagi and skipping him all together and that is ultimately where he is dangerous – out wide! You’d back him in a one on one against most people but he will not be granted that space closer to the action and his distribution will be severely tested. I doubt Joseph will receive the ball directly from Tuilagi much.
That said, it could prove to an exciting backline but with the Boks having a further week together I expect them win fairly comfortably keeping the Poms at arms length. Boks by 10.
14 Jun 2012, 13:53 pm
It seems Lancaster’s realised that Frans Steyn and Jean de Villiers’ midfield defence was too solid for Tuilagi last weekend.
Despite what Alucard claims he saw, de Villiers took on the challenge of neutralising Tuilagi well…
Now they’ve shifted Tuilagi to inside centre in hopes of him being able to rattle through Morne Steyn’s channel…Frans Steyn will need to stand a bit closer to Morne this test. It will also be crucial for Pierre Spies to perform scramble defence from the back of the scrum…
14 Jun 2012, 13:54 pm
@tigereaver(tigereaver)-32:
Inside centers rarely pass the ball nowadays, particularly not on first phase.
They mostly collide with the defense, setting up the second phase.
The “distributing” (often put forward to mean “passing”) inside center is a myth, to some extent at least. Passing and distributing are two very distinct concepts, but that is an entirely different discussion.
14 Jun 2012, 13:56 pm
Even though England specifically put Brown in the side to handle the kicking game from the Boks, they will not miss that aspect of his play now he is injured, since the Hougaard and Steyn were not really able to test them last week.
14 Jun 2012, 13:59 pm
@willievz(willievz)-34:
Too true. Modern rugby has seen inside centres become more of a fourth loose forward.
14 Jun 2012, 13:59 pm
Better looking side IMO… Foden much better with space, Tuilagi running at 12 is much like Nonu and suited to these two teams… tough game it’s going to be…
@spiaro(spiaro)-30:
According to Mouritz Botha’s brother on ruggaworld.com the Poms have been training in altitude masks for several weeks now…
14 Jun 2012, 13:59 pm
@willievz(willievz)-34:
…and in New Zealand rugby the inside centre still manages to offload the ball in contact thereby adding a dangerous dimension to their attacking channel.
14 Jun 2012, 14:02 pm
Amazed we haven’t made changes in the pack!
Danny Care is our best scrum half absolutely shocked he’s not even at least on the bench
Great to see Jonathan Joseph at 13 I expect him to make quite a few line breaks with his fast feet, electric pace
And thank god Owen Farrell has been dropped! He’s been **** for the last 2 months for club and country
Toby Flood is a class player will open the South Africans up more
But I still think we are going to get battered up front
14 Jun 2012, 14:03 pm
@willievz(willievz)-34:
So Tuilagi will be used almost exclusively to attack the gainline to set up second phase ball.
Expect some triangle running from him – at first going diagonally towards Steyn and de Villiers, looking to pass to his outside centre – and then breaking inside towards Morne Steyn’s channel, hoping our guys are “watching the ball” and not the defender.
14 Jun 2012, 14:03 pm
@John Galt(John Galt)-5: i didn’t know adi went to the RWC in nz
jamie roberts made msteyn his b.itch in our first group game at the WC. jdv started the game with brussow @ 6, fsteyn took over from jdv but that didnt help msteyn being a revolving door. tuilagi might revive those nightmares.
14 Jun 2012, 14:09 pm
@willievz(willievz)-34:
I disagree wholeheartedly Willie – passing is part of distribution. They are not seperate stand alone entities.
While the modern 12 is a crash ball specialist these days he is also responsible for creating space for those outside him then ‘distributing’ to the person most likely to go through a gap. SBW and F. Steyn are good examples of this. While Steyn didn’t pass much last week we have all seen enough of him at 12 to know he has generally been good at this in the past.
Tuilagi might in actual fact have the reverse effect on the England backline stifling their momentum when a pass to the outside is required. Time will tell.
I still think it’s a bad move.
14 Jun 2012, 14:12 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-41:
On defence Pierre Spies will be vital in scrambling across to support Morne Steyn’s channel, since whichever flanker’s side it is will be looking to put pressure on Flood.
Morne should have Spies on his inside and Frans on his outside on defence.
14 Jun 2012, 14:13 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-43:
Hopefully that will give Morne comfort
14 Jun 2012, 14:18 pm
In saying that I thought our scrum went well Joe Marler 21 year old LH did well in his 1st cap, line out went well and we did ok at the breakdown (Tom Johnson did ok as well)
Ben Morgan should be fitter he could have a massive game at 8, expecting more from Mo Botha and Hartley who usually carries the ball well at hooker
England need to try and spread play wide move it away from the forwards, Owen Farrell’s game management was poor his kicking game was awful
14 Jun 2012, 14:21 pm
Tuilagi and Joseph are both 21 it’s a very young midfield hopefully they do well.
Tuilagi hasn’t played 12 before he was a winger for the Englsnd youth teams Tigers moved him to 13
14 Jun 2012, 14:26 pm
This is also Jonathan Joseph’s 1st cap he wasn’t involved in the six nations
A massive massive step for him playing against the boks I hope he can handle it physically
14 Jun 2012, 14:31 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-43: Don’t forget to send Spies this memo.
14 Jun 2012, 14:39 pm
@tigereaver(tigereaver)-42: @WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-40:
Tulagi is no Nonu, there is a sea of ball handling skills and positional play between the two or Jaimie Roberts and Jaques Fourie for that matter
personally I believed the Poms would have been better off with Antony Allen or even Mike Tindall.
14 Jun 2012, 14:41 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-48:
I see you roped in a world-class international producer to assist with the packaging
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