Tuesday 3 March 2015 09:31, UK
Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes says that Ireland's win in Dublin means both good and bad news for Stuart Lancaster and England.
The good news for England is that, despite being comprehensively outplayed by Ireland, there is plenty of scope for improvement. The bad news is that the same applies to Ireland. The good news for England is that, should these teams meet again in 2015 the venue will be Twickenham. The bad news is that when Ireland do beat England they have a habit of beating them with regularity. Although England have been doing most of the winning in the last three years, Paul O’Connell has a record of eight wins in eleven games against the men in white.
Irish rugby is not a thing of beauty but of all the European teams, they are the ones with the most solid foundations, the clearest vision of what they are trying to do and the capacity to add logical improvements to their game match by match.
Twickenham or not, after the events of Sunday, Ireland will not fear England.
Improvement has to be more than just hoped for from England, it has to be delivered. This is no sure thing. The international track record of Stuart Lancaster is a rollercoaster of ups and downs in terms of performances and results. Four wins (two of them at Twickenham) and three losses this season is not the stuff of a world champion team.
That is the negative, the positive for Lancaster is that the return of their regular second rows will boost the pack, the return of Mike Brown will solidify a back three that did not act as a unit beneath the bombardment in Ireland and then there is Manu Tuilagi. He can scare players; good, bad or indifferent as he can play, England need someone scary.
Ireland finished the weekend as the leading team in Europe. The Six Nations has been thrown open with the Welsh win in Paris. If last weekend was all about Dublin, Saturday week’s focus shifts to Cardiff.
It is conceivable that Ireland, England and Wales could all finish the season with four wins, in which case point’s difference will decide the title. Wales have responded forcefully to the immediate requirements of this tournament for all Warren Gatland’s insistence that the World Cup and the long term take a clear precedence.
There is nothing developmental about the way Wales are playing. They were just about too strong for Scotland in round two, they were too physical for the one dimensional physical French in Paris. Whether the way they are playing will be enough come the World Cup is a question for the future and one for the Welsh squad to answer but the old formula has brought Wales back into contention.
They stretched France in the first half and hit them hard down the middle in the second. French fitness was tested and found wanting. Philippe Saint-Andre’s policy of picking his giant lumbering packs is a plan sending his side in the wrong direction.
With seven wins in eighteen Six Nations matches the record of the French manager is coming under scrutiny. I have felt and reiterated that he has been the wrong man for a long time, that he is taking France into a dead-end street.
What a contrast with Joe Schmidt whose rugby brain is formulating all the right answers. There remains criticism of his team’s style, the kick and chase nature - something to which New Zealand are not immune - but right now this team is becoming a nation of winners by controlling territory and forcing the errors from others that they rarely make.
Irish rugby is not a thing of beauty but of all the European teams, they are the ones with the most solid foundations, the clearest vision of what they are trying to do and the capacity to add logical improvements to their game match by match. The speedy development of Robbie Henshaw will only make it easier for Johnny Sexton to play near the gain-line and the more frequently this occurs the more the Irish backline will grow as a threat. Of all the six nations they are by some way the best team. England, were this tournament not based in England, would not be shaping up as contenders but Twickenham brings them back into it.
Wales need to beat Ireland with the benefit of home advantage. Ireland has a fair old record in Cardiff and are one more win from an Irish record of eleven consecutive test match wins. Rated three in the world they will cement their solid credentials if they overcome Welsh advantage.
As for Scotland, the party is over. Defeat against Italy was a desperate result, as desperate as their performance. England on the rebound will be quite a test of their resilience and their physical capacity to compete with the big boys. England will be looking to rack up the points. It is hard to see Scotland winning; it is the quality of their effort that counts as the Wooden Spoon beckons.
Italy has eclipsed expectations. Now they have one win do not dismiss their chances of giving France a torrid time in Rome. Sergio Parisse remains a wonder of the rugby world. If only they had a fly-half and goal kicker. Still, stranger things have happened. I reckon Italy has more chance of beating France than Scotland has against England...
As for Cardiff, that will be quite some game. If Ireland win, write their name in bold ink as serious contenders for the Big One as well as the Grand Slam.
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Why were England blown away so much at the breakdown on Sunday? - Rusty
STUART REPLIES: I can think of one big reason, I will let regular viewers and readers work it out for their selves.
Do you think the gamble playing so many so-called in form Glasgow players backfired for Scotland? David Taylor
STUART REPLIES: David, What was the gamble? And why the 'so called.' This was largely the best team Verne Cotter had at his disposal. The game was not lost in selection.
Why does Stuart Lancaster have playmakers and leave them on the bench? Danny Cipriani shoud have played. Lesley Johnson
STUART REPLIES: Lesley, I am not sure that Stuart Lancaster has Danny Cipriani on the bench for any other reason than the fact that Owen Farrell is injured. He should have come on at centre or even full-back with ten to go, I think.
