 Kicking and a whole lot of it. It is the trademark of the modern game – big, brutal teams and new breakdown laws have sometimes meant it is easier to win a game without the ball. In Nice, England implemented that plan but it was tough to watch. Japan are not the team of 2019 when a barnstorming run in their own World Cup saw them push aside Scotland and Ireland, but they still offered a threat of which England had to be aware. As the game meandered on, it was fairly apparent who were the dominant team. England's battering-ram approach, behind a barrage of kicks, slowly buckled Japan's resistance. It was a clear indicator of the England coaches' tactics in this tournament. Steve Borthwick has always been highly focused on statistics. This is a man who ran international and domestic lineouts as a coach and player for all of his career. Maybe those win/loss percentages, hooker throwing stats and lineout lifting numbers have nudged him down this data-driven approach. And it was certainly evident against Japan. England's strategy was nothing new, nothing we have not seen since Steve and his coaches took the mantle from Eddie Jones to push this team forwards. However, what was slightly concerning was the kicking when in strong field position. England kicked to the skies early on and often won the contest in the air, only to be 30 yards from the opposition line and opt to kick again. On another occasion they forced Japan back into their dead-ball area with the ball touched down and England receiving a goalline drop out. But they again decided for the aerial approach rather than carry and put pressure on Japan with their handling skill set. This continued on several occasions, bringing jeers and moans from many in the crowd. Steve Borthwick is big on data and statistics (Picture: Getty Images) Building pressure – forcing a team to exit repeatedly, to turn and reorganise to run a five-metre lineout and){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Kicking and a whole lot of it. It is the trademark of the modern game – big, brutal teams and new breakdown laws have sometimes meant it is easier to win a game without the ball. In Nice, England implemented that plan but it was tough to watch.
Japan are not the team of 2019 when a barnstorming run in their own World Cup saw them push aside Scotland and Ireland, but they still offered a threat of which England had to be aware.
As the game meandered on, it was fairly apparent who were the dominant team. England’s battering-ram approach, behind a barrage of kicks, slowly buckled Japan’s resistance. It was a clear indicator of the England coaches’ tactics in this tournament.
Steve Borthwick has always been highly focused on statistics. This is a man who ran international and domestic lineouts as a coach and player for all of his career. Maybe those win/loss percentages, hooker throwing stats and lineout lifting numbers have nudged him down this data-driven approach. And it was certainly evident against Japan.