1) Up front.All the talk has been of the England forwards' performance against the Wallabies, but that was last week. The French are bigger, stronger and more streetwise than the Aussie pack. This is no more so than in the front row. Andrew Sheridan's career is built on two performances against weak Australian scrums. It's time for him to do the same against a much better outfit, the likes of De Villiers and Milloud will be much tougher. England will have to give the forward performances of their lives in the tight.
2) Jonny.
Carter and co. missed goals against the French, the points would have won them the game. Jonny's been strangely off-target in the tournament so far. There does seem to be some oddity with the balls since other kickers have struggled too (Paterson excepted), but this week he needs to return to form. If he kicks 100%, England have a real chance in what will be a very tight game.
3) Kicking from hand.
The All Blacks missed several kicks to touch in the first half last weekend, giving the French a platform for their tactics of choice, i.e. their own kicking game. Wilkinson and Catt need to find touch, and give their pack a chance to get downfield and compete for posession.
4) Stop Jauzion.
France's second half comeback centred around Jauzion. He was involved three times in the run up to Dusatoir's try, and scored one himself. He was putting runners in space, and was regularly popping up at first receiver, with Beauxis reduced to a spectator before he made way. Stop him, stop France, find out if they have plan c. This probably means Michalak coming on, in which case all the pressure will be on him to deliver, and it will be up to Lewis Moody to make him feel it.
1 comment:
I liked the common sense tactics that Shaun Edwards sometimes discusses in The Guardian. Yesterday he mentioned how Jerry Collins has in the past taken Betsen out of the game by taking the ball into contact off lineouts. (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/10/11/france_put_a_strong_case_for_t.html)
He was suggesting Easter be first receiver off some of the lineouts and hit their back row, so as to draw them in and give Wilkinson etc room off 2nd phase. Seems like a good common sense tactic to me, along with trying to hold the French backrow in the resulting ruck for as long as they can get away with without giving away penalties. It will be interesting to see how much Ashton will use Easter to take the ball up off lineouts.
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