I’m not at all sure about this frequent reference to a lack of a Plan B in England’s armoury.
It can refer only to the sequence of games against France, which have – almost without exception – been tight in the extreme.
Every other match, going back to Ireland’s heroic defeat 27-0 at Doncaster in 2020, has seen the Red Roses play an all-round game of the highest quality. Wingers have been allowed to score tries as often as hookers, a comparative rarity in the modern game.
So let’s concentrate on France. In most of those games England have found it very difficult plotting a route round tight French defences. The biggest margin of victory I can recall was a 33-10 win in Grenoble in November 2020.
Whangarei
The latest one in Whangarei was unusual in the limited number of times they tried to spread the ball wide to stretch those defences. They did so right at the start, to give Claudia Macdonald a run, but hardly again.
It may have been a deliberate tactic not to use the driving maul, to see what other methods would work. The answer was hardly any. They were attempted, without success. More than once the French held them up over the line. If they had preferred the familiar sequence: kick to within 10 metres of the oppo line – catch and drive – try! – would the game have worked out more decisively for them? Surely it would.
It was noticeable that the 10-12 axis wasn’t a 50-50 operation: Harrison was firmly in charge, hoisting kick after kick to keep the game as far as possible from the English line. But they didn’t bring points in profusion. Rowland may have occasionally stood at first receiver; if she did, I blinked.
Instead, she had to make do and mend. The midfield was a no-go area, and she found it hard to prosper there.
Multiplans
Surely, one of England’s strengths has been their ability to sort out little local difficulties on the pitch. That has been one of Simon Middleton’s big challenges to them in recent years.
Such is their experience and skill that they can adjust small details, for example the number of forwards they commit to the breakdown. They have added several variations to their line-out drills; moves off the back as well as varied peels round the front. And all the time there is the mastery of Abbie Ward and Zoe Aldcroft at the line-out, backed up by others such as Alex Matthews and the skipper in securing prime possession.
They can stick it up the jersey, drive over the gain-line, indulge in quick interplay and swing long passes across field (backs AND forwards!), so they have plenty of Plan As. Who needs a Plan B?
Scott Bemand and his backs have dreamed up a host of successful moves over the past few seasons. The strange thing is how they tend not to be reused with any frequency. If the threes had stood deep and wide in Whangarei, as they have done memorably this year, would that have borne fruit?
Changes of Course
What would Plan B have involved against France last weekend? Emily Scarratt catching every pass sent to her? Ditto Sarah Hunter? (They missed one apiece, to disbelieving horror from the staff box). Certainly to go for goal rather than the corner and a line-out drive. That tells us a lot about the tension involved in these games. Better to make simple errors here than later.
There were occasions when Harrison could have fed her backs but chose to kick. If that was the day’s policy, no complaints about the team.
The outcome was certainly a disappointment as regards the lack of points, but it was another highly dramatic game, played at a tempo that other nations must have admired.
And finally, a Black Fern Reaction
Wayne Smith concedes that the Ferns cannot match the power and efficiency of the English and French packs. Even Wales produced a try from a driving maul against them. Other relative weaknesses persist: line-out security and length of kick. Hence his emphasis on a fast-paced game based on off-loading and fearlessness.
However strong and powerful Europe may prove to be against them, they must surely fancy their chances once the ball slips out into open country. Then we will see just how impermeable the visitors’ defences really are.
