by In Freeman and Feyi-Waboso, England have wings who are encouraged to roam the pitch. While they do this, other players – both full-backs and mobile forwards – must be careful to hang wide to maintain width and fill the field.
The breakdown and the bank
Allowing opponents to slow down and spoil the ruckball will inevitably lead to sluggish performances. In general, England was pretty accurate in the breakdown in 2024. However, they lost eight of their own rucks in the first Test against New Zealand. According to Stats Perform, they have only lost 27 in their eight games this year.
It was telling to hear Wigglesworth explain that England wanted to improve their “contact skills” and “collision dominance” to generate quick balls more consistently in “tight areas”.
To maintain the energy required against elite teams, Borthwick’s bench will be crucial. England have obviously been thinking about a six-team and two-team split for some time and have a diverse defense and an emergency center in Earl. Getting the timing – or resistance – right for these substitutions is a crucial skill.
And then these players have to have a positive influence on the game if they even come on as a substitute. Against the All Blacks the benchmen made damaging mistakes. Overcoming the best defense will require an admirable performance from the entire team.
