Underestimate England at your peril

HOW the mighty have fallen. It is hard to believe that in the 15 months since Martin Johnson lifted the William Webb Ellis Cup in Sydney, England have lost seven of the 12 internationals they have played.

As a result, sections of the English media have reacted with the type of hysteria one normally associates with Sven Goran Eriksson’s soccer team.

Sunday’s defeat to France was even more difficult to take given that the visitors did not deserve the victory. England scored two tries, France never threatened the whitewash. Out-half Charlie Hodgson has been vilified as a result of his failure with the boot. Yet, there is no quick fix available. Given that Andy Robinson made five changes to the side beaten in Cardiff, he is unlikely to tinker too much with the side that will meet Ireland at Lansdowne Road. The possibility of Jonny Wilkinson reappearing for the match in Dublin has now been firmly ruled out. Either way, even if he lined out for Newcastle next weekend, he couldn’t be sharp enough to return to the test arena.

Somewhat naively, Hodgson admitted after their narrow defeat to Australia in the autumn international that he had lost his nerve with his place-kicking during the game. When Olly Barkley was selected for the French game, Robinson should have entrusted him with the kicking duties from the start. Hodgson is a better player than he has looked in recent outings but his place-kicking blips in recent internationals have drained him of confidence. This was most noticeable when he was offered the opportunity to win the game for England with a straightforward last minute drop-goal. Contrast his effort with that of Ronan O’Gara when he was introduced as a late substitute for Ireland in the Millennium Stadium two years ago. With the seconds ticking on the clock, O’Gara slotted from the 10-metre line.

As a result of England’s woes in this year’s Six Nations, there are many who suggest the defeat on Sunday was bad news for Ireland, on the basis of a backlash at Lansdowne Road. Personally, I don’t subscribe to that view. Confidence has a huge part to play in sport at the highest level. When England were at the height of their powers, the confidence from players like Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Neil Back and Wilkinson had a calming effect on those around them. Consequently, they always won the tight game. England have lost their last three internationals by a combined margin of five points. Given Munster’s experience in the final stages of the Heineken Cup, you can appreciate how hard that is to take.

As a team, Johnson’s England reached the peak of its powers on the summer tour prior to the World Cup in 2003. They survived a five-metre scrum against New Zealand with only six forwards when Dallaglio and Back were in the sin bin. That gave them the impetus to win that test.

The following week, they annihilated a strong Australian side in Melbourne with an outstanding all round performance. They never reached the same level of performance in the World Cup but were still good enough to win it.

Since Robinson took over from Clive Woodward, he has enjoyed very little fortune on the injury front.

The well-publicised decimation of his midfield backs forced him to promote an 18-year-old in Cardiff. Mathew Tait wasn’t ready for the challenge.

Ireland couldn’t play them at a better time. The confidence England lack is in sharp contrast to the current mind-set of many of the Irish players. Every 10 years, Ireland produces players of genuine world class. The current side has a number of them.

IT WAS significant last weekend that in the absence of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, others stepped up and assumed responsibility. In this respect, none did better than Paul O’Connell.

Captain for the day, he showed a maturity beyond his years.

Contrast that with England. Players like Danny Grewcock, Ben Kay, Phil Vickery and Matt Dawson have enough experience and quality to assume the mantle of their retired colleagues. Maybe the presence of a World Cup medal on the mantle-piece has dimmed their desire.

In Murrayfield last Saturday, the senior players up front realised after 15 minutes it was their responsibility to strangle the Scots. The manner in which they controlled the set piece and orchestrated the driving maul was exemplary.

While it is clear that both England and France will provide a lot more physicality up front than Scotland, Ireland showed an ability to alter the way they play to suit the demands. That is the sign of a good side.

That said, England are sure to provide a far sterner test than this Irish side has faced in the championship to date. Had they beaten France by 15 points, as they should have, then next week’s clash would have taken on a different complexion.

Two years ago, England came to Lansdowne Road with both sides seeking the Grand Slam. England’s quality and experience were too much then. But times have changed.

While Wales were impressive in their victory over Italy in Rome, there was enough evidence to suggest they are still far from the finished article. While some of their attacking play was excellent, at times they put themselves under unnecessary pressure. They revel in a loose game without structure. It will be interesting, therefore, to see how they cope with the French in Paris.

That game should give a firm indication of where Ireland’s final two opponents are at this point.

Unfortunately for Ireland, Yannick Jauzion has returned to the squad for that clash and injury victim Nicolas Brusque is likely to be back in the frame when they visit Dublin in March. But there is no guarantee, given Bernard Laporte’s selection inconsistencies, they will line out.

From an Irish perspective, one hopes they don’t.