9:41am Saturday 27th February 2010
The former England skipper writes for The Northern Echo during the RBS 6 Nations.
AFTER a two-week break, the RBS 6 Nations reaches a pivotal stage.
England have worked their way into a good position, but their 100 per cent record will face its toughest test yet when Ireland arrive at Twickenham.
Victories against an understrength Welsh side, followed by a lacklustre win against Italy in Rome, were expected. But the game with Ireland will give a better indication of just how far England have come since the autumn.
Ireland were beaten, and bullied at times, by a flamboyant French side.
France played well, but Ireland certainly didn’t help their own cause.
Sloppy handling errors in the first half afforded Les Bleus the advantage and this was soon reflected on the scoreboard. England would do well to take a page out of France’s textbook when it comes to being ruthless.
If England are to address any part of the team dynamics it must be their attacking intent. I don’t have much of an issue with the personnel in the backs, but there needs to be some direction in their play.
Too often against Italy, Monye, Flutey or Tait would break through the gain line and the attacking impetus would fizzle out due to the lack of support.
Against a team of Italy’s calibre you can just about get away with it but if you start throwing away good attacking positions against Ireland, you might not get another chance.
England will have to be clinical and take advantage of attacking opportunities they fashion if they want to emerge from the game with their 100 per cent record intact.
Martin Johnson has opted for an unchanged side against Ireland, which I’m sure will prove to be a good decision. The 15 players involved in the jaded performance against Italy will want to prove their critics wrong, and there will be no better way to do that than against the 2009 Grand Slam champions in front of a sell-out Twickenham crowd.
The re-inclusion of Ben Foden on the bench after he was left at home for the game in Rome is a positive move. England need to have players in reserve who are capable of changing a game if called upon and Foden, having waited patiently, will be itching to be given a chance.
This test for England is on a completely different level to the two previous games. The Irish come to Twickenham still smarting from their painful defeat against France.
With the immense figure of Paul O’Connell up front and the wise heads of O’Driscoll and O’Gara pulling the strings behind the scrum, I fully expect the Irish to take the game to England.
It will be interesting to see how the English defence cope and they need to make sure they keep their discipline. We’ve seen how costly yellow cards have been and neither team can afford to lose a man in such an important fixture.
On a personal note I’ll be particularly excited to get to Twickenham. Having already cycled a bruising 1,840km, the Dallaglio Cycle Slam reaches the end of stage three and a well-deserved rest day is in order for all involved.
On the latest leg, from Paris to Twickenham, I was joined by, amongst others, 21 guys from England Rugby sponsor Greene King. It’s been a tough week with the rain beating down on us and I for one am looking forward to a well-earned pint of the good stuff when we arrive at Twickenham.
In total I’m cycling 2,800km from Rome to Murrayfield, taking in Paris, Twickenham, Cardiff and Dublin along the way. A crazy idea I know, but it’s all in aid of Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation so well worth the physical challenge.
Follow my progress on dallagliocycleslam.com The ride takes a backseat for the day and I’m anticipating a great test match.
Ireland will come out all guns blazing but I’m confident that if England keep their shape and stay disciplined, they will have enough to secure a vital victory.
■ Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. To find your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub visit greenekingipa.co.
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