Friendly 2011 England Wales

6 August 2011

Twickenham,

London

The big problem with wearing black is the comparisons it encourages. Had New Zealand led Wales at home by 13 points early in the second half, as a black-shirted England team did on Saturday, they would have buried them, warm-up international or not. Inviting opponents back into the game in the final quarter is as alien to the Kiwi psyche as the sight of Englishmen doing the haka. Martin Johnson, having represented New Zealand's Under-2is in his youth, knows this better than most. His squad may still be in pre-season mode but so too are Warren Gatland's Wales. Factor in the uncertainty of injuries to Lewis Moody and Alex Corbisiero, both of whom limped off prematurely, and England's first dress rehearsal was not quite the feelgood, thumbs-up Twickenham send-off it had seemed. The return fixture in Cardiff on Saturday suddenly has a genuine edge about it. In some ways this is a welcome situation for Johnson. If you are about to head up the Amazon, there is little point limbering up in a podalo off liognor. England need to find out what works under pressure and what doesn't. Yet watching New Zealand dismantle Australia at the weekend was a further stark reminder of just how much ground England still have to makeup, some of it in fundamental areas. Johnson no longer has the luxury of time to unearth the answers.

In no particular order, he urgently needs to identify a fit captain, his preferred option at fly-half and his most effective mid-field combination, issues   which World Cup-winning teams tend to clarify years ratherthan weeks before a major tournament. Even if Moody's latest knee strain does not prove unduly serious, his uncertain availability underlines why Johnson was unwilling last week to guarantee that the 33-year-old flanker would lead his 30-man squad. Sending a half-fit captain and No? to New Zealand is to tempt fate to a foolhardy degree.
All of which raises a question with which Johnson is wearily acquainted: if Moody does not captain England, who will? Mike Tindall is next in line but we have already seen enough of Manu Tuilagi to appreciate what an asset he could be as an attacking weapon. It is probably true to suggest a class act like Brian O'Driscoll could exploit his youthful naivety but the power and timing of Tuilagi's unstoppable surge to the line for his 43rd-minute try was an impressive calling card. The temptation will be to reunite Tindall and Shontayne Hape as a centre pairing in Cardiff; giving Tuilagi a further taste of Test rugby might just be a shrewder call. There is also the question of Wilkinson, as effective as he has been in an England, jersey for a while. If it is still occasionally true that Wilkinson can be good without necessarily making those around him look as effective, he retains the priceless ability to keep the Scoreboard ticking over. It was easy to regard his two drop goals as minor details in the bigger picture, until the final whistle when you realised that England would have lost without them. Touching every available piece of wood, he also looks fitter than he has ever been.

Toby Flood, in fairness, has played stunningly well at the Millennium Stadium already this year and, as a Leicester team-mate, knows where and how to bring Tuilagi into the game. When England travel to Ireland this month, though, it would be no surprise if Wilkinson was wearing No10. "Jonny doesn't have to prove anything to me," said Johnson. "It's just a question of which way we want to go. There is always a reason to start Jonny. I thought he handled the game very well but I never expect anything less of him." Among others to receive a positive tick in Johnson's notebook will be Matt Stevens, Delon Armitage and Matt Banahan, while James Haskell also promoted his claims to be the best available deputy at No8, should anything befall Nick Easter. The Wales captain, Sam Warburton, nevertheless, was the most impressive back-rower. Experience is all very well but pace, hunger and talent are always a handful regardless of age. It is equally clear that Wales are blessed to have George North, the Norfolk-born wing whose two tries here simply added to his fast-growing reputation. Shane Williams looked slightly rustier on the other wing but the pair of them offer a wonderfully-balanced counterattacking threat. Had Stephen Jones not pulled out with a calf strain and the desperately unlucky Morgan Stoddart not been taken off on a stretcher with a broken leg, Wales might have posed even greater problems behind the scrum. As it was they finished the stronger and can summon the likes of James Hook, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones and Gavin Henson this weekend, if they so desire. England, who are still likely to be without Ben Youngs at scrum-half, may find they have to up the pace for longer if they wish to avoid an untimely setback. And for those red rose fans planning to head for Cardiff in their shiny new replica shirts, a word of warning: Wales will be wearing black on Saturday, with England reverting to white. If only Johnson's men could cast off unflattering comparisons with New Zealand so easily.

England; D Armitage (London Irish); Banahan (Bath), Tuilagi (Leicester; Sharpies, Gloucester, 60), Flutey (Wasps), CueU (Sale); Wilkinson (Toulon; C Hodgson, Saracens, 77), Care (Harlequins; Wiggles worth, Saracens, 58); Corbisiero (London Irish; Stevens, 70), Hartley (Northampton; Hears, Bath, 58), Stevens (Saracens; Wilson, Bath, 38), Shaw (Wasps; Botha, Saracens, 58), Palmer (Stade Francais), Croft (Leicester), Moody (Bath, tapt; Wood, Northampton, 60), Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams).
Tries Haskell, Tuilagi Cons Wilkinson 2 Pen Wilkinson Drop goals Wilkinson2.
Wales: Stoddart (Scott Williams, 48); North, J Davles (all Scarlets), Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Priestland (Scarlets), Phillips (Bayonne; Knoyle, Scarlets, 61); James (Dspreys; Bevlngton, Ospreys. 65), Bennett (Ospreys; Burns, Newport Gwent Dragons, 65), Mitchell (Exeter), B Davles (Blues), AW Jones (Ospreys; Charteris, Dragons, 6S), Lydlate (Dragons), Warburton (Blues, capt), Faletau (Dragons; R Jones, Ospreys, 54). Trl«s North 2, Shane Williams Com Prieslland 2.

Codec H24, Mkv
Bitrate 1000
Commentaires Francais
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First Half
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Second Half
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Caps