In principle, England’s match against Chile was an opportunity for the perimeter members of the squad to push their approach into the workforce.
In apply, I do not suppose it was ever that.
Neither Henry Arundell’s 5 tries on the wing or Marcus Smith’s livewire efficiency at full-back will immediate their promotion into Steve Borthwick’s first-choice XV for the more durable Checks to return.
Borthwick has a method. We noticed it throughout his Premiership title-winning season at Leicester. It’s risk-averse rugby, leaning closely on percentages and analytics.
It includes kicking for territory and placing the opposition again three underneath stress. It would not encourage initiative and intuition, quite it’s based mostly on pre-set patterns.
That is what he’s paid to do: discover a model that fits his gamers and which he thinks offers them the most effective likelihood of profitable video games.
I do not suppose there will probably be room in his beginning XV for Smith and Arundell who, for all their attacking capability, do not go well with the tighter, extra prescriptive gameplan Borthwick has in place.
We all know all about Arundell’s skills as a runner however he additionally confirmed he can keep broad, keep affected person and end off strikes.
Smith added velocity and intelligence to England’s assault when he countered from deep. However I do not suppose both of these qualities are probably the most precious in Borthwick’s philosophy.
All Smith and Arundell have been capable of do was underline that they’re prepared if a emptiness opens up or they’re wanted off the bench.
The one participant who in all probability will keep within the beginning line-up from the 71-0 win over Chile, nevertheless, is Owen Farrell.
Borthwick was lavish in his reward of Farrell’s qualities within the build-up to the match, speaking in regards to the affect he has over the squad and the way he raises everybody’s requirements.
He’s Borthwick’s trusted lieutenant on the pitch and when the massive matches come round, it feels inevitable that England will line up with George Ford at fly-half, Farrell at inside centre and Manu Tuilagi at outdoors centre.
For me, that does not provide sufficient. When Ford got here on at fly-half within the second half in opposition to Chile the distinction was stark. The tempo, accuracy and endeavour of the backline went up a number of ranges.
Farrell performed competently sufficient, however with him at 10 or 12 everybody else within the backline has to regulate to his tempo.
An additional distributor, quite than a game-breaking runner or a battering-ram provider, slows up England’s assault and would not provide sufficient menace to have interaction the defence.
My desire could be hold Ford at fly-half, with a midfield of Tuilagi and Joe Marchant outdoors him.
Tuilagi fixes defenders along with his direct, highly effective working, whether or not he will get the ball or is used as a decoy, whereas Marchant is a well-rounded outdoors centre, capable of break the road, distribute and likewise sew up that channel in defence. The steadiness between them is sweet and presents England a little bit of every part.
Heading into the knockout phases, you want to have the ability to rating factors in numerous methods. It’s naive to depend on penalties, drop-goals, a pushed line-out, pick-and-gos across the fringe and a hope that the opposition defence will tire within the latter phases of the match.
There needs to be one thing extra to England.
They have been capable of present much more in opposition to Chile, with the massive caveat that they have been assured loads of front-foot ball in opposition to weak opposition. However, a few of these working strains, invention and ambition must develop into a everlasting a part of England’s sport.
In the event that they make it to a quarter-final in opposition to both Australia or Fiji, I do not suppose both facet has the kicking sport to place England’s full-back underneath sustained stress. For these opponents I’d be tempted to place Smith in at full-back and provides Ford an additional dimension in assault.
If England face Wales within the final eight, the steadiness in all probability tricks to Freddie Steward to discipline the kicks that Dan Biggar and Tomos Williams can rain down into the backfield.
Billy Vunipola had an opportunity to place some doubts into the coaches’ minds in regards to the make-up of their again row, however I felt the Chile sport truly firmed up the established order.
At his finest, Vunipola’s huge level of distinction is his capability to dominate the gainline.
However Ben Earl, who changed him within the 67th minute, managed to make extra metres (36m to 22m) throughout his temporary time on the pitch. Vunipola did not characteristic amongst England’s main ball-carriers both. Jack Willis made 18 tackles to his 4 in defence.
Earl appeared full of life and made good selections when he got here on and is now absolutely the first-choice quantity eight for this event.
Borthwick has loads of time to mull over these choices.
England’s subsequent and ultimate Pool D sport is in opposition to Samoa in a fortnight.
That type of prolonged break – launched as a part of an try to make sure each workforce will get a good schedule throughout the pool phases – was not a part of my two Rugby World Cup campaigns of 1999 and 2003, however it feels prefer it has come at a superb time for England.
Their qualification is all however assured, to allow them to decompress and chill out with companions and household for a number of days, earlier than getting again into the swing of issues with a gathering in opposition to Samoa earlier than a probable quarter-final.
In the event that they watched Ireland and South Africa’s seismic pool-stage game within the hours after their very own far gentler affair in opposition to Chile, they may understand how a lot more durable issues are about to get.
Matt Dawson was chatting with BBC Sport’s Mike Henson
