Dawson Calls for England to Maintain 80-Minute Performance

Marcus Smith (left) transitioned from fly-half to full-back following George Ford’s entry into the game in the 62nd minute. England has demonstrated strong initial performances in their first two autumn fixtures against New Zealand and Australia, yet their play has been characterized by inconsistency. Dawson stated, “I want them to back themselves for 80 minutes.” He acknowledged positive aspects of their game, such as their thorough preparation for Saturday’s match, evident in their strong start and ability to break down the Wallabies. While he could not fault their “endeavour, creativity and spirit,” he noted that Australia ultimately secured the victory with a 42-37 scoreline. A recurring tendency for England, when holding a lead and controlling a game, is to attempt to close it out using a highly defensive kicking style. This approach, according to Dawson, will not enable them to win against top-tier opposition, describing it as a “relentless” pattern. Unless conditions are extremely poor and the match is a “proper arm-wrestle” – such as against South Africa in the rain during last year’s World Cup semi-final in Paris – this strategy will “not be good enough to win these games.” England often falters when they revert to offensive box-kicking instead of continuing the style of play that initially put them in a leading position. Dawson remarked, “I find it odd.” Every team adjusts its rugby strategy based on the score, the clock, the referee, and the players available. However, England has consistently found themselves in advantageous positions with 15 players on the field, only to squander them by adopting this low-risk rugby, which stifles their momentum and provides the opposition with a chance to recover and counter-attack. Dawson speculated that this might be a statistical coaching method. Coach Steve Borthwick appears to believe it will increase the frequency of ball recovery. However, Dawson pointed out that England already possesses the ball, along with pressure and skilled players, and is relinquishing this advantage in exchange for a favorable bounce or a penalty opportunity. While continuity in selection, with the same starting XV from the defeat by New Zealand, was beneficial, Tom Curry’s early head injury completely disrupted England’s back-row balance. This allowed Australia to gain speed at the ruck, placing England on the defensive. With Curry’s departure for Alex Dombrandt, England lacked a specialist jackler to compete for the ball at the breakdown. They effectively played with two number eights in Dombrandt and Ben Earl, alongside Chandler Cunningham-South at six, which impacted their structural setup. Australia’s offensive strategy clearly focused on targeting the breakdown, aiming to “pick and go through the middle or around the edges.” England defends with high intensity and speed, and by advancing so quickly towards the opposition, they inadvertently leave rucks unguarded. Dawson questioned when an international scrum-half last made significant ground “at will,” citing Tate McDermott’s two consecutive dummy passes. It is unrealistic to expect to win a Test match when conceding 42 points. This was a crucial fixture, and historically, England versus Australia matches have not favored the Wallabies. However, Australia approached the game ready to challenge England physically. While England likely prepared for such a Test, Dawson doubted anyone anticipated Australia matching England’s strength in the forwards. Dawson expressed hope that England’s disappointment would serve as a strong motivator. Jamie George (fourth from right) was replaced by Luke Cowan-Dickie in the 51st minute. The front row is a demanding position, but if Jamie George is entrusted with captaincy, he must remain on the field during critical decision-making moments. If he is responsible for leading the team throughout the week and during the camp, then the most effective leaders are required on the pitch when the game reaches its most intense phases. Dawson expressed confusion over George’s substitution after 51 minutes, noting a similar occurrence the previous week, stating that a captain should not be removed so early in the second half. He suggested that even a substitution after 65 minutes would be more appropriate, as the opposition would be more fatigued by then. Dawson dismissed fitness as the reason, pointing out that George does not typically leave the field after 50 minutes when playing for Saracens. He conveyed his admiration for the current England squad and its talent pool. When England plays to their potential, they are exceptionally dangerous, having been “the width of a post and one phase at the death away from being two wins from two.” The current reality is that they are competing at the highest level. Dawson sees no reason why England should not defeat world champions South Africa next weekend. He believes that based on their last two performances, they have a legitimate chance, with the outcome hinging on crucial in-game decision-making. He advised that if England establishes a 15-3 lead against South Africa in the first 20 minutes, as they did against Australia, they should continue to press as if the score were still 0-0, acknowledging that South Africa is bound to score points. England should avoid “shutting up shop” and relinquishing momentum, instead maintaining a 15-point advantage and “keeping your foot on the pedal.” By easing off their intensity, England exposed themselves to Australia’s superb 83rd-minute try. Australia executed a superb play, involving “a fantastic phase of four or five passes,” a “really skillful offload by Len Ikitau,” and Max Jorgensen’s unstoppable sprint to score. While individual England players could not be blamed, Dawson suggested the team as a whole might have been “backing off and not wanting to give away a penalty.” He concluded that while this might be the correct strategy against many teams, Australia “sniffed an opportunity, backed themselves and spun wide,” demonstrating “brilliant” confidence in their execution.