Dawson: England squandered control despite strong start against New Zealand

Despite England’s defeat to New Zealand, the match was within their grasp, a fact likely to be highly frustrating for Jamie George and his squad. The loss was not attributable to a need to catch up, poor refereeing decisions, or unpredictable ball bounces; rather, the situation was largely manageable. England demonstrated strong performance from the outset, only to experience a 15-minute lapse late in the game. During this period, they believed they had command of the match but committed several errors coupled with poor discipline. A discernible strategy was evident in England’s play, a contrast to previous years where their approach was often unclear, spanning nearly a decade. The team’s scrum performance in the first half was exceptional. While line-outs were problematic and disorganized for both teams, England’s attack showcased diversity, utilizing tactics such as wide crossfield kicks and attempts to penetrate through the number 13 channel. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored a try, significantly boosted England’s momentum through his high work-rate and effectiveness in breaking the gain line. Ultimately, two outstanding individual plays by New Zealand winger Mark Tele’a proved decisive against England, moments that should be excluded from defensive analysis. Tele’a’s initial try resulted from an extraordinary offload by Wallace Sititi, followed by a successful one-on-one encounter against Ellis Genge, where Genge was clearly outmatched. His subsequent try was described as “ridiculous,” with the assertion that “no-one else in the world finishes that try.” While acknowledging the benefit of hindsight, surprise was expressed regarding the timing of certain substitutions made by England, which seemed unwarranted. The entire front row was substituted early in the second half despite performing adequately. New Zealand had been disadvantaged in the scrum during the first half, making it predictable that they would seek to address this. Following the break, the All Blacks gained a slight advantage in the first scrum, prompting immediate front-row changes from England. It was suggested that a more cautious approach might have involved waiting for another scrum to assess England’s ability to cope, rather than making instant substitutions. Strong disagreement was voiced, however, concerning the timing of the decision to substitute half-backs Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith with Harry Randall and George Ford. Spencer and Smith had effectively controlled the game, navigating numerous threats and executing an impressive style of rugby. Despite limited possession, Marcus Smith consistently posed challenges to the opposition. The match was far from decided. England held an eight-point lead, yet it was clear that New Zealand would still exert their influence. This decision was believed to have disrupted the game’s momentum and England’s defensive organization. Nevertheless, no blame was attributed to Ford for his missed drop-goal attempt in the game’s final moments, which was described as “an utter shambles of a drill.” From the instant the scrum collapsed beneath the posts, it appeared that every player anticipated a drop-goal from Ford. Randall retrieved the ball from the scrum’s center, despite it being Alex Dombrandt’s responsibility as number eight. The ball was then passed through a few phases. While all eyes were on Ford, no player was fulfilling their role of carrying the ball forward and establishing a favorable position. A comparison was drawn to the England versus Ireland Six Nations match, where Marcus Smith’s drop-goal was crucial. England had two penalty advantages directly in front of the posts. Had Smith succeeded, they would have been awarded a penalty due to the forwards’ exceptional effort in setting up that opportunity. Jonny Wilkinson was highly skilled at drop-goals, but he benefited from an England forward pack that could dictate play around the breakdown. Ford was observed looking at Randall, seemingly reluctant to receive the ball, as he was positioned defensively and stationary. Upon receiving it, the ball was above his head with multiple All Blacks advancing, making it “a one-in-a-100 shot.” George Ford’s missed late penalty and last-minute drop-goal contributed to England’s defeat against New Zealand. While victory is consistently important, the need to extensively discuss England’s performances was questioned. The team is now regularly demonstrating strong rugby, negating the necessity to analyze their winning strategies. Their progress since the World Cup has been substantial, providing a foundation for further development. It was also suggested that Australia might struggle to match New Zealand’s physical resilience. There was no perceived need for excessive criticism or over-analysis. Instead, minor adjustments were believed to be capable of yielding significant improvements. It was hoped that England would achieve selection consistency, enabling them to resolve existing issues. However, with an eye towards the future and the next World Cup as the ultimate objective, it was deemed important to consider matches that would allow less experienced players to gain ownership. The fly-half position often requires considerable time for players to adapt to Test-level rugby, as exemplified by former head coach Eddie Jones’s lengthy delay in introducing Marcus Smith. While Ford retains significant value within the squad, a greater presence from Fin Smith was desired. A potential opportunity for such development was identified as game time against Australia at a lively Allianz Stadium, particularly following a respectable performance against the All Blacks. While extensive changes were not anticipated, there was a call for the inclusion of Fin Baxter, Alex Lozowski, Fraser Dingwall, and Trevor Davison, provided they are fit and available. Matt Dawson provided these comments during an interview with Mantej Mann of BBC Sport.