England look too confused in attack

IT has been difficult to see how England want to attack since Steve Borthwick took over as head coach

Apart from the England mantra that they want quick ball, because it disables the opposition defence – which is what every team wants – there has not been a clear pattern.

Instead, England look underpowered and underdeveloped in attack. This contrasts with the Irish, who have a very distinct attacking pattern which almost always presents lots of options for the ball-carrier, thanks to the number of support runners. Ireland lull you into a false sense of security, and then suddenly switch play and leave the defence floundering. Their players are very clear about what they are trying to do, very accurate in their execution, and instantly reactive to putting things right when they go wrong.

They and England are a world apart. Although the tries by Anthony Watson against Wales and Freddie Steward against France were well executed, they were the exception rather than the rule because England cannot sustain that level in attack for any length of time.

I don’t believe that these failings in attack are about a lack of fitness. They are much more about players not being on the same page. England are not fluid in the way they attack, and this reflects a lack of unison. Part of this is because the players in the 9, 10, 12, and 13 shirts have not played regularly enough as combinations – and this was the same under Eddie Jones, and even before that.

The stark reality about the lack of fluidity is that it is a statement about a deficiency in the skillsets and rugby intelligence in the England side.