Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

England's 'finishers' meet their match in Ireland, but defeat keeps feet on the ground

England’s Danny Care.

‘Finishers’ is a word that has entered the lexicon of northern-hemisphere rugby since Eddie Jones was appointed England coach in November 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT

Used by the Australian to describe those players who come off the bench to wrap up a victory, the term has come into common usage over the course of this year’s Six Nations.

But the increased prevalence of the word owes much to England’s reliance on their second-half replacements.

Despite defending their title and equalling New Zealand’s record of 18 consecutive Test victories, England – with the exception of their crushing victory over Scotland – have had to grind out results, or win ugly, on their way to those accolades.

Ben Te’o scored the try that edged England to a 19-16 victory over France after coming on with 12 minutes to play on the opening weekend, before Jones emptied his bench once more to snatch a 21-16 victory in the closing stages in Wales.

Half of England’s six tries then came from the bench as they left it late to overcome Italy’s mischievous no-ruck tactics at Twickenham, winning 36-15.

Even in their 61-21 win over Scotland – a match England dominated from start to finish – four tries were scored by replacements, although one of those did come courtesy of Anthony Watson, who stepped in for the injured Elliot Daly early on.

ADVERTISEMENT

Over the course of those four matches, 62 per cent of England’s points were scored in the second half of matches – the highest percentage of any team in the championship.

But England’s finishers met their match against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Ireland had ended the All Blacks‘ winning run at 18 in November and gave England the same treatment with a tactically astute, defensively robust display, winning 13-9 courtesy of an Iain Henderson try and eight points from the boot of Jonathan Sexton, who had to cope with a series of bone-crunching challenges over the course of the 80 minutes.

Owen Farrell’s nine points kept England in touch but, for once, Jones’ intended match-winners failed to have the desired effect.

ADVERTISEMENT

Te’o left the field with a head injury seven minutes after entering the fray, while the likes of Jamie George, Danny Care and Jack Nowell had little impact.

England had not lost a Six Nations match since their last trip to the Aviva Stadium in 2015, which – before Saturday – was also the last time they failed to score a try, touching down in 26 consecutive Tests since.

And while the defeat should be no cause for alarm – England had already won the championship and equalled a world record, after all – Jones will be eager to ensure the role of his finishers going forward is to see out a win, not to rescue a result from the jaws of defeat.

There is no question that England are one of the finest teams in world rugby today, and their failure to clinch a second successive Grand Slam and 19th Test win on the bounce should not detract from the remarkable work Jones has done in turning his side around since their 2015 Rugby World Cup debacle.

Captain Dylan Hartley conceded after the match that England were “not the finished article” and “not quite there yet as a team”.

This weekend’s Dublin disappointment should help keep feet on the ground and refocus minds as Jones plots his route to World Cup glory in 2019.

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

Saitama Wildknights vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Semi Final Replay

Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 15 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING The biggest threat to the Chiefs is not the Crusaders Biggest threat to the Chiefs is not the Crusaders
Search