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'You don't mean to hit people there if you do hit them there'

USA's Will Hooley is tackled by England's Piers Francis in the first minute in Kobe (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

England full-back Elliot Daly insists players must trust in their instincts rather than being influenced by the crackdown on dangerous tackles when making challenges. The World Cup produced its first red card after USA flanker John Quill was sent off for flattening Owen Farrell when striking the England captain on the jaw with a shoulder-led charge.

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As a result of the incident, Quill received a three-week ban to lift the number of players suspended for dangerous tackles to four. England could incur the wrath of the disciplinary process themselves after Piers Francis was cited for clattering into Will Hooley in Thursday’s 45-7 victory over the USA.

World Rugby has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to high challenges in a drive to protect players from head injuries and have even gone as far as criticising the performance of its referees in Japan after Reece Hodge escaped a certain red card.

Daly, who started the Pool C wins against the USA and Tonga, insists the motivation when attempting a tackle must always be to ensure they are legal regardless of the game’s quest to reduce concussion. “The way it’s going now you can’t be thinking about tackles. You don’t mean to hit people there if you do hit them there,” Daly said.

“It hasn’t changed that much in my eyes – you want to make good tackles and that’s all you ever really want to do. Sometimes you slip up and you’ll get deemed high tackle now. You can’t really think about it, you’ve just got to do what you do and try to tackle properly.

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“It’s safer for the game and any rule that comes in you have to abide by it and this one is for the safety of us and everyone around us. It’s just something you have got to be wary of, any rule that comes in, especially this one at the moment. But it doesn’t change things too much day to day.”

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Following 48 hours off for the players, England swap Kobe for Tokyo on Sunday as they turn their attention towards the first of two pivotal Pool C matches after dispatching Tonga and the USA. The outcome against Argentina and France will shape the group’s final reckoning.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a pool of two halves but we are two games down and there’s a big break until the next game,” Daly said. “To get 10 points out of the first block was good and we’ll go into Argentina now raring to go. Argentina are going to come out very passionate, they always are. They’ve got a good record in the World Cup as well so we’ll be definitely wary of that.

“They have got a very good forward pack but some good backs as well. We’ve played against them a couple of times in the last couple of years so we’ll see if they are doing anything differently at the World Cup. But we’ll be focusing on ourselves mostly just to try to get our game up to where we want it to be.”

– Press Association

WATCH: The Rugby Pod can’t get over how good England’s Manu Tuilagi has been at this World Cup

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith' Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith'
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