The Smiths axis has potential
It was a big risk to move Marcus Smith to fullback and give Fin Smith his first international start. It was a risk that worked out for Borthwick and is something he may well stick with going forward. It seems like most teams in international rugby are looking for fullbacks to be a second creator and help to unlock defences with vision rather than being another runner and that could be a path for England to follow. I wouldn't be surprised if Borthwick chops and changes depending on the opposition. Last year George Furbank replaced Freddie Steward to provide more creativity against Scotland, so with him injured it looks likely that the Smiths will continue. It will be interesting to see what happens when Furbank returns. Will Borthwick opt to play his stars or will he be persuaded by the compelling argument of club cohesion. Mitchell and Fin Smith play together for Northampton, as do Sleightholme and Freeman who started on either wing. With the return of Furbank, the deadly Northampton back-line could be replicated at test level. These are all decisions for the future so for now let's see how the Smiths fare.
The French will rue missed opportunities
It was an incredible win for England who desperately needed that result but France will feel that the plaudits should have been theirs. Their downfall was of their own making. In the first half. France should probably have been out of sight but dropped three passes that would have almost certainly led directly to tries. They let England off the hook far too easily and the hosts were finally able to take advantage in the final moments. This group of players is too talented to let so many opportunities slip through their hands.
Tom Willis provides something that England have been missing
Since the likes of Billy Vunipola and Manu Tuilagi walked away from the test arena, England have missed a physical presence on the pitch. Tom Willis seemed like the player to fill that void - at least partially. So far, he seems to be living up to the hype and is an international quality number 8. He is not guaranteed to start going forward but his impact is hard to ignore.
Jamie George is crucial to England's success
One thing that England struggled with for the first part of the game was the line-out. France managed to turn over a couple and the ones that England won were messy which ruined any strike plays they might have run. That all changed when Jamie George entered the field of play. He immediately secured the set piece and gave England a platform from which to build. He also made an exceptional line-break looking like he was 10 years younger. It is undeniable that he added a sense of security to the England team.
The position of Ntamack's understudy remains up for grabs
Ntamack is still suspended. Jalibert seems to be his most natural replacement and started on Saturday but was unconvincing and was removed in the second half when Le Garrec came on and Dupont moved out to fly-half. Will Jalibert be given another chance or will Ramos move to fly-half? The position is up for grabs but it's anyone's guess how things will play out in Ntamack's absence.
Add comment
Comments