Will Greenwood says the France game presents fascinating sub-plots for England
Friday 14 August 2015 18:53, UK
Sky Sports' Will Greenwood says he is looking forward to the sub-plots of England's warm-up game against France.
I’m really looking forward to this game. For the players, it’s not so much about cementing a starting place as a spot somewhere among the lucky 31 who welcome the rest of the world to England shores next month.
We look ahead to the first of England's World Cup warm-up matches
From Lancaster’s point of view he will be looking at combinations, as well as watching some fringe players get the chance to be engulfed by 80 minutes in front of an expectant Twickenham crowd. It’s not just rugby these players need exposure to at this level, it’s also about experiencing that desire for dominance from those outside the camp.
The midfield combination of Sam Burgess and Henry Slade will be exciting to watch, and both have been given the perfect game in which to debut.
There has been talk throughout the week about the 100th game between England and France, but with this a World Cup warm-up, the usual pressures of a Six Nations or World Cup showdown are quite largely absent.
Sure, no Englishmen likes to lose to the French, but not many Englishmen will be thinking about this game when 23 of them line up on September 18 after the World Cup opening ceremony.
It’s a game in which the two are more likely to unveil the more adventurous side to their game, and just at a time when England are courting a more attacking game plan – both stand to benefit.
The two are gifted footballers, and will want to help each other as well as England to a win, but they could also be competing against each other for a place in the 31 - an interesting sub-plot.
Internal Competition
I’m also looking forward to seeing the back three in action. Alex Goode, Anthony Watson and Jonny May are all desperate to show they’re better than the internal competition. Will they attack from deep or exercise the basics efficiently?
Ben Morgan’s return is timely, and indicative of the hard and thorough work put in by the player as well as medical staff.
He suffered the kind of injury that’s difficult to overcome mentally because you’re caged inside the gym for months at a time, where rugby balls are scarce and repetition and patience are required. It’s often a lonely place, which is where the mental aptitude is needed.
Morgan isn’t the only player itching to get his hands on the ball. The whole squad has been cooped up in various training centres and will want to apply some grease to their sporting joints with 80 minutes of high-quality rugby on Saturday.
On the note of the side coming back from the camp, I’m fascinated to see what the players look like when they come out the tunnel. The modern game has been paired with high-intensity training for some time, but from the statements from players these past few weeks, it appears that they’re all physically evolving into their respective roles.
I only hope that the camp hasn’t done anything to quell rugby development, but knowing Lancaster and his staff, I’m sure it won’t have. They will be very interested to see how their troops react to the game itself.
Adapt
With so many months since the last time they played together – against this self-same French team – there are inevitably going to be growing pains. Moves will go wrong, calls will be missed in the voice of the crowd, the ball will become slippery and players will just make simple mistakes because that happens in life. What Lancaster will be looking for, is who mops up when there’s a mess.
Who sprints back to dive on the ball? Who grabs the attention of his team-mates and orders the next play? Who holds onto the ball long enough to mount an attack?
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It’s become quickly apparent that teams that adapt the best win games. Sides that pull together when a colleague receives a red or yellow card are the teams that usually come out on top. If you lose certain personnel to injury, players may have to play out of position. Who adapts most willingly in those situations will give himself the best chance at a squad place.
Overall it’s an interesting game for many reasons, not least because if England lose you won’t find too many inconsolable English fans. Sure, no Englishmen likes to lose to the French, but not many Englishmen will be thinking about this game when 23 of them line up on September 18 after the World Cup opening ceremony.
For many of these players, this is the perfect start to an international career. For others, it’s a good way to get the World Cup momentum underway. Either way, giving a good 80-minute account will be the unifying goal.
In a world where result most often trumps performance, it’s the performance that will capture post-match analysis this weekend.
