Stuart Lancaster sees room for improvement ahead of big Ireland clash in Six Nations
Sunday 15 February 2015 13:02, UK
England coach Stuart Lancaster saw plenty of areas for improvement despite his side romping to a 47-17 Six Nations win over Italy at Twickenham.
Jonathan Joseph scored a pair of tries, while Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs, Danny Cipriani and Nick Easter also crossed as England followed up last weekend's win over Wales to keep their 100 per cent record ahead of the vital trip to Dublin in a fortnight,
But Italy proved tougher foes than the result might suggest, Sergio Parisse scoring an early try to put the Azzurri in front and Luca Morisi breaching the England defence twice as well.
I was a bit disappointed we didn't get the same level of intensity throughout the 80 minutes.
"One or two areas need looking at before Ireland, but overall if you'd said to me before the game you'd get 47 points, I'd have taken it," Lancaster said.
"I was a bit disappointed we didn't get the same level of intensity throughout the 80 minutes.
"Fortunately the latter end of the first half, but more importantly 20, 30 minutes in the second half we played some excellent rugby.
"I think back to two years ago and we were struggling to win the game (against Italy). We know we've made progress but we know to beat Ireland in Ireland we're going to have to step up again.
"I'd take where we are at the moment but we know we've got step up."
Chief among his concerns was the concession of the fourth minute try to Parisse, the second game in which England have had to rally from an early deficit.
"We want to get out of the habit of giving away a soft try at the start of every game because it comes back and hurts you," Lancaster added.
"It's a big ask for a lot of young players to go to the Millennium, the emotional place you have to take yourself to as a young player to play a game of that intensity and then to back up again.
"I thought the likes of JJ (Joseph), Billy Vunipola, Anthony Watson managed to do that. Lots of areas were good today. Our scrum was good and the set piece was good again, our maul.
"In the second half our defence was excellent. We gave a couple of breakdown penalties away which was a bit frustrating. Someone like (Ireland fly-half) Johnny Sexton will bang those over. It's an area we need to improve on."
