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Six Nations: England forced and forced to renew itself

2022-02-05T05:19:35.204Z


Deprived of many executives, including its captain Owen Farrell, the XV of the Rose immediately passed a serious test at Murrayfield against Scotland who beat it last year.


Eddie Jones has been used, since 2016 and taking office at the head of the XV de la Rose, to manage crisis situations. For the launch of this Tournament against Scotland on Saturday (5:45 p.m.), he must deal with a real slaughter affecting his best elements. There is obviously the absence due to injury of his usual opener and captain Owen Farrell, injured in an ankle and who is going to have surgery. Added to this are the withdrawals of the rough and versatile Courtney Lawes (concussion), the usual wingers Anthony Watson (knee) and Jonny May (knee), the bulldozer center Manu Tuilagi (tendon) and one of the “kamikaze kids” Sam Underhill (concussion). In the absence of the latter, it is the other mad dog of the third row, Tom Curry, who will wear the captain's armband. At only 23 years old,he will be the youngest England captain since Will Carling in 1988.

To discover

  • Calendar and results 6 Nations

Read alsoSix Nations: Tom Curry named captain of England

“Being a captain is not a question of the number of selections.

It's being the person who can lead a group of players on the pitch and lead by example, and there's no better player on our team to do that than Tom Curry,

insisted Eddie Jones.

He reminds me of the young Richie McCaw who could lead by example and who, as his career progressed, added other elements to his captaincy.

Tom Curry's mission, at the head of a new look team, promises to be difficult at Murrayfield against the Scots who are never as wild as against the English.

The XV of the Rose must however relaunch in the Tournament.

Last year, the English finished the competition in a pitiful fifth place, after beating only Italy and… France.

The bar had been raised during the November tour with victories over South Africa (27-26) and Australia (32-15).

To be confirmed upon entry to Edinburgh.

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to go there when Scotland are favourites.

They are expected to win.

Eddie Jones

Aware of the pressure on his shoulders, Eddie Jones does not bother: all his opponents are favorites.

Inevitably, there are the Blues of Fabien Galthié.

The French are sitting at the top of the tree in this Six Nations, they are the favourites.

They are expected to win.

“And to address the French journalists:”

We expect you to win.

If you don't win, the French rugby public will be disappointed.

You showed the great squad depth you have in French rugby during the tour of Australia last year.

You have had amazing results.

»

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Same attitude when we ask the Australian technician how he approaches this match to win the Calcutta Cup at stake between the two nations.

“It's the first time I've had the opportunity to go there when Scotland are favorites,

he said, bravado.

They are expected to win.

Every time their players watch the crowd at Murrayfield, they feel that expectation – they are expected to win.

They are the big favorites and they have to deal with that.”

The English coach has no equal in raising the sauce before an event.

“There will be 67,000 supporters and they will be thinking of everyone watching the match on the BBC.

They have to carry this burden.

For us, it's always the same thing: we are expected to win, so it's no different for us.

Marcus Smith in full light

This year, in the absence of Owen Farell, all the light will be focused on the new nugget of English rugby, the opener Marcus Smith.

The little Harlequin prodigy, who is the same age as Romain Ntamack (22), will have to hold the keys to the truck alone and free himself from Farrell's heavy shadow.

Impressive in composure and capable of brilliant shots, Marcus Smith will be supported, in the center, by the experienced Henry Slade and Elliot Daly.

The debate has long animated the gazettes across the Channel to find out which pair of centers would be aligned against the XV du Thistle.

Read alsoWho is Marcus Smith, the new nugget of English rugby?

“We encountered a number of obstacles, but we overcame them and our group is more united,”

recalled Eddie Jones. During their preparation course in Brighton, the English had to be evacuated from their hotel because of a fire and ended the evening in a pub in the seaside resort. What Joe Marchant, who will start Saturday on one of the wings of the XV de la Rose,

said: “When we were evacuated, we found ourselves at the local pub. Basically, we talked about what we wanted to do in Tournament. There were hamburgers and fish and chips everywhere... We had crossed the town of Brighton and when we arrived at the pub, there was also a power cut! We sat in the dark for a while. It forged the character of the team.”

Enough to overthrow a raging Murrayfield?

England v Scotland line-up:


Steward - Malins, Daly, Slade, Marchant - (o) Smith, (m) Youngs - Curry (cap.), S. Simmonds, Ludlam - Isiekwe, Itoje - Sinckler, Cowan- Dickie, Genge


Subs:

George, Marler, W. Stuart, Ewels, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Nowell

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2022-02-05

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