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« Ireland real winners | | Poetry? check. Cliché? check »

March 21, 2011

Posted on 03/21/2011

England's lessons for World Cup

Losing both the tactical and physical battles in Dublin showed where Martin Johnson must find improvement in his squad, according to The Guardian's Paul Rees.

"1. Don't pass just for the sake of it - Keith Earls was the fourth fullback used by Ireland this season, a player more used to playing on the wing than full-back. He did not have to make a tackle all evening, nor wait underneath a high ball as the hooves of white-shirted figures pounded closer to him. England played the passing game they have adopted in the last year, even though they were getting held up in the tackle and either turned over or slowed down. It became movement for movement's sake, attacking defenders rather than space, while Ireland in contrast recognised when to kick or break, colour against monochrome.

"...4. Invention is a key virtue - The statistics of the respective half-backs on Saturday were revealing. Ireland's ran and kicked more than their counterparts, while England's invariably passed and their midfield lacked the quick thinking of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy."

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