Focus on: Englands Summer Tour Part 3
With days until till the first test we take our final look at the two teams, focusing on New Zealand’s attack pattern, how England can defend it and how Lancaster’s men must approach the game. Most teams in the modern game play a similar attack pattern, generally a flow pattern with punch groups (Pods) moving forward and getting over the gain line. They will flow from one side of the pitch to the other looking to get...
Focus on: Englands Summer Tour Part 2
It’s just under two weeks till the first test in Englands tour to New Zealand, and with the Heineken Cup done and dusted, and the Premiership finalists now known, we have a rough idea of how the first test team will line up, and well, it’s reasonably strong. Yes, England will be missing a couple of key players, Owen Farrell and Tom Woods for example, but in most positions they’ll be bringing in international...
Focus on: Englands Summer Tour
In July England head to the dark wet depths of New Zealand for a four game, three test, summer tour. Players running out in the Aviva final the week before means the first test will see a very different England team to the one that finished the Six Nations in quite some pomp. Never the less. England will head south with a large, confident and talented squad, but whilst they will talk of a belief that they can beat the worlds number...
Focus on: England – The Balanced Midfield
Try scoring was on the up in this year’s Six Nations. A bumper crop of 61 trys scored, compared to last year’s 37, showed there was a definite intent to play more attacking rugby from all teams involved. The most obvious change was within England where I think the midfield has looked far more balanced and far more effective. Andy Farrell and Mike Catt seem to have got this midfield executing under pressure and right on the...
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