England Seek Midfield Cohesion against Springboks
[Published: 15 November 2024, 12:00 GMT | Updated: 15 November 2024, 12:34 GMT]
England’s attack has lacked fluency in their opening two November Tests, with the centre partnership struggling to make an impact. In the narrow defeat against New Zealand, Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade defended well but were largely ineffective with ball in hand. The duo then swapped positions for the Australia game, but the shift failed to spark England’s offense as the Wallabies ran riot, scoring 42 points at Twickenham.
To have any chance against reigning world champions South Africa on Saturday, England need Slade and Lawrence to produce the complete performance that has eluded them so far this month. Slade’s limited playing time with Exeter due to a shoulder injury likely contributed to his subdued displays, but the midfield must click if England are to overcome the formidable Springbok pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
“Former England coach Sir Clive Woodward emphasizes the importance of a cohesive midfield, having benefited from the partnership of Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood during the team’s 2003 World Cup triumph. Woodward also praised the influential role played by Mike Catt off the bench in key matches.”
While Slade and Lawrence are quality players, Woodward suggests exploring the option of playing Tommy Freeman at outside centre as a potential solution. The Northampton man has excelled in both wing and 13 positions, and Woodward believes England could get the best out of his attacking abilities by deploying him in the midfield.
Elsewhere in the team, Woodward understands the rationale behind selecting Freddie Steward at fullback to combat South Africa’s kicking game, but he would have preferred to see the towering 6ft 5in back utilized more in attack, potentially through cross-kicks from Marcus Smith.
This is a must-win game for an England side that has endured four consecutive defeats. However, Woodward is confident they will rise to the occasion, just as they did in last year’s narrow World Cup semi-final loss to the Springboks. The former coach expects another tight affair, tipping England to edge it this time.
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