England and Argentina shared a rather dull game, one which had been hyped up as one in which England were going to get their RWC truly up and running. However, following Tomas Lavinni’s Red Card the game turned into a dour and dull affair where England were rarely stressed as they eased through the game against Los Pumas revealing little about their current preparation or condition.
At the beginning of the game it looked like Argentina may offer something in the contest. Having started slowly against France they seemed determined not be distracted. And it was Los Pumas who made the first major attack, starting with a 5m Scrum on the English try line. They drew a penalty from England however it was England who could be best pleased with this phase of attack.
Whilst George Ford was clearly offside at the beginning of lay, he still managed to haul Ortega Desio down short of the England line making a dominant tacke. However, it is not this bit of illegality the English should be proud of but the speed at which they reorganized.
As you can see in the above image the English front row are still retreating but Underhil and Kruis have managed to get back and are able to attack with ferocity. The ability to really apply line speed and make the pumas uncomfortable make it easy to defend the close pick and go game. However it has the added benefit of stressing the Pumas to the point at which they are unwilling to continue with this forward based game instead trying to force the ball wide.
With a lack of patience they try and expose a 2 on 1 in the outside channels, for what should be a simple footage. However as you can see in the above image England are defending with an almost two tier line. Watson and Dlay hang back ever so slightly whilst George Ford jumps off and puts on immediate pressure.
This is a risky tactic and can lead to teams being exposed but due to Italy lacking depth and options, the rush helps to shut down the move. The hanging off of Daly also means he can cover the 15m channel comfortably with the pace to cover, after Argentina slow given the dropped ball.
The lack of fluidity in the Argentina was dismal. As you can see they have created a 2 on 1, but the Full back is facing inward. So rather than flowing with the ball, Argentina are attacking in 2 waves. This means they are staggered whilst Daly and Watson act as if on string and pull across as one allowing them to bundle the Argentine wing into touch.
This defensive play comes from Daly. He shows a calmness against his opposite number. The whole english team are all connected on a rope. They move and stay, cutting off inside options. However while I can talk to you about what they did well. It is key to point out what went wrong, and in the same game Argentina don’t act calmly and it leaves an easy opportunity for England to take.
If you look at this wide angle shot, the Argentina wing is sat outside the 15m channel. The lack of width from Argentina coming from some strong English phases and carrying. When the ball goes wide, Argentina start well,actually getting closer to the ball initially in terms of lateral movement.
However the Argentina Full back over commits. This leaves England a path way, forcing the Argentine wing to make a decision. However crucially a dogleg forms, this enables Daly to run around Boffeli who has gotten too high before getting in front of Daly. This means that the space can be exploited easily.
This direct contrast between Daly’s calm and Argentina’s tendency to rush and poor alignment is a microcosm in which the game can be viewed. Argentina were unable to execute opportunities meanwhile England had that extra level and were clinical with their chances. This contributed to the dull feeling of the game portrayed in both teams ranking lowly in a game ruined for deserved Red Card.
The Analysis Guy 