With four games of their Six Nations campaign now in the books, there are not many England players who come away with much credit.
Owen Farrell has been head and shoulders their best player, Joe Launchbury has been consistent, Jonny May has scored a few tries but hardly set the world alight, after that it’s a bit of a struggle.
In fact, the Englishman whose stature has grown more than any has not even touched a ball this campaign.
Billy Vunipola fracturing his arm in January was seen as a hammer blow to England – but by no means to the extent we have seen in the last four weeks.
Depth is something England seemingly didn’t lack with Sam Simmonds and Nathan Hughes more than able to take the Number 8 deputies, on paper.
As the old cliché goes however, games aren’t played on paper and the loss of Vunipola has been immeasurably worse than Eddie Jones could have imagined – highlighted in Paris during England’s dismal 22-16 defeat to France.
It’s all too easy to say Vunipola gets England on the front foot in terms of carrying but that generalisation diminishes exactly why he is so crucial to how England play.
With a back-row of Chris Robshaw, Courtney Lawes, and either Hughes or Simmonds, England have found it impossible to replicate the dynamism of Vunipola’s ball carrying and the ability to secure ball. Whether this be in open play, or from the base of the scrum, the Saracens man is as close to a guarantee of metres-made as you are going to get.
With go-forward and broken tackles, comes the part most obvious in Paris – the dragging-in of defenders, and turning of defences.
England were on the receiving end of nine turnovers against France, an astounding number and one certainly not conducive to winning matches.
But why could French defenders get their hands on the ball with such regularity?
The simple answer is England’s runners weren’t doing enough to break the gain line. Tackles were made by single defenders allowing those in support to compete for the ball.
England were simply not quick enough to compete. Robshaw put a shift in – but that can’t be enough at international level, while Lawes continues to be exposed at blindside.
Vunipola is a much harder man to stop, meaning those defensive support players often become part of the tackle, or have to turn on their heels to get back in through the gate allowing more time for England to secure.
Add into this the defensive and set piece duties he adds and it’s clear that England need a back row plan-b pretty swiftly if they can be considered a genuine World Cup contender next year.
