Are you not entertained? Maybe a bit amused before a dulling, familiar sense of ennui set in? Mildly intrigued, with a big dollop of feeling like we have been here before, is perhaps the best way to sum up an England performance that left them scoring fewer than 30 points against Italy for the first time in 11 years, but left you clinging to the odd flicker they were able to produce before curbing their enthusiasm and numbing that of the supporters they so want to connect with.
The bar is pretty low when a willingness to pass, to avoid kicking the ball at every opportunity, to avoid a performance that is gutsy, defiant and all the other words to describe things that should be prerequisites at this level, is noteworthy. But there was something a little different to England in the odd spell here. Something that made you raise the eyebrow every now and then.
It was a strange match in the sense that on the face of it, the contest followed the usual pattern. Italy were fired up in the opening exchanges, the score was close at half-time before England pulled away to a clear enough distance in the second half. The manner in which it panned out, however, was far from predictable.
For starters, England are traditionally nothing if not defensively robust but they were all at sea in the first half, evidently eager to bring an extra edge to their linespeed but getting caught out because of it. A new blitz defence system began to look good when it worked, catching Italy behind the gainline, but it is not without its teething problems.
In an attacking sense there was more intent to play than in last year’s Six Nations and the World Cup – the duration of Steve Borthwick’s reign in other words. It was not perfect, not as polished as Italy’s delightfully intricate attacking approach but it would be wrong to expect it to be at this stage. As the captain, Jamie George, had said in the buildup, mistakes were inevitable but they did not seem to inhibit England initially.
Tommy Freeman is a case in point. After England’s shaky start he set up his side’s first try by coming off his wing, taking a sharp pass from Henry Slade and shipping on to Elliot Daly. Freeman started on the right wing, taking the place of the now retired Jonny May whose instructions during the World Cup were effectively to stick to chasing kicks.
Freeman’s roving role demonstrates a gear change from England, or as he puts it: “I’ve been given license to go and do my thing outside of our basic plan.”
It was all a little lateral at times with not much in the way of ball-carrying other than Ethan Roots but there was a determination to stick at it in the first half as England clawed their way back on the scoreboard.
The second half began in similar fashion but after England had built a lead that always looked like it would be enough to keep the tiring home side at bay, they stopped playing, shut up shop and box-kicked the leather off it. It has not been Danny Care’s strongest suit throughout his career and at 37 it might be an idea to let him play a little rather than introduce him with the intention of in effect running down the clock.
The worry is that Borthwick had a brief look at what England might be capable of, did not like what he saw on the scoreboard and reverted his side to type. The hope is that England can settle into their new rhythms, adapt and adjust to a more ambitious way of playing.
After all, England failed to collect a try-bonus point and though Italy’s late try was well after the clock had gone red they ended just three points short. If the defensive system is a work-in-progress then hopefully it will dawn on Borthwick and his coaches that attacking intent is a better idea than trying to hold what you have.
Of the five rookies, who all got minutes, Roots was most conspicuous as one of the few players to give England some go-forward. He made his fair share of mistakes as Italy seized the upper hand early on but – as a former cage fighter – has a bit of dog about him and is a welcome addition to England’s back-row ranks.
Chandler Cunningham-South was not far behind him after coming off the bench, making a fine covering tackle in the right corner before setting off on a gallop down the left wing not long after.
It is evidently taking them a while to adjust to Felix Jones’s defensive system and that is putting it kindly. England were guilty of making too many mistakes in the first half, getting caught offside early on – three penalties were given away in the first five minutes – and badly exposed for Italy’s two tries before the break.
Whether England’s review focuses on the growing pains or the glimpses will be telling when it comes to charting their way through the championship.
