Jonathan Joseph’s emergence at No13 has changed England’s attack dynamic

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/19/breakdown-england-six-nations-ireland

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Given the criticism England have had in the Stuart Lancaster era, of being a side who were more adept at winning the ball than using it, there was some surprise that the focus – after the victory over Italy – seemed to be less on the six tries they scored than the three they conceded.

The All Blacks do not have to put up with that even though they are not unused to standing under their own posts waiting for a conversion: they have conceded three tries or more in a match six times in the last two years but they have failed to score a try only once in that period of 26 Tests and South Africa are the one team to have defeated them.

England have come a long way since the opening two matches of the 2012 Six Nations, Lancaster’s first in charge, when their two tries came from Charlie Hodgson charge-downs. The only surviving back against Italy last weekend from the starting lineups then in Edinburgh and Rome was the scrum-half Ben Youngs (Mike Brown was on the bench three years ago).

Brad Barritt and Owen Farrell, who became fixtures under Lancaster, were injured for the start of this year’s Six Nations. The former is fit again and, as a centre who has led England’s defence, he will be considered for the 1 March encounter with Ireland in Dublin, a day when the winners will become the favourites for the title.

Since he took over, Lancaster has stressed his desire to have a second-five at inside-centre, someone who can support the fly-half in steering the team tactically. Only Billy Twelvetrees of those used there more than once has fitted that description, but the emergence of Jonathan Joseph at 13 has changed the dynamic. A player who on the 2013 tour to Argentina appeared short of pace has given England an extra dimension in attack, someone prepared to go around defenders rather than through them.

England have started with five players at 13 in the last 15 months: Joseph, Barritt, Manu Tuilagi, Luther Burrell and (remember him?) Joel Tomkins. The position has been seen as Tuilagi’s, but a run of injuries have restricted his appearances and, not having played since October because of a groin problem, it is not known when he will be back for Leicester: whenever it is, he will not play a part in the Six Nations.

Lancaster mused about Tuilagi after the Italy win. Joseph’s two tries, which followed the one he scored against Wales, had elevated him from the status of position-warmer (and he would probably not have started against Wales but for Barritt’s injury, never mind Tuilagi’s), to first-choice, leaving the focus on inside-centre.

“Manu can certainly play at 12,” Lancaster said. “He has played there before for us. His role in attack is very much as a 12 in that he’s the guy who gets us across the gain line. Having someone of that size and presence at 12 in defence is not a bad thing either. He isn’t going to come back in the short term but it could be a potent combination.”

The Lions considered Tuilagi at 12 during the 2013 tour to Australia. He played there in the second match of the tour against Western Force but injury ruled him out until after the first Test and there was no time to repeat the experiment, although he replaced Jamie Roberts in the final quarter of the last Test.

Roberts was a 13 when he went on the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. He returned a 12, having been moved there by Ian McGeechan, who had done the same to Scott Gibbs in New Zealand in 1993. Neither player could be described as a second-five and they would be no one’s idea of an outside-half but McGeechan, unlike others, saw they had skills that would make them a playmaker where others saw merely boshers. Roberts started the 2009 tour as a rival to Brian O’Driscoll and became the Irishman’s midfield partner in a highly effective combination.

Ma’a Nonu started his international career as a 13 but was told his future lay at inside-centre. Again, he was not renowned for playing with his head up but was told to work on his kicking, handling skills and vision. The outcome was the emergence of one of the most influential players in Test rugby in the last decade and Tuilagi would appear to be no less skilful.

A problem for Lancaster is that he will have little time to hone a Tuilagi-Joseph partnership before the World Cup with only three warm-up matches in which to scrutinise it and he is likely to use those games as a means to give everyone in his wider squad an opportunity.

A back line of George Ford, Tuilagi, Joseph, Brown, Anthony Watson and Jonny May or Jack Nowell on the left wing would ripple with attacking options and hardly be defensively weak. Given England’s proven strength in depth at forward and their ability to grind down opponents, they would be on the way to emulating New Zealand’s capacity to be a team for all seasons.

The All Blacks have the knack of being able to win by different means and they are not a team preoccupied with retaining possession: it is about what you do with the ball, not how often you have it. Joseph was the most talked about player after the Italy victory having scored two tries but he received the ball only nine times. It was how he was used and what he did with it that mattered.

Lancaster said before the match in Cardiff that Wales’s defensive line spanning the width of the pitch meant it was difficult to go around them: there was no room. So they went through it, first through Mike Brown’s chip and then Joseph’s elusiveness.

With Tuilagi at inside-centre England would have the means to do both, and the prospect of the Leicester centre getting over the gain line and attracting the attention of more than one defender to leave space for Joseph will be an enticing one for Lancaster. Tuilagi has shown for club and country he has the ability to off-load but he has not very often had the inclination or the encouragement. That should change.

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