ENGLAND UNDER STUART Lancaster haven’t always found tries the easiest to come by, but their attacking prowess has grown in the last two seasons.
They’re the top scorers after two rounds of the Six Nations, although their total of eight was helped by an accommodating Italian defence last time out.
Still, there have been clear improvements and most recently the re-introduction of Jonathan Joseph has made a difference.
Joseph has been electric in the opening two rounds. Source: Inpho/Billy Stickland
Having played six Tests for England across 2012 and 2013, the Bath centre did not feature again until this year. The wait has been worth it for the 23-year-old, however, and he has added the crucial X-factor that England had largely been missing.
“Certainly with ball in hand he’s very exciting, fast feet, very quick,” says Ireland wing Tommy Bowe when asked about Joseph. “He seems to be decent under the high ball, seems to have good handling skills as well.
“He is certainly a player we’ll have to keep an eye on. He’s full of confidence, they like giving him the ball in hand early and he seems to be able to evade tackles and get out of challenges, whatever way he can.”
Phase play
Scoring tries in international rugby is certainly not an easy thing to do, so players who can create them are clearly of great value.
It’s particularly difficult to score after multiple phases of attack, given that defences are now so effective at organising and re-organising after each tackle. Multi-phase passages of attack essentially allow the defence to fall into its structure and make hit after hit.
The majority of tries come in the early phases of attack, whether direct from turnover situations or in the earliest stages of attacks from set-piece, when the defence has not settled into those comfortable patterns and shapes they’ve practiced so often.
Joseph doesn’t need a second invitation to beat defenders. Source: Andrew Fosker/INPHO
That doesn’t mean teams should just give up after three phases and kick the ball away. Multi-phase attack is built around the idea of fatiguing the defence, dragging them around the pitch and tiring them to the point of making an error.
Furthermore, multi-phase attack is about providing backline players with chances to beat defenders one-on-one. Creating huge overlaps is a rarity, so oftentimes manufacturing a one-on-one is a highly desirable outcome.
Having the players who can exploit those one-on-one situations is the real key. One wonders what Like Fitzgerald or Keith Earls might bring to Ireland in this regard, all the more so when we’ve witnessed how Joseph’s flair has added a new dimension to England.
The former London Irish midfielder is a one-on-one specialist, his footwork, pace and fend making him a nightmare to defend against. Three tries in two games, as well as various other threatening moments, mark him out as a real danger to Ireland on Sunday.
Capping it off
Source: RBS 6 Nations/YouTube
We get a strong example of Joseph’s ability to create something on a multi-phase attack in the video above, which shows his try against Wales and some of the preceding English thrusts.
Lancaster’s side drag Wales from the right-side of the 22 to the left, batter into the tacklers to bring about that fatigue [all the while trying to score of course] and then finally, on phase 20, find Joseph and allow him to add the element of flair.
Obviously the outside centre is aided over the line by some poor tackling, but the footwork and dart of pace is electric. There are lessons here for Ireland, as well as the first demonstration of some of Joseph’s traits.
In this situation, Dan Biggar makes the decision to rush up out of the line, looking to hit Joseph ball-and-all. It’s an understandable call close to the tryline and with Mike Brown and Anthony Watson hovering dangerously out wide.
The Wales out-half eats up the first few strides well, but as the ball arrives to Joseph, Biggar eases up and makes the error of briefly sitting on his heels. Against a player like Joseph, that’s an invitation to turn on his exceptional footwork.
That’s exactly what Joseph does, and as we’ll touch upon again later, he loves the opportunity to push off his left foot and beat the defender on the outside, lifting his left arm up for a fend that’s not even required in this instance.
From Ireland’s perspective, the lesson is that they simply have to finish out any attempt to rush up and shut Joseph down early. Haring up without control does of course bring its own risk, but once Biggar has made the decision to shoot here, he has to do everything within his power to drive into Joseph.
Sitting down and allowing the England centre to make a decision simply doesn’t cut it.
We must mention that the speed of Ben Youngs’ pass helps to thwart Biggar, given that the ball arrives earlier than first anticipated, but even still the out-half has to keep moving forward quickly enough to get his shot on Joseph.
It only takes a split second of hesitation for Joseph to beat the defender, so Ireland will be intent on closing out any of their attempts to rush up on England’s 13.
It goes without saying that the secondary missed tackles by George North and Rhys Webb above simply cannot happen. Conor Murray will be particularly alert of Joseph’s threat as he sweeps behind the Irish front-line D.
Long-range danger
Joseph appears to be particularly fond of taking on defenders as the England attack moves from left to right. Most backs have this type of preference, usually based on which foot they’re stronger at stepping off and which hand they fend more powerfully with.
Luke Fitzgerald, for example, loves a hard step back inside off his left foot as play moves from right to left, and there are a number of variations depending on the player.
For Joseph, the chance to fend with his left hand, step outside off his left foot and then use his sharp acceleration is the ideal. Even within England’s two games in this Six Nations, we’ve seen a number of examples.
The try above is obviously one of those, but Joseph’s stunning long-range effort against Italy in round two was another.
Source: RBS 6 Nations/YouTube
This time, it’s not a try or break after multiple phases, rather a score directly from a turnover of possession [that precious source of tries]. There are real similarities to the try against Wales, as well as another demonstration of Joseph’s attacking traits.
It’s a dream attacking situation for a quick back and the Bath centre is understandably desperate to get his hands on the ball. Clubmate George Ford identifies that eagerness and the space in the outside channel, dropping a simple pass on to Joseph nice and early.
Again, the ball is tucked into the right arm, freeing Joseph’s left for a fend to the head of Kelly Haimona. Again, the burst is from left to right. Again, the results are devastating.
We’ve highlighted the right-arm carry above, and it’s something Ireland’s outside defenders might keep in mind when they bite in on Joseph. The primary tackler will have to target the centre’s legs, but the second man in can certainly look to focus on the ball.
Perhaps more instantly relevant in the image above is that Haimona has planted his feet quite some distance away from Joseph, sitting on the heels like Biggar did in our first example.
Joseph’s brief shimmy inside has prompted Haimona to do so, but Irish defenders will have to be more vigilant with their footwork in defence against the England midfielder.
They’ve got to keep their feet alive underneath them, chopping and shifting until that very moment when they can plant close to Joseph’s body and drive into the hit. Sitting like Haimona does here is, again, an invitation to get beaten.
The break ensues and Joseph is provided the opportunity to demonstrate his pace and intelligence to finish.