Once again we have blinked and it’s time for more international rugby. It seems like only yesterday that Eddie Jones and his England side were preparing to start the autumn internationals and now it’s almost time for the competition hailed as ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ to begin.
The phrase "it’s going to be the most competitive yet" have already been said and whilst it’s a line that always features around this time, it does always true. Each year that passes international Test level rugby goes up a notch and even with the injuries impacting almost all of the Six Nations protagonists the statement is correct and valid in 2018.
Injuries, the number and who has got them, has been the hot topic of conversation throughout England’s build up to this weekend’s match. At one point in time Eddie Jones stated that he had almost 20 players unavailable to him. However an early birthday present this week saw Jack Nowell, Chris Robshaw, Maro Itoje and Mike Brown all declared fit for this Six Nations opener. That’s quite the present indeed and when you look at the XV and bench that Eddie Jones has selected for Sunday’s Test then it hardly looks depleted or weak. That’s the beauty of English rugby right now, its strength in depth, and it’s why none of the other nations are buying the fact that England are vulnerable or underdogs. England's opponents are treating the back-to-back Champions as seriously as they would have done if every single player was available to Eddie Jones.
Before we look at this year's trip to Italy let's just orientate ourselves in this Six Nations Championship for England. After this weekend's fixture it's back to Twickenham Stadium to face Wales, an encounter that I always think has more zing to it than any other in the Championship. Then it's back-to-back away trips in Scotland (so intrigued to see how the hosts deliver) and France (what will we get with Jacques Brunel in charge) before heading back to Twickenham the game that we all hope will be the Championship, and Grand Slam, decider against Ireland. It's a schedule that Eddie Jones will be pleased to have in order to ensure that his side continues to deliver on the road and doesn't get too comfortable in the beautiful surroundings of Twickenham Stadium.
Before we look at this year's trip to Italy let's just orientate ourselves in this Six Nations Championship for England. After this weekend's fixture it's back to Twickenham Stadium to face Wales, an encounter that I always think has more zing to it than any other in the Championship. Then it's back-to-back away trips in Scotland (so intrigued to see how the hosts deliver) and France (what will we get with Jacques Brunel in charge) before heading back to Twickenham the game that we all hope will be the Championship, and Grand Slam, decider against Ireland. It's a schedule that Eddie Jones will be pleased to have in order to ensure that his side continues to deliver on the road and doesn't get too comfortable in the beautiful surroundings of Twickenham Stadium.
So what of Sunday's Italian job? Well after the curveball that Conor O’Shea and his side threw into the mix last year there’s no doubt about the fact that all teams, not just England, will be prepared for anything and everything. That said, Eddie Jones has made it clear this game is like any other Test and as a result his side's fundamentals are absolutely crucial.
"Test match rugby never changes, it doesn’t matter who you are playing and where you are playing them. You’ve got to get your set piece right, you’ve got to be strong defensively and you’ve got to play with aggression and energy.”
Of course he's right, with all of the focus on the 'jazzy' elements that may be put on the park it doesn't do well to take the focus off the nuts and bolts. When it comes to those key areas, England are well-poised to deliver from the opening minute until the 80th minute and beyond. Personally I’m expecting to see Italy’s passion drive them hard in the opening half however where England have the advantage is in the area that their head coach continually trains them for - the last 20 minutes of a Test match. He trains them at a tempo and rate that I don’t believe Italy can reach just yet and with the likes of Jamie George, Sam Underhill, Danny Care, Jonathan Joseph and Jack Nowell all ready to fly into the game England have another gear to go into and I don’t think it's one that the Azzurri will have in their locker.
From the offset we’ll get to see this England side playing with a hard-ball carrying 13 as Ben Te’o steps back into the mix after a few months out. His dedication to returning to full fitness has been exemplary, he flew himself back to Australia and financed his own intensive six-week rehabilitation in order to get ready his return to action. It’s that type of dedication and desire that Eddie Jones wants to see from his international players, he says that to us all the time, and on the field on Sunday Te’o could be a huge torn in Italy’s side. If we see the Ben Te'o that donned the red of the British & Irish Lions then it will be a sight to behold however understandably he might be dusting off a couple of cobwebs at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and not be at full tilt just yet. We'll all just have to wait and see on that one.
“It’s about spreading the work load. We don’t want to rely on one dominant ball carrier because if you rely on one then the opposition find a way to stop that ball carrier and you’re stopped going forward.”
Without Billy Vunipola in the mix the question regarding England’s ball-carrying ability is always going to raise it’s head. The Saracen is such a colossal player, and so instrumental in that regard, that he’s always going to be missed. However as Eddie Jones points out above it’s key that the side as a whole take control of delivering that go-forward. Sam Simmonds’ physicality in that area has been building throughout the season and I hope that he really thrives at the Stadio Olimpico. Zach Mercer’s illness is a shame for him however personally I think that in the grand scheme of things it’s no bad thing that his international debut isn’t being made just yet.
Italy have won three of the 18 opening Six Nations fixtures since their introduction (2003, 2000 and 2013) and have never won a meeting with England (they’ve encountered each other 23 times prior). Conor O’Shea names his side at 1pm on Friday afternoon and without question will look to the leadership of his captain and the confidence that domestic Guinness PRO14 victories will have provided his players over the last few months. With every minute that O’Shea is in charge Italy are moving in the right direction, that is a fact, however what is also a fact is how far behind they are England in terms of their development. I expect to see a proud and feisty Italian outfit this weekend however I also expect to see a strong English victory and Eddie Jones’ side leaving Rome on the right foot.
England's game against Italy is live on ITV from 2.15pm on Sunday 4 February.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell.
England's game against Italy is live on ITV from 2.15pm on Sunday 4 February.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell.
