I left Twickenham deflated. England just play no rugby

Telegraph

22-02-2025

By the width of a post, England's championship hopes march on. Never… in… doubt?
That is two weeks on the trot now where missed conversions have saved English bacon, but the mood at full-time was less of elation or relief and more of frustration. Fans were passing me in the Twickenham press box, grabbing my attention, and saying 'rubbish'. With the ball in hand, it is tough to argue.
England were outscored by three tries to one, at home, with a wonderful scrum and line-out, in the best conditions you will ever experience for a February rugby match. Sixteen paltry points. They simply play no rugby. I'm all for kicking for territory and playing in the right areas but this was overkill. The first instinct is to kick – twice with an overlap, on turnover ball – rather than look to play. The try tally was a damning indictment of the attacking capabilities of this England side.
I was part of a side that beat France at Twickenham in the 2003 Six Nations and it was the boot of Jonny Wilkinson that bailed us out. We were also outscored by three tries to one that day but the difference between the two was that for us it was not a performance to be celebrated. Conservatism and attacking clunkiness are becoming hallmarks of this English side.
Compare that to the way Scotland moved the ball. Yes, I know that ultimately they lost, but if Finn Russell brings his kicking boots then they win. You never blame the goal-kicker – and Russell was majestic ball in hand – but on Saturday at Twickenham I believe that 21 points would have been too many for England to chase. Scotland are brilliant to watch. They look like they enjoy it. Hell, I enjoyed it! Scotland stretch defences, Scotland move the ball, Scotland get people excited. England seem obsessed with arm-wrestles. That is all well and good but when the score is tight you can get stung, which has been happening frequently and almost happened again on Saturday evening thanks to you know who, Duhan van der Merwe.
Finn Russell missed this 79th-minute conversion for Scotland against England...
... and England went on to win by a point 😳 #BBCRugby #SixNations pic.twitter.com/cY7g8KtoCN
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 22, 2025
In the first half, Russell threw a quick throw-in to Blair Kinghorn on the Scottish 22. Scotland almost got themselves in trouble but Ben Earl went slightly off his feet in the jackal and the visitors survived. Ten minutes earlier, at the start of the match, Ollie Sleightholme – bizarrely hooked after barely receiving a pass – was in a similar position for England. The wing just watched the ball sail into touch, happy to take the line-out. Where is the ambition? Where is the attacking adventure and energy? We are desperate to see England play. How often do they offload? It is a key part of attacking threat.
I don't want to seem all doom and gloom after an English Six Nations victory, the first in five matches against Scotland. There were positives. The scrum was phenomenal – Will Stuart will be a Lion – as was the line-out and the breakdown work. Ben Curry's impact off the bench was staggering, although Tom Willis was having a pretty decent game himself before his failed Head Injury Assessment. The way that England won the match – an ugly choke tackle – was a microcosm of the contest. In the tight exchanges, England conquered but when it got looser they floundered. Still, with Italy and Wales to come, the coaches will be pleased that the pressure has subsided – even with the Welsh resurgence – and that their title hopes remain alive.
In the big battle at fly-half, a rerun of last season's Premiership final, I'm not sure I can pass too much judgment on the performance of Fin Smith. Russell distributed with poise and panache but Smith simply never got enough quality, quick ball to get England clicking. There is also the midfield issue; Ollie Lawrence punched holes and put shots in but the combination with Henry Slade lacks pace. Scotland exposed them numerous times, with Tommy Freeman forced to bite in – which he should not have done. Perhaps it is time to try Freeman at No 13 against Italy in place of Slade. Who knows, maybe Freeman could be England's answer to New Zealand's Rieko Ioane?
In terms of Lions selection, England's backline had a massive opportunity today to lay down a marker. Instead, it was the losers who now look more assured of spots on the plane. Kinghorn, Russell, Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan all shone. Van der Merwe will go. Ben White got the better of Alex Mitchell. Freeman is probably the only near-certain English tourist and even then his defensive frailties could harm his cause.
It is a curious sensation, leaving Twickenham deflated after an England win against a rival – but I am. This was a missed opportunity. And that is not to be disrespectful to Scotland – I love them – but England's victory was thanks to belligerence and a bit of luck. This is a team that kicks, bends over, pushes, jumps and scavenges. They do that well; the problem is, they don't do much else.