4. Ben Earl Runs Out At Number Eight In Vunipola’s Absence
As Steve Borthwick only selected Billy Vunipola as the sole specialist number eight, for his 33-man squad to head to France, questions were asked on his selection plans after the Saracen was sent off against Ireland. Vunipola will miss the Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina, with his StoneX teammate Ben Earl selected to slot into the number eight jersey for the clash with Fiji.
Earl offered a different flavour of number eight than that of Vunipola, as he did not carry as frequently as Vunipola did, with the crash ball responsibilities bestowed to England’s centres. Earl offered a free-flowing utility unit in the back-row, and adapted well to his role at the back of the scrum. Earl was eager to make hits on the Fijians, and was blown up by the referee for his eagerness, catching him offside after 25 minutes.
He redeemed himself with a key tackle on Semi Radradra, as the centre looked to offload to a runner in space. This tackle seemed to be rather routine, but in actuality, Earl looked to have stopped a possible try scoring opportunity. Hard work that flew under the radar, this tackle personified Earl’s first half performance. However, along with the rest of England, Earl’s performance too slipped off when Fiji hit top gear. Earl missed a tackle on Vinaya Habosi, with the left winger slipping through his grasp to score Fiji’s third try.
Earl narrowly missed out on a try, as he collected George Ford’s cross field kick after 63 minutes. He was nailed by a perfectly timed tackle, and spilt the ball in contact. Despite wearing a different number, Earl did not differentiate his play in the loose too much from when he wore the seven shirt against Wales and Ireland. Albeit, he did not thrive as much as he did in the win over Gatland’s side.
5. Courtney Lawes: Captain’s Performance on his 100th England Cap
One of the few positives to take away from England, Courtney Lawes emptied the tank in his centurion test match for England. Awarded the captaincy in the extended suspension absence of Owen Farrell, Lawes commanded his side well from the start, yet admittedly ran out of steam, as the relentless Fijian fitness put miles on his match-day clock.
Lawes led well at the set-piece, and rode the tackles in the wind and rain. He battered his way through three Fijian tackle attempts, to make a threatening break on the eighteenth minute. Lawes was not as disruptive in the lineout as he was the last time out at Twickenham, when he and Itoje made Wales lineout time a nightmare. The conditions were a factor here, as easy line-out options were preferred when the heavens opened in South West London.
Lawes’ match highlight was a great covering tackle on Lyon powerhouse Semi Radradra. The centre bulldozed his way through Max Malins, leaving his former Bristol teammate flat on the deck. Lawes covered the ground to bring the big man down, with his efforts resulting with a sore shoulder and a chat with the physio after 34 minutes. Lawes’ leadership was on full display once his vice-captain Ellis Genge departed the pitch after just 50 minutes. Lawes took over sole leadership, and provided a level head to his men who tried to forge a comeback.
A positive sign, given that Owen Farrell is guaranteed to miss the matches against Argentina and Japan through suspension. However, Lawes was unable to generate the required fire from his colleagues, who collapsed under the pressure in the matches latter stages.