Ahead of England’s World Cup opener against Argentina on Saturday evening, I wrote about the need for Steve Borthwick’s side to maintain their discipline and keep 15 players on the pitch.
After the summer’s red cards and suspensions for Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, I wish the England players had learned their lessons. That all went out the window after three minutes in Marseille. But I don’t blame Tom Curry for being sent off against the Pumas.
That England braved going down to 14 to get their World Cup campaign off to a winning start against all odds and thanks to terrible tournament preparation is remarkable.
The team has received a lot of criticism in the run-up to this World Cup, and rightly so. But they deserve credit for the way they handled such setbacks against Argentina to come out on top. It will do wonders for their self-confidence. George Ford played excellently.
His three drop goals in the first half were nothing short of brilliant and scoring all 27 points was a just reward for his performance. Borthwick’s smile in the coaching box in the last 15 minutes said it all!
England bounced back brilliantly from a poor start to beat Argentina 27-3 on Saturday
George Ford played superbly to score all 27 points for Steve Borthwick’s men in Marseille
The way they secured victory thanks to terrible tournament preparation is remarkable
My opinion on Curry’s incident is that it was not a red card in any form. I feel so sorry for Curry. It was just an accident. Curry’s direct contact with Juan Cruz Mallia was what I call a ‘rugby incident’.
In my opinion the sport is in trouble if these types of collisions are deemed worthy of being sent off. Whether or not there is intent in a player’s actions should not influence a referee’s decision. I understand that.
But I really don’t know what Curry had to do to not be in that position. I think it was worth a yellow card. Curry’s incident was neither intentional nor vengeful. Rugby gets itself into trouble.
These types of decisions will have a major impact on the future of the sport. As a coach you don’t want to lose players due to yellow or red cards. So what do you do? If you’re in charge of a team, you’ll ask yourself, “How do I keep members of my team from getting kicked out or ending up in the sin bin for ten minutes?”
The answer may be to tell your players that they should not compete for the ball in the air at all and that they absolutely should not be near the opponent when their feet are not on the ground.
Will Jordan’s yellow card in New Zealand’s defeat to France on Friday night was for a similar incident and it cost the All Blacks dearly. Fortunately for England, they were saved by Ford.
That aside, what kind of sport will we have if rugby’s aerial collisions are eliminated? Argentina also lost Santiago Carreras to a yellow card, but even that was harsh.
I was extremely disappointed to see the long queues that fans had to endure to attend the match in Marseille. It was unacceptable. The French authorities have had years to make plans for this World Cup.
The England number 10’s three drop goals in the first half were sublime as he finished the match with 27 points
I don’t blame Tom Curry (middle left) for being sent off after three minutes against the Pumas
I really don’t know what Curry was supposed to do there; it was worth a yellow card for me
We have seen other crowd problems at major sporting events in France in recent years. Liverpool supporters won’t forget the 2022 Champions League final and the huge queues to get in.
There were real problems with that. You would have liked to think that the French authorities would have learned lessons, but the start of the World Cup has shown that this is not the case.
There were a number of problems at the Marseille and Bordeaux stadiums on Saturday that need to be resolved by the tournament organizers as quickly as possible. Especially now that France will host the Olympic Games next year.
Many fans missed the kick-off of England’s victory. Maybe it was a good thing they were still in line when Curry was sent away! England responded brilliantly.
Argentina suddenly seemed nervous, as if they were expected to win. And those nerves and mistakes became even worse the more times Ford scored his goals.
His drop-goal tactic was executed perfectly. The drop goal seems to have disappeared from the game, but it is a brilliant option if your team is struggling in attack, as England are now.
There was one occasion in the first half when England had the chance to run away from a spilled Argentine ball. Five English players faced two Puma defenders.
But the terrible deaths of Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant brought Jonny May into contact. England completely squandered that opportunity with a shocking inability to execute basic skills.
What you couldn’t blame England for was heart and commitment. It wasn’t a classic, far from it. Not that England cares! It would have been easy to feel sorry for himself after Curry’s red and accept defeat.
Thousands of fans were stuck outside Stade Velodrome ahead of England’s match against Argentina
The way Ford led the team around the park to a famous victory was rugby majesty at its best
But they showed impressive courage in the face of adversity. Their scrum went well and they took full advantage of poor Argentine discipline. Ford didn’t miss his kicks. Maro Itoje made a big step forward. The English line speed in defense was good and the big shots flew in.
England’s tactics were excellent. Argentina played into their hands. But Borthwick’s side did exactly what they should have done after losing a man by limiting their mistakes and capitalizing on the opposition’s mistakes. Ford was an ocean of calm amidst the chaos. England’s scrum was good.
The way Ford led and guided the team around the park to a famous victory was rugby majesty at its best. It was a much-needed victory.
After Curry’s red card, few would have seen it coming.