Matt Dawson column: ‘England want to entertain but winning is all-important’
World Cup champion Matt Dawson reflects England’s narrow victory over Scotland in his BBC Sports column and evaluates how the battles selected for the British and Irish Lions in the Flying Form are shaped.
I’ve been in the camp that wins entertainment.
Of course, England wants to entertain fans, but when you wear that white shirt, you just want to win the game.
As a player, I never thought “What should I do to entertain fans?”
If these two defeats of France and Scotland are the beginning of a 10-game unbeaten match, England may be the ugliest team in the world, and the rooftops will still appear at the Allianz Stadium.
Fans love to come to Twickenham and know that no one beats you or messes you up.
If you went to the bars and bars on the ground after defeating Scotland, they were knocked down two hours after the game.
England has found two games behind in the last few games, and it is a valuable experience for these players to bounce back and figure out the victory.
It will gain a foothold.
They have a reliable fixture that will handle most teams. Ollie Chessum goes into the boundaries and gets a solid attitude when it crashes, and they will get a balance in the back row.
For me, the obvious omission of the omission is playing when it’s the wrong choice.
When there are five against three in the offense, let’s isolate that final defender and try on foot.
I don’t mind kicking when it’s really static. It’s hard to break down test defenses when you don’t have the power in the game.
But, regardless of the opposition, England seems to be recognizing the scenario of training “this is what we are going to do”.
I began to feel England stand out in the fall and before in six countries last year, who were already “all metal jackets” ready to attack.
At the end of the first half, the first row rest was when they had some territory and property. Marcus Smith went into the middle, but the top teams ended those opportunities, which would be a situation that would frustrate them.
England does have talented, skilled individuals and I want to see them take more calculation risks.
After the game, I like their openness and honesty. They knew they weren’t able to play their abilities, but they did dig offense, especially around the defense. It was incredible and dominant, and it gave them a chance.
In the past few games, they needed to bounce the ball, which hasn’t gone in the fall, but they showed the same battle and commitment and paid off.
