England bench held back and outclassed in Six Nations defeat... the contrast with triumphant Wales was stark

While England’s finishers disappointed in Cardiff, Callum Sheedy was crucial for Wales
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Will Macpherson1 March 2021

The bench has been a constant talking point in Eddie Jones’ time as England coach.

Jones is careful with his language around the bench. He renamed his replacements as “finishers”, and talks often about how rugby is a 23-man game. If it was up to him, he has said, he would just name the 23 players involved on a match day, but not detail when or where they are lining up.

So when a player is left out of the starting XV, Jones will say there has been a “change of order”, and that said player “has a different role”. Under his rules, you can be dropped from the 23, but not the XV. The players are broadly on board with all this, although it is never terribly convincing when one claims to be as happy on the bench as he is starting.

Jones’s bench often betrays how he wants his team to play, as he decides whether the No21 shirt will be occupied by a sixth forward or a third back. He has used it to blood young players, and implement succession planning. At England’s strongest, their bench is an intimidating display of the broadest talent pool in the world game. They have shored up dominant performances and helped secure victories.

On Saturday against Wales, Jones’ bench did not have the formidable look it sometimes does. His team’s extreme depth is being tested by injury (and his own selection whims), but enough class and experience remained. But he barely gave them an opportunity.

Two of the eight, Will Stuart and the uncapped 19-year-old George Martin, did not make it on. The overlooking of Martin felt particularly wasteful, given a game-changing back – remember Ollie Lawrence? – could have filled that jersey.

By the time, after 62 minutes, England scrapped their way back to 24-24, Charlie Ewels had been on for five minutes and Luke Cowan-Dickie two. Ellis Genge would get a 13-minute run. Ben Earl and Dan Robson got 10, Max Malins five. None of those three, by the way, have started a Test yet. Earl is 11 matches into his Test career, and, with Sam Underhill, Jack Willis and Courtney Lawes injured, Saturday might have been the perfect chance for that to change.

There were reasons for the delay. Many of England’s starters put in improved performances, particularly in attack. Billy Vunipola marauded around, Henry Slade was actually given the ball. Owen Farrell attacked the line (but must bear responsibility for his team’s chronic ill-discipline). Elliot Daly’s intent and sparkle returned (but he coughed up ball and switched off for Kieran Hardy’s try).

But the contrast with Wales was stark. Wayne Pivac refreshed his front runners, making his seventh change – despite his replacements being inexperienced – as Jones made his third.

Callum Sheedy was on early in the second half, and put in a sublime showing – breaking the line, intercepting, and kicking well from hand and tee. Willis Halaholo was on soon after, punching holes in attack and solid in defence. Cory Hill scored the late try to cap a showing from the replacements that did not let up what the starters had set in motion.

When England’s bench finally got a go, they appeared to overreach to contribute. Three of them (Ewels, Genge and Robson) gave away obvious penalties that helped Wales take the lead, while Robson threw the intercept that led to Hill’s try.

It all contributed to a final-quarter performance that, after so much hard work, cost England the game.

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