Tuilagi has mischievous smile that says - I'm ready

ANY time the England forwards play with competitive edge and willingness to run onto the ball from depth and win the collisions they are a different side – and difficult to beat, as Ireland found out last weekend.

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However, it is Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, and like every opponent, they will confront England with a new set of obstacles. The Welsh defence had the measure of England’s attack last year in Cardiff, and eventually shut it down effectively enough to win a close match and go on to claim a Grand Slam.

What England have to do this time is respond in a way that keeps the Welsh defence guessing. An effective way to do that is to integrate into training the sort of catch-and-pass skills that Kyle Sinckler shows when he moves the ball on quickly, so that players throughout the pack have that ability.

England have been found wanting because they have been too onedimensional when they come up against well-organised, powerful defences. For example, when England attempted to use one-out carriers in the World Cup final against South Africa, they simply chewed them up and spat them out.

Against Ireland it did not matter too much, because England won the collisions. The Irish were bullied, battered and beaten – in much the same way as England were by the Springboks.

It is what happens if Wales match England for physicality, and how Eddie Jones’ side react and asks where else they can find holes in the Welsh defence, that will be the deciding factor.

We saw an improved performance at full-back by Elliot Daly against Ireland, but a lot of that was because the Irish forwards were on the back foot, and the Irish half-backs, Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton, kicked badly for once.

It meant that Daly had time and space to spare, and he made good use of it, although when he is faced with kicks that are more competitive it is not the same. The greater the intensity, the more likely Daly is to make mistakes – and it is too soon to get carried away.