England legend Matt Dawson has showered praise on three key players for their pivotal roles in the thrilling 27-24 victory over Italy last Saturday.
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Under the guidance of Steve Borthwick, the English squad dominated the second half, staging a remarkable comeback in Rome.
The turnaround commenced with Alex Mitchell’s crucial try after the break, flipping the scoreline in England’s favor. George Ford’s precise kicking further solidified their lead, securing the hard-fought win.
Despite a valiant effort from the Azzurri, with Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Allan scoring alongside an Elliot Daly finish for the visitors, England emerged victorious.
In his insightful analysis featured in his BBC column, Dawson acknowledged that there is room for improvement under Borthwick’s leadership.
However, he highlighted the outstanding performances of the three players who played pivotal roles in the match, contributing significantly to England’s success.
#1. Ethan Roots
Dawson wrote: “Roots was not just a trundle of muscle. He has clever footwork and the ability to find little gaps. He makes the opposition think very carefully about how they defend. He is careful about how he avoids contact, which he probably gets from his mixed martial arts experience.”
#2. Tommy Freeman
Dawson wrote: “Freeman wanders around, picks his moment and hits lovely lines. You can’t actually coach the line he ran for Elliot Daly’s try – he has that instinct to read the play, which happens very quickly at this level, and he seems comfortable.
“While he may not have the blistering pace of someone like Jonny May he brings so many different dimensions to broken-phase possession.”
#3. Alex Mitchell
Dawson wrote: “Mitchell injected a lot of pace into the match and is developing his game to take it to another level. There is a marked difference between him and any of the other scrum-halves, who have to catch up.”
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“1/10” – Five players who flopped in the opening round: 2024 Six Nations
We take a look at five players who failed to perform in the opening round of the 2024 Six Nations.
#1. Paul Willemse (France)
Rugby Pass 1/10: “Got one point for running onto the pitch because after that it was a disaster for the lock forward. Lucky to get a yellow for his hit on Andrew Porter, he didn’t learn his lesson after 10 minutes contemplation and another hit to the head of an opponent, he left the referee with no option but to end his contest. Dumb.”
Planet Rugby 2/10: ““How do you want us to tackle?” were the words the second-rower asked before being issued his second yellow card and subsequent red. The answer is simple: lower Paul, lower.”
Telegraph 1/10: “The first hit was silly enough but to commit exactly the same offence six minutes after returning to the field, after a get-out-jail-free card, bordered on lunacy. France’s hopes of victory departed with him.”