Rob Howley’s indifference to reports that England are going to meet Welsh midfield muscle with some of their own suggests a little bit of Warren Gatland is beginning to rub off on the former scrumhalf and Wales attack coach.
Sam Burgess and Owen Farrell playing at centre and outhalf for England in their pool meeting on Saturday at Twickenham was, for Howley, a hypothetical that will be met ‘on our own terms’.
What Howley explained was Wales will pick their midfield without considering who England are selecting in those positions, which will be officially known this morning. A Barritt and Burgess partnership in the centre would be the 13th different combination under Lancaster in those positions
Of more importance in Welsh thinking is the health of props Samson Lee and Paul James. Both are struggling with calf injuries to the extent that Wales have contacted World Rugby to seek special dispensation to allow them bring in a prop inside the 48 hour window.
That request has been granted, although Wales hope that they won’t need to avail of it.
“Liam (Williams) and Alun Wyn (Jones) trained fully and are ready to go,” said Howley. “The two props, Samson (Lee) and Paul James are still being assessed. Hopefully there will be good news over the next 24 hours. Aaron Jarvis popped a rib but will be fine.
“Samson is probably a little further in front than Paul. If both are unable to play we’re left with three props so props are on standby. We have already contacted World Rugby for a special 24 hour dispensation.”
Wales have had an almost catastrophic run of injuries. Centre Cory Allen, who scored three tries against Uruguay, is out of the tournament with a hamstring injury and replaced by Tyler Morgan, the fourth player to come following Mike Phillips, Eli Walker and Ross Moriarty. To compound matters Walker tweaked his hamstring in training.
“It’s all speculation,” added Howley. “Our preparation is in the 10-12-13 axis whether it is Ford, Burgess and Barritt or Ford, Burgess and Slade...Joseph is out by all accounts and we have lost players in adversity.
“The game at the weekend will be about the top four inches. It’s not the physical. It’s certainly a physical game but it is our mental preparation that has to be spot on.
“You just have to be sure you are working off those attacking principles. It will be no different for us. We just have to prepare for the players you mentioned.”
The challenge
The sangfroid of Howley extended to the challenge of playing England in Twickenham and on that he offered an opinion that could easily have been minted and polished up in Gatland’s room in the plush Oatlands Park in Weybridge.
“I’ve had a pleasant experience in Twickenham both as a player and as a coach,” he said . “It is the second best stadium in the world – after the Millennium Stadium.”
There was no ruffling of the Howley feathers. Dan Biggar, he said, knows the landscape at outhalf and tongue-in-cheek remarked that his kicking was longer than that of the injured Leigh Halfpenny. Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams and Jonathan Davies, he ventured can handle any mass England can throw at them. What was all the fuss about with this England revamp?
The fuss is the dropping of George Ford, who has been England’s lynchpin in their revitalised attacking approach for the last year when his arrival forced Farrell into centre. Ford’s flat play has opened up the wide England runners outside him.
“When you look at 12s in the game, whether it’s a Ma’a Nonu or a Sonny Bill or a Jamie Roberts or a Pieter de Villiers that’s welcome to international rugby,” said Howley. “That’s the way it is. It is that ability to have that creative mindset as well. Jonathan Davies gave us that at 13 and you will see Scott changing positions at the weekend and having that creative opportunity as well.”
Offer physique
But Burgess will offer physique as well, one of the reasons he is likely to start.
“For a player who has been fast racked... he is an imposing figure,” said the Welshman.
“I was certainly impressed with his game when he played with Slade against France. His ability to run the hard lines and having that creative edge on the outside of him makes it that bit more difficult from a defensive perspective. It is important when you play against players like Sam or Jamie or Ma’a Nonu that you close down their space.”
As a player, now as a coach never sweating the small stuff.
