World Cup / Geoffrey Riddle / 12 October 2007 / Leave a comment

Big game from Sheridan, accurate kicking from Wilkinson, protect the scrum-half and we're half way there, says Geoffrey Riddle

England's glorious 12-10 victory over Australia highlighted the greatness of this World Cup and for those who simply can't stomach the Red Rose's late bloom, France's astonishing success over New Zealand was probably the result of the tournament.

That latter performance in Cardiff seems to have been forgotten amongst all the media hype surrounding the World Champions. Let it not be forgotten however, that Wallaby skipper Stirling Mortlock could have rescued Australia's dying effort from the embers of defeat with his late penalty attempt and we all would have regarded it as status quo.
So where have England improved if at all, and what do they need to concentrate on if they are to be victorious in St Denis?

The set-piece:

Andrew Sheridan rightly deserved the man-of-the-match award for his complete destruction of the Wallaby scrum last weekend. He put in a display of monumental power but we learnt nothing new. Sheridan is a massive scrummager, Matt Dunning is not. Australia have made a habit of getting shoved all over the park in recent years, but in Marseille they failed to skirt the issue as they usually do.

France will not be so easily brushed aside, and Oliver Milloud and Pieter de Villiers proved more than a match for the All Blacks' Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock in Cardiff. Sheridan and captain Phil Vickery will have to step up a gear. Where England look to going the right way however, is in the line-out. Mark Regan and Co managed to lose four throw-ins in their first fixture against USA in Lens. And yet against the Aussies, who have one of the best line-out units in the world, they were flawless.

Tries:

England have struggled to score tries away from home since the last World Cup. It was well-documented at the time, and rightly so, but France kept them away from the whitewash for a full 160 minutes in the summer, South Africa 'nilled' them in their Pool A clash, and despite suffering defeat, Australia also managed to hold firm in the quarter-final.

Before the tournament began, only seven teams had managed to win a World Cup fixture by scoring less tries that their opposition. That was from a sample of 185 matches. England have managed the feat no less than four times in a World Cup, and with Wilkinson pulling the strings, the lack of five-pointers may continue to work for them.

Betfair have offered punters the chance to take a view of this by chalking up England tries under/over 0.5. Such is their dismal record at touching down that traders see under that figure as just a 3.0 shot.

Former skipper Martin Johnson said in a press conference on Thursday that the first ten minutes were the key to this encounter. He said: " It will be crucial to start well. The closer the game, the more the smaller things become important." France however, have an excellent record of scoring the first try in the Stade de France having scored first 14 times in the last 18 fixtures there. England's record abroad in this department is poor and needs significant improvement if the side are not to fall too far behind at half-time. France look attractively priced at around 1.63 to score the next (first) try.

Kicking:

A lot has been made of Jonny Wilkinson's kicking, especially with the Gilbert-designed balls which have courted so much controversy these past few weeks. His record at the tournament reads 19 successes from 28 attempts at the posts which includes four drop goals. In such comparatively poor form, some may fancy getting short of Wilkinson's individual points at Betfair's 9.5 market. Under is currently trading at 1.83.

If the star No.10 can't get England on the score sheet early with either penalties or drop goals, his side may fall too far behind to be able to bridge the gap. Only five of the 43 teams to have won at this World Cup have trailed at the break. It is rare therefore to be losing at half time, and go on to win the match. Even if England do manage to take an unlikely half-time lead, France are the past masters at making a comeback - in over-hauling New Zealand last weekend, they overturned a ten-point deficit, which is the joint-second best fight-back in World Cup history.

Defence of half backs:

If you look at most other international teams, their half-backs see little defensive action. Dan Carter is protected by the best back-row shield on the planet and you can bet your bottom dollar that open-side Richie McCaw will be in the fly-half channel in defence quicker than you can say 'choker'.

The same is of Argentina's Juan Martin Hernandez who gets cover from the likes of the Lobbe brothers, but England's Jonny Wilkinson and Andy Gomarsall are always left to fend for themselves. Sure, that's the way they like it, but England are unlikely to spend the whole day on the front foot in the Stade de France and need protection from the likes of Serge Betsen.

Gomarsall and Wilkinson have formed the heartbeat of the side and if they succeed in running the show, from poor ball, too, England may have a sneak at beating a team who they are yet to defeat away since 2000.

Tags: Geoffrey Riddle, Jonny Wilkinson, rugby betting, Rugby World Cup