The versatile Elliot Daly has been deployed in midfield, on the wing and at full-back for England
Full-back Elliot Daly maintains that England are close to rediscovering the form that saw them secure 12 consecutive victories, despite recent defeats to Scotland and Ireland that have hampered their Six Nations campaign.
Daly is among nine changes to the England starting line-up for Saturday’s match against Italy in Rome, as coach Steve Borthwick looks to revitalise his team.
“It might appear a long way off on television, but when you break it down, it’s just a few errors, a few penalties here and there, and not capitalising on our opportunities,” Daly stated.
“We’ve been creating numerous good chances. On occasion, we’ve been a bit too flat or getting in each other’s way, things like that.”
“We’ve analysed it, and it’s not a significant issue. It’s something that will resolve itself, and we’re focused on fixing it.”
England have entered the opposition’s 22-metre area the second-most times in the Six Nations, but only Italy, their upcoming opponents, have a lower average points return from these entries.
Daly notes that when pinned deep in their own territory, opposing teams will inevitably push their back three up into the defensive line, rather than keeping them deep to cover a kick, making it harder for the attack to advance.
However, he believes England need to remain composed and avoid ‘white-line fever’ when close to scoring.
“The way we’ve attacked to get there – it’s probably just about maintaining that same mindset when we arrive,” he added.
“In the last two weeks, we haven’t converted those chances, but the positive is that we are getting there, so we’re not far off.”
“If we convert a couple of them, we’ll be right in these games.”
Italy v England
Six Nations
Saturday 7 March at 16:40 GMT
Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and, with accompanying live text commentary, on the BBC Sport website and app
Daly played a key role in reviving England’s campaign in last year’s Six Nations. After being omitted from the opening-round defeat by Ireland, the 33-year-old came off the bench to score the winning try against France the following week, marking the first victory in England’s year-long streak.
His start to this season was delayed due to recovery from surgery for a broken arm sustained on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. However, he made his comeback in the autumn win over Argentina, and his playmaking ability, left-footed kicking, and experience are highly valued by Borthwick.
Daly’s 74 England caps exceed the combined total of the rest of this weekend’s starting backline by three.
He believes the perspective he has gained since his England debut in February 2016 is beneficial when the team faces pressure.
“You might not say it outright, but I think you’ve been in situations where – I mean, we’ve only lost two games,” Daly said.
“It’s not the end of the world. They’re games we wanted to win, obviously. But I think it’s important to realise that we’re on a road to the World Cup, and we’re not going to win every single game. We’d love to, but we probably won’t.”
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Meanwhile, former England wing Chris Ashton suggests that while England’s new-look backline may impress on paper or in training, the intensity of a Test match can unravel even the best-laid plans.
“I like the balance to the backline,” Ashton told Rugby Union Weekly.
“It’s similar to what England had when they won the series in Argentina in the summer, with Seb Atkinson at inside centre and Tom Roebuck on the wing. Both performed very well and have a good synergy.”
“Elliot Daly provides experience at the back, which is perhaps lacking from the rest of the backline, and Cadan Murley, while offering other aspects to his game, primarily brings speed on the wing.”
“However, they haven’t played together, which is a concern against a strong, confident Italy. You can’t fully prepare them for that.
“Players who train a certain way might not be able to replicate that in a game, where pressure, fatigue, or being in a Test arena can make you think and play differently compared to training, where there’s less pressure and the opposition isn’t at the same level.”
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