Jamie George, the captain of England’s team, believes that his undefeated squad has a real chance of winning the Six Nations title, even with tougher matches ahead. Although they narrowly defeated Wales and Italy by two and three points respectively, England must now face Scotland and France away, as well as an in-form Ireland at Twickenham. However, George is confident that his team will rise to the occasion.

“I do not believe it is a significant jump,” stated George, whose team had only won three out of their last 10 games at home. “Although we have three challenging games ahead, I do not think we can say that a massive improvement is required. We have won two out of two games so far and we are aware that there is still a lot of room for growth in our team. Our main focus is on maximizing our potential. The determination and resilience to achieve a positive outcome is a major accomplishment for us.”

George admitted that in order to defeat Scotland at Murrayfield next Saturday, England will need to elevate their performance, and even more so against Ireland, who they have not been able to beat since 2020. “We are aware that we must step up our game for our trip to Murrayfield,” George stated. “The groundwork we have established has given us some confidence. During this break, we must rest and then concentrate on improving.”

This was the initial instance that England has managed to overcome a deficit of nine points or more at home and win a senior Test. The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, expressed disappointment as his team was unable to secure a much-needed win for their morale.

Gatland expressed his disappointment, stating that he was proud of the players’ effort and performance. However, he acknowledged that they were let down by not achieving a win. In the changing room, he reminded the players that they should be disappointed in themselves as they had the opportunity to secure a victory.

Gatland is confident that his team will gain valuable insights from this almost-successful experience. He told the players that they still have room for improvement, but that they have the potential to become an exceptional team in the future. Today’s game was a crucial step in their development, particularly in terms of mastering game management.

“When the England team has only 13 players on the field, it is not advisable to stay in your own 22. Instead, it may be beneficial to aim for territory and put pressure on the opposing team. I will not criticize any specific players, as I have experienced this situation with other teams in the past. It simply requires some patience and adjustment.”

“They have made significant strides in just a few weeks and positioned themselves for victory today. To be fair, England shifted to a kicking strategy in the second half and were able to reap some benefits. However, we made mistakes in the second half that gave them opportunities for territory and positioning.”

The head coach of England, Steve Borthwick, acknowledged the impact of the team’s bench on the outcome of the game. George Martin, Manu Tuilagi, and Luke Cowan-Dickie are all potential additions to the squad for the upcoming Calcutta Cup match.

The players have always shown a strong belief in finding a way to achieve the desired outcome. In both last week’s game and today’s, we have witnessed a consistent improvement in their performance in the second half. This team perseveres and always manages to find a solution.

“We were calm and collected during half-time. We had confidence that we would continue and discover a solution.”

Source: theguardian.com