SPORTS
‘England’s Defeat is Not End Of World’
England’s performance against Argentina was scrappy and frustrating.
They were inaccurate in their handling and, not for the first time, one-dimensional in their tactical thinking.
But, there has to be some balance and perspective.
The defeat by the Pumas is not the end of the world.
It may even help the team’s trajectory towards the rest of the autumn, the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup next year.You could see from the start that England had a set idea about how the game was going to be played and the best way to win it.
They had seen the wet conditions and opted for low-risk rugby with the ball in hand. They trucked the ball up around the fringe with one-out runners, making use of their heavy-duty carriers.
Number eight Billy Vunipola had 15 carries, more than any other player. Prop Kyle Sinckler was not far behind on 12.
But it seemed to be an end in itself, rather than being used to open up space elsewhere.
Argentina’s team were perfectly suited to soaking up the wave of power attacks, with the likes of Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera excellent.
There was plenty of ball and go forward, but England were inaccurate and lateral when it came to exploiting gaps elsewhere.
There was never a sniff of an overlap, you never felt the excitement of a wing being able to take on his opposite number.
That is at odds with how the club game has been going in the Premiership. Teams like Northampton, Saracens or Harlequins are ruthless at finding chinks in defences and making it count on the scoreboard.
If England were not going to be adventurous with the ball, it would have been better to play without it.
When they found they weren’t building enough of a cushion on the scoreboard, England could have switched up their kicking game.
Instead of looking to compete and regain the ball, they could have sacrificed possession for territory, kicked deep and asked Argentina if they could play out from deep in their half with a greasy ball.
That would create the chances for turnovers and penalties within sight of the line.
But, not for the first time, there was an inability to take the initiative and read the flow of the match mid-game.
England didn’t seem to be able to recognise the pressure they were coming under from the opposition and find a solution. They seemed to be waiting for instruction rather than taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
They had control of the game, but not the scoreboard and they sleepwalked into a dangerous situation where they were vulnerable to a lapse in concentration or a purple patch from the Pumas.
Coach Eddie Jones has talked about building resilience and adaptability. In September he visited US Navy Seals to learn about how they react to the unexpected and still get missions accomplished.
His England team still has some way to go on that.
Collectively it was a disappointing day, the result dictated that, but individually I think there were plus points.
Wing Joe Cokanasiga was the stand-out in the backs. He was busy, hungry for the ball, broke the line and linked well with his team-mates.
Debutant Alex Coles was dynamic and ran good, clever lines to get past that tight Argentine defence. His kick-off gathering was messy, but that was true of his team in general.
Overall it was a wake-up call to England. Mentally they didn’t look switched on enough, they were short of urgency and intensity.
This week, vice captain Ellis Genge has promised some “uncomfortable conversations” are going to take place ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Japan.
The Brave Blossoms will be another tricky opponent, New Zealand and South Africa will represent a step up.
At points in the game on Sunday, England looked like they needed someone inside the team to give them a verbal ‘kick up the backside’ to clear their heads and get them thinking clearly.
That defeat will have done the job just as well.
I’m not writing England off for this autumn, never mind the Six Nations or Rugby World Cup next year.
Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport’s Mike Henson
Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia on Saturday defeated Lobi Stars of Makurdi 1-0 in a pulsating North Central derby.
The matchday 16 fixture of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premiere Football League (NPFL) was played at the Lafia Township Stadium, Nasarawa State capital.
The Makurdi side had adopted the Lafia Township Stadium as their home ground for the 2024/2025 NPFL season.
The only goal of the match was scored by Qamar Adegoke in the 12th minute of the match to give all three points to the Lafia side.
Adegoke’s goal, who joined the Lafia team recently, was his second in four matches.
The Nasarawa attacker capitalised on a defensive error by the opponent’s backline and hit the back of the net to give Nasarawa United the advantage.
In a post-match interview, Kabir Dogo, Technical Adviser of Nasarawa United, hailed his players for taking all three points.
He explained that his team had improved by scoring five goals in their last three matches and expressed optimism that they would do better in subsequent games.
“We had a problem in the area of goal scoring in the past, but this has changed in our last three games,” he said.
With the win, Nasarawa United climbed to 14th on the NPFL table, while Lobi Stars remain on 17th position. (NAN)
The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is organising a two-day National Coaching Seminar, with the theme: “Leadership and Management Skills”.
The event will take place from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18, at the Additional Sports and Entertainment (ASEP) Pro Limited, in Mowe, Ogun State.
The seminar will enhance the capabilities of Nigerian table tennis coaches, with a particular emphasis on female coaches, aligning with the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Initiative.
A statement issued by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, on Tuesday, said that the seminar was part of the one-week sports and leadership boot camp titled “Awaken the Giant, She Can 4.
0,” proudly supported by NTTF.“This seminar will also represent the third stage of the 2024 “My Gender, My Strength” programme, which has table tennis star Abosede Akinsete, as a beneficiary.
“NTTF President,Tikon Ishaku, Vice President, Adesoji Tayo, and other board members are dedicated to initiatives that support the development of coaches.
“Wahid Enitan-Oshodi, ITTF Executive Vice President, and President of ITTF-Africa, reaffirms his commitment to empowering women in sports, in line with the GEDI Initiative.
He explained that the seminar would feature people, who would speak on leadership and management skills, to enhance the abilities of coaches to identify and develop talents, as well as encourage the development of high-performance table tennis players capable of competing globally. (NAN)
Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt on Sunday returned to the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) summit as strong rivals Remo Stars FC faltered on Match Day 13.
Report says that Rivers United beat visiting Abia Warriors of Umuahia 1-0 after an Ndifreke Effiong 58th minute goal from the penalty kick spot.
Effiong’s goal in the match at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium helped them to move to 25 points from 13 matches, after seven wins, four draws and two losses.
Former leaders Remo Stars dropped to second with 23 points from 13 matches after seven wins, two draws and four losses, following a 0-2 loss to hosts Katsina United.
Plateau United of Jos beat visiting Nasarawa United of Lafia 2-0 to bolster their position.
Shooting Stars Sports Club also struggled to a 1-0 win over visiting Bayelsa United of Yenago.
A 15th minute goal by Anthony Okachi at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan gave them the win.
El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri had on Saturday beaten Akwa United of Uyo 1-0 to move into third place on the table with 22 points from 13 games.
Enyimba International of Aba remained in fourth place with 20 points from 12 matches, with their week 13 game against Sunshine Stars of Akure on hold.
Rangers International of Enugu are in fifth place with 20 points also, after a goalless draw with hosts Heartland FC ain Owerri on Saturday.
Bendel Insurance of Benin had also beaten Kwara United of Ilorin 3-1, while Lobi Stars of Makurdi drew 2-2 with visiting Kano Pillars in Lafia.
NAN reports that the league will enter Match Day 14 on Wednesday.(NAN)
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