The English defensive system is one-up monsters, especially their midfield, but their defensive patterns can be exposed, writes LIAM TOLAND

‘THE ENGLISH are our enemies and nobody else is allowed to fight them”. This was how “Bridge Over the River Kwai” Irish survivor Frank McGee explained why he fought with the British army during the second World War as referred to by Irish Times London editor Mark Hennessy reviewing Robert Widders’s The Emperor’s Irish Slaves: Prisoners of the Japanese in the Second World War.

I get a sense that Stephen Ferris’s account this week of forming lifelong friendships with English team-mates on the British and Irish Lions will count for little tomorrow. Add Tom Croft’s new media-imposed “world class status” and Ireland’s outstanding wrecking ball and catalyst for so much destruction and creation will feel like McGee.

Yes Croft did extremely well in Paris, as did his team-mates, but under what pressure? Is the current French team the benchmark? England are extremely competent at the basics, kick, chase/hunt, scrum, lineout, defence and real hunger, and they’ve some quality players to add to that. How good are their 6, 8, 9 10?

New boy Charlie Sharples has real pace, as does Croft. He is crucial at lineouts, oscillating along the line and in particular at two from short lineouts. I like how he stays down in defence, looking into the abyss before springing into the air. Forewarned is forearmed. I trust Ireland will reduce his influence. He’s their go-to man in lineouts but elsewhere, enter Ferris.

England when facing stiffer odds become very physical. Expect this tomorrow. They were very happy to bring the ball to the gain line, going the same way, remaining structured and as always, instinct can be hard to control, especially off the cuff through Ben Foden and Chris Ashton.

Real pressure, which they faced only in sporadic parts from the French, was not sufficient to expose their new found joie de vivre. Ireland’s new-found defensive system will ask many questions of the English; expect turnovers from their back three.

It has been a wonderful journey the new Irish boys have been on; Donnacha Ryan’s pace over five metres makes him very dangerous in lineouts and in the corridor of power. Keith Earls’ journey through positional variation and injury has had several new beginnings and he’s been really growing into his own, offensively and defensively.

That said given the right “one on one” in space, very few people, including Brian O’Driscoll, can bring Manu Tuilagi down.

Hence the systems must have our front five constantly commanding the heart of the field off multi-phase and then Tuilagi will have double teams arriving. If Earls is forced into a one-on-one, look inside and ask where are the front five? Has the speed of the English ruck caught them out? Whose savaging will once again affect Heaslip’s performance?

My favourite part of Tuilagi’s game is not his physique but how he carries the ball in both hands. This makes him very difficult to defend and leaves the defence prone to a lot of dangerous support lines behind him.

In fairness, the English made their luck last week through massive hits. I was very impressed by the much-maligned Chris Ashton’s hit on Dimitri Szarzewski. It was very special but, not content with that, he ran a brilliant line inside for Tuilagi, which wasn’t required. All of this implies great lines but more importantly, hunger and team spirit, which are dangerous commodities for Ireland.

Add to that Cool Hand Luke Owen Farrell, whose post-match interview last weekend was extraordinary. With typical English hubris, the interviewer was digging for the classic reaction, which they truly deserved by winning in France. But, to Farrell’s credit, his chosen words were not of vitriolic celebration but highlighted team values through cool, simple but very intelligent comments.

His play is similar; at any given stage an outhalf may have upwards of 15 options and thus far his shot selection has both benefited and enhanced his team’s game plan. Compare that to France’s Lionel Beauxis, Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw and anything in Italy. Add to this his ferocious defence.

Can pressure force errant decisions and executions from Farrell? Only time will tell.

Add England’s inside centre Brad Barritt and we have further threat/opportunity. I would not want to tackle Tuilagi and I wouldn’t want to be tackled by Barritt! He is phenomenal in the one-up hit in defence and in attack, like many selfless 12s, his role is to facilitate his 13. Barrett is no different but although his stats tell me he gets the ball and even passes it, he is far from the fulcrum.

Ireland’s fixing and negotiating of this 10,12, 13 axis will be crucial. The English defensive system is one-up monsters, especially their midfield, but their defensive patterns can be exposed, where Barrett loves contact and runs lines accordingly. Ireland should entice him in and expose the hole behind or, as France did, go route one through and around the fringes.

Better still what Clement Poitrenaud did: run at the English defender, fix him, then diagonally to the outside defender, fix him, before an aggressive line into the hole, beautiful; Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble all over the place.

Although rebuilding, England are flexing their offloads, especially the three-way triangle which pops up constantly. Their kick-off receipt gets a dummy pod into the air for the catcher behind and when he’s on, Phil Dowson is poor at this. They hit the tail followed by a beautiful three-way triangle, which totally confused the French lineout defence. When Tuilagi’s on the ball a dangerous triangle pops up in support; likewise for Farrell and Foden.

The English scrum is their most interesting tool. It has done damage on the road, which is a huge morale booster especially in Paris where the English scrum pressurised until William Servat’s arrival. Theyre at home tomorrow and will be like peacocks. Dan Cole starts well but can fall away as happened against France and Italy. Expect 15 scrums, the first five ferocious.

When England beat Ireland it is generally due to the pace of the breakdown ball. Count the seconds from contact to recycle and if England can reduce that to below five we’re in trouble. Julien Dupuy at nine for France was far too sluggish at breakdown which afforded England those vital seconds to realign. So what tactics should Ireland employ? To answer that we must ask how good are England? – under the circumstances pretty good.

Their new coach has brought a steely focus on team values, which makes them dangerous. France went for the bludgeon but got little change but poor Italy did what Ireland must do. Massive variety in their attack and kicking game, short, narrow wide and put seeds of doubt into the English defence.

Ireland can live at England’s pace. France, Italy and certainly Scotland couldn’t; so control the breakdown and you’ll control England and then we’ll find out how good their 6, 8, 9 and 10 really are.

Finally, if you’re arriving into London today take a stroll down to The Stoop at 7.45pm for the Stuart Mangan Memorial Cup contested by the English and Irish Legends of the game led by Martin Corry and Shane Byrne.