Martin Johnson Happy Despite Fans' Frustration With Stolid England
Martin Johnson praised England's performance against Argentina but the team received a slow-hand clap send-off
England last night cut their squad to 29 before jumping on a plane to Argentina – a pared-down squad that on Saturday showed pared-down ambitions heading for a ground in the foothills of the Andes where Test rugby has only ever been played once before. It is hardly the stuff to inspire a rush for late tickets on flights to Salta, but Martin Johnson is happy enough with England's style of play despite the jeers and slow hand clapping that greeted their performance.
At the end of the month he will name a new elite squad of 32, nine of whom will be those players now away with the Lions in South Africa and some more of whom will be among the injured not currently available. But the remaining places will be fought for by those on duty in Manchester and those who will be asked to stick to the same game plan next Saturday.
"It is a matter of character in Argentina," said Johnson. "Mentally we have to be up, we can't say, "That was enough last week, let's go out and see what happens. We have to be even more disciplined and more resilient and more accurate and more tenacious then we were today because we will be in a very hostile environment but that is good for this group and that is what they want to go through."
The group will not include Tom Rees, Jordan Turner-Hall or Ben Foden, who were cut yesterday, but according to Johnson "there was a great new feeling in the changing room" after the match, a view not wholly endorsed by Delon Armitage, scorer of two of the three tries. Without ever tempting his manager's anger, the London Irish full-back had a deal of sympathy with the crowd, admitting that England's kicking game could be as frustrating to play as well as watch.
"Frustrating? At times in the first half," said Armitage, before explaining that "it was the plan. We didn't want to play any stuff in our half because that is their gameplan – to kick it and make people try and run it back and they defend really well."
However, the fact remains that in their last two games all six of England's tries have come via the boot. At Twickenham, against the Barbarians, it was the skill of Andy Goode in manufacturing kicks that brought three scores. On Saturday Mark Cueto produced two volleys that betrayed a youth spent on the fringes of Crewe Alexandra and a sense of occasion perfect for the Theater of Dreams.
The first, off the right foot, possibly came from a forward pass and might have been diverted to Armitage in an offside position. The second, direct from a Goode chip, flew 70 yards off the outside of the left foot before stopping perfectly for Armitage in Old Trafford's minute in-goal area.
Exciting, but hardly a tactic to be relied on when Argentina return to England in November, or when the two the sides next meet after that – in Christchurch in the pool stages of the 2011 World Cup.
Argentina Agulla; Camacho, Avramovic (Fernández, 60), Tiesi, Aramburu; Hernández, Vergallo; Roncero, Basualdo (Guiñazu, 71), Orlandi, Carizza, Albacete, Galindo (Lozada, 68), Leguizamón, JM Fernández Lobbe (capt).
Pens Hernández 4. Drop goal Hernández.
Sin–bin Agulla, 64.
England D Armitage; Cueto, Hipkiss, T May (Vesty, 73), Banahan (Tait, 76); Goode, D Care (Hodgson, 64); Payne, Hartley, D Wilson (White, 64), Borthwick (capt), Deacon (Kay, 78), Haskell, S Armitage (S Thompson, 78), Easter (Crane, 64).
Tries Banahan, D Armitage 2. Cons Goode 2. Pens Goode 4. Drop goals Goode 2.
Sin-bin White, 69.
Referee C Berdos (France). Attendance 40,521.
At the end of the month he will name a new elite squad of 32, nine of whom will be those players now away with the Lions in South Africa and some more of whom will be among the injured not currently available. But the remaining places will be fought for by those on duty in Manchester and those who will be asked to stick to the same game plan next Saturday.
"It is a matter of character in Argentina," said Johnson. "Mentally we have to be up, we can't say, "That was enough last week, let's go out and see what happens. We have to be even more disciplined and more resilient and more accurate and more tenacious then we were today because we will be in a very hostile environment but that is good for this group and that is what they want to go through."
The group will not include Tom Rees, Jordan Turner-Hall or Ben Foden, who were cut yesterday, but according to Johnson "there was a great new feeling in the changing room" after the match, a view not wholly endorsed by Delon Armitage, scorer of two of the three tries. Without ever tempting his manager's anger, the London Irish full-back had a deal of sympathy with the crowd, admitting that England's kicking game could be as frustrating to play as well as watch.
"Frustrating? At times in the first half," said Armitage, before explaining that "it was the plan. We didn't want to play any stuff in our half because that is their gameplan – to kick it and make people try and run it back and they defend really well."
However, the fact remains that in their last two games all six of England's tries have come via the boot. At Twickenham, against the Barbarians, it was the skill of Andy Goode in manufacturing kicks that brought three scores. On Saturday Mark Cueto produced two volleys that betrayed a youth spent on the fringes of Crewe Alexandra and a sense of occasion perfect for the Theater of Dreams.
The first, off the right foot, possibly came from a forward pass and might have been diverted to Armitage in an offside position. The second, direct from a Goode chip, flew 70 yards off the outside of the left foot before stopping perfectly for Armitage in Old Trafford's minute in-goal area.
Exciting, but hardly a tactic to be relied on when Argentina return to England in November, or when the two the sides next meet after that – in Christchurch in the pool stages of the 2011 World Cup.
Argentina Agulla; Camacho, Avramovic (Fernández, 60), Tiesi, Aramburu; Hernández, Vergallo; Roncero, Basualdo (Guiñazu, 71), Orlandi, Carizza, Albacete, Galindo (Lozada, 68), Leguizamón, JM Fernández Lobbe (capt).
Pens Hernández 4. Drop goal Hernández.
Sin–bin Agulla, 64.
England D Armitage; Cueto, Hipkiss, T May (Vesty, 73), Banahan (Tait, 76); Goode, D Care (Hodgson, 64); Payne, Hartley, D Wilson (White, 64), Borthwick (capt), Deacon (Kay, 78), Haskell, S Armitage (S Thompson, 78), Easter (Crane, 64).
Tries Banahan, D Armitage 2. Cons Goode 2. Pens Goode 4. Drop goals Goode 2.
Sin-bin White, 69.
Referee C Berdos (France). Attendance 40,521.
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