WillGreenwood

[u]Last week[/u] England were 3.5 to beat South Africa in the first Test in Durban. Odds of 5.3 on a Red Rose second Test win this Saturday tell you a lot about the nature of international rugby tours. Lose the first Test and it's extremely difficult to regain momentum. That's why 3-0 South Africa is in to 1.6 in the Series Correct Score market and I have to admit that I wouldn't argue against that price. England weren't awful last week but they will probably never have a better chance of winning a Test in South Africa than they did against Heyneke Meyer's transitional team. Stuart Lancaster's side were expected to benefit from their extra preparation time but it was the Springboks who played with confidence and continuity. Early on we saw how dangerous it is to give South Africa's...

was surprised to see France blow their Grand Slam chance by drawing with Ireland but I'm astonished by Philipe Saint-Andre's team selections for Sunday's clash with England. Out goes Morgan Parra, out goes Francois Trin-Duch and I fail to understand either decision. I'm a huge fan of Trin-Duch, he's tough, he has a touch of class and, with one magical offload, he set up France's opening points last week. By replacing him with Lionel Beauxis, Saint-Andre has put all his faith in kicking prowess. The Toulouse man, who had a shocker against England in the 2007 World Cup semi-final, will be expected to pin England's defence deep inside their own half but I'm not convinced it will work. Never before have I seen a France coach select his side in response to the threat posed by England. ...

Warren Gatland was using reverse psychology when he spoke earlier this week of Wales' many defeats at Twickenham over the last two decades. I played in an England team that didn't lose at home for over four years so, just as it might be difficult for the Welsh to visualise winning at Twickenham, it's weird for me to see the Red Rose as 2.66 outsiders on their own patch. Of all the home nations, I enjoyed beating Wales most. Stuart Lancaster's young team are in for a serious test on Saturday but I'd give anything for another crack at the Dragon. There's plenty that I admire about this Welsh team and, although the picture is skewed by France's postponement in round two, Wales have so far been the top Six Nations performers. England are building confidence and gelling as a unit but Wales...

I was very pleased by many aspects of England's round one win over Scotland. Their energy and commitment were first rate, there was a new desire about them which is very encouraging for the future and, of course, winning at Murrayfield for the first time in eight years is something all Red Rose fans were delighted by. But I can understand why bettors aren't getting carried away by the result and current odds of 6.0 on England in the Six Nations winner market is fair. Stuart Lancaster has obviously told his players to go out and smash opponents. They had an extraordinarily high tackle count at Murrayfield and they displayed immense physical strength to keep the hosts out. But they were playing against an indecisive attack that, on current form, couldn't buy a try. Owen Farrell showed...

I'm baffled by the odds on Saturday's Six Nations opener between Scotland and England. The hosts are favourites with everybody except bettors and I won't be putting my money anywhere near the 1.78 on Stuart Lancaster's young team. This is Scotland's chance to record a famous victory. England go up to Murrayfield with an untested team, which has been selected by three respected but, at this level at least, inexperienced coaches. They haven't won north of the border since 2004 and the Scots will be determined to avenge the narrow defeat that dumped them out of the World Cup. New Zealand was a nadir for English rugby and, while I like what Stuart Lancaster has said and done so far, it can't be forgotten that the Red Rose are trying to rebuild after a demoralising autumn. Don't think ...

Wow. What a squad. Change is inevitable following a World Cup but I applaud Stuart Lancaster's bold selections for his England Six Nations squad. All young English players should be very excited because the RFU is signalling that they will give youth its chance. The national team manager has a responsibility to give emerging players hope and on that count Lancaster gets top marks. This is a team for the future, which partly explains why England's Six Nations odds have drifted to 4.8, but that's also due to injuries to key men. Manu Tuilagi will bring genuine bite into the attack and Toby Flood will add experience when they return to fitness . Talk of new caps gets me reminiscing about my own call-up. Clive Woodward was a notorious insomniac but when the phone rang at six o'clock one...

The RFU's appointment of a three man interim England coaching team is a sensible move. Some observers will argue that the team are wasting six months but I think the 2012 Six Nations will give whoever takes over, probably in March, an excellent opportunity to assess the players in a big tournament. Stuart Lancaster, who will be supported by Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell, is a sound choice as stand-in head coach but he will be under no illusions about getting the job on a full-time basis. England are 4.1 to win the Six Nations and, even if they pull off a shock Grand Slam, I can't see Lancaster getting the nod. Mind you, it would throw up a fascinating conundrum for the RFU and bring some much-needed cheer to fans. I'm pleased to see Rowntree - a fine servant for the Red Rose on...

Where did England go wrong? I haven't got an answer. I'm as stunned and gutted as everybody else at the Red Rose's World Cup capitulation. There will be those who say the problems started four years ago but that's a discussion for another time. England lost last weekend's quarter-final between the fifth and 25th minutes. The basics that Martin Johnson urges players to get right were not there. England made fundamental errors and allowed themselves to be bullied out of the game. From the moment Dimitri Yachvili kicked France into a 6-0 lead, England played back-foot rugby. France smashed them at the set pieces, an area where England are supposed to be strong. It was like they were trapped in a washing machine and didn't know how to halt the spin cycle. Vincent Clerc's opening try left...

[u]England v Romania, Saturday 07:00 (ITV1)[/u] I hoped England would kick-start their World Cup campaign with a big win against Georgia. They covered the winning margin and all four of our bets on the match came in - which is fantastic - but did we see the comprehensive display I wanted? Hmm. Sort of. Not really. England made a great start, playing dynamic rugby as Shontayne Hape scored a lovely pair of first half tries. But after that the old frustrations crept in and indiscipline, I'm afraid, was the key issue again. England are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy in referees' eyes. They are gaining a reputation as a wayward side, officials are eagle-eyed for their indiscretions and that's a very dangerous position to be in. Merab Kvirikashvili missed three penalties but better...