England are seeking a response to Saturday’s 31-20 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield when they host Ireland at Twickenham this coming Saturday, with captain Tom Curry acknowledging a unhurried start proved costly.
The loss ended a 12-Test winning streak for England and saw them fall behind in this year’s Six Nations Championship. Curry told Sky Sports News that the team were “fighting with one hand behind our back” during the first 25-30 minutes of the match, a period in which Scotland established a significant lead.
“It’s easy to say because you can always say something like that but that was probably coming out of the blocks and we didn’t want to necessarily set ourselves in that position, especially away against a good team,” Curry said. “Credit to Scotland, they put on a really good performance, they were accurate and clinical.”
England were hampered by two yellow cards issued to winger Henry Arundell in the first half, for not releasing an opponent and then for a dangerous tackle on Kyle Steyn. Arundell will face a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, according to reports.
Curry defended Arundell, stating, “He’s been very level headed, he’s a very measured bloke. He’s been in the middle, I try to give him my experiences of it. It’s annoying, he’ll be alright.” Curry also highlighted the role of head coach Steve Borthwick in supporting players through difficult moments, referencing Borthwick’s previous support during a similar situation in Curry’s own career.
The team spent Sunday processing the defeat, Curry explained. “Sometimes you have to sit in it for a bit and feel what’s happened. We did that on Sunday. We had a good afternoon, physically and mentally you secure yourself right, and then come the meeting you’re ready to listen and that’s the critical thing.”
England will face a different challenge against Ireland, who secured a 20-13 victory over Italy on Sunday, though the match was not without its own scrutiny. Ireland head coach Andy Farrell responded to criticism of the reaction from some home fans when fly-half Sam Prendergast was substituted, with some supporters appearing to applaud the change. Farrell defended his young player, and criticised “keyboard warriors” for their negative commentary.
“I might be talking out of school here but what’s gone on over the last year, especially with the keyboard warriors, I think people need to question themselves sometimes, ‘are we Irish? Do we want people to do well or not?’” Farrell said. “Because it can be tough for these kids. I’ve seen it toing and froing with both of them, and both of them are strong characters.”
Farrell acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming match at Twickenham, stating, “Paris is a tough ask and Twickenham is a similar type of task so we need to grow through that experience and see what we can do with it. I’ve no doubt people are going to write us off.”
Curry, who has featured off the bench in recent matches, emphasized his commitment to the team’s success regardless of his starting role. “The little boy in yourself says you want to start, the man in you says you’re happy for the team. We’re grown adults so you obviously listen to the man,” he said. “It’s been a brilliant experience and you have to put yourself in a position where you’re ready for anything.”
England’s match against Ireland is scheduled for Saturday, February 21 at 2.10pm at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, followed by Wales versus Scotland at 4.40pm.
