Former England centre Will Greenwood has spotlighted Ben Earl’s tackling as a key factor in England’s narrow loss to the All Blacks.
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Earl, typically a standout performer for England, has shown an issue with his tackling style—a weakness that Greenwood suggests is reminiscent of former teammate Owen Farrell’s technique.
“NFL-Style Speedbump” – Greenwood’s Take on Earl’s Costly Technique
Greenwood was candid in his criticism, pointing to this flaw as a decisive factor in two of England’s recent tier-one clashes.
Greenwood wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “For all his strengths, Ben Earl’s tackling technique has put England in a sticky situation in two of those four tier-one losses.
“At the end of the French Test in Lyon, it was Earl’s NFL-style speedbump which led to Thomas Ramos’s winning penalty at the death; at Twickenham, Earl performed the same action which gave New Zealand a vital three points at a seminal moment of the match.”
The Verdict? “Zero Complaints” from Greenwood
In Greenwood’s view, the verdict is clear: “He can have zero complaints.” This critical moment, according to Greenwood, could be a wake-up call for Earl as he looks to refine his approach in future matches for Steve Borthwick’s squad.
“Brutally targeted” – Five players who flopped in the opening round of the Autumn Nations Series
Here’s a look at five players who’ll want to leave their performances behind after the All Blacks defeated England and Scotland routed Fiji in the Autumn Nations Series opener.
Ellis Genge (England)
Guardian 5/10: “Back from calf injury and gassed by Tele’a for first try. Embraced the blitz defence but beaten by Jordan too easily as well.”
Telegraph 5/10: “Brutally targeted by the All Blacks for their opening tries by Tele’a and Jordan. Rule of thumb: don’t leave your prop exposed against All Black outside backs.”
Ben Spencer (England)
Guardian 5/10: “First start at 32 and looked nervous, caught out at one ruck on his own 22 and charged down. Settled thereafter but not the statement showing he’d have liked.”
