By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2025-01-09 14:21:44 | Updated at 2025-01-09 23:31:28
9 hours ago
Sale coach Alex Sanderson says most coaches find an all-out blitz defence is too easily unpicked after it was reported that England will ditch the tactic for the Six Nations.
England's ultra-aggressive line speed on their summer tour of New Zealand restricted the All Blacks to four tries in their two Tests.
However, defence coach Felix Jones departed shortly after and England were more porous in the autumn, conceding an average of four tries a game in their defeats by New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
The Daily Mail report, external that Jones' successor, Joe El-Abd, will use a pre-tournament training camp in Girona to change their tactics, with tacklers adopting a more cautious, but coordinated approach.
Sanderson ran Saracens' defence before taking the top job at Sale, who conceded the joint fewest tries in last season's Premiership.
"I think even South Africa, who were known for it, have come off it a little bit," he said of the world champions' commitment to blitzing attacks.
"Teams are able to unpick it, if it is line speed at all costs. If defenders are getting past the ball in the outside channels, you can double pump and play through lines - people are doing that quite well.
"I think there is a little shift from all-out, all-or-nothing man and ball, to a defence holding on the ball carrier and pushing up when the ball is passed.
"Most defences are shifting towards that."
Sale's half-backs Raffi Quirke and George Ford will miss the team's Champions Cup pool-stage meeting with South Africa's Stormers on Saturday, though Sanderson is confident neither injury will affect their availability for England's Six Nations campaign.
Ford is nursing a hip flexor problem, while Quirke suffered a minor quad tear in the win over Bristol two weeks ago.
"Every other part of his body is great, it is just soft tissue that we can fix in a week," said Sanderson of Quirke.
England announce their squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday, with wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and full-back George Furbank set to miss at least part of the tournament and Bath flanker Sam Underhill's fitness uncertain after he suffered an ankle knock in defeat by Northampton on Sunday.
