An awful lot can happen in five weeks. It seems only yesterday that Wales were battling to avoid a thumping defeat against us at Twickenham. Now they are one win away from a grand slam. It merely rams home the inescapable truth of modern rugby union: any team which fails to perform the basics correctly every week can potentially come unstuck. Whether it is in the Six Nations or the Premiership, you cannot afford to step off the gas even for a moment.
Wales's 100% record so far has, I confess, surprised me slightly. I did not think we would see one team dominate because all the nations are so evenly matched. So how have they done it? Having watched the weekend games, I think it is pretty clear what the Welsh "secret" is based on. Against both us and Ireland it has been their directness which has stood out. They have not been too flash but Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley have laid down a simple game plan and made it clear they want it executed with aggression and accuracy. When they get in behind the defensive line, they have also had a number of skilful players available to convert pressure into points.
It is not unlike the Wasps' style which, obviously, Shaun and Warren know well. If you are aggressive, direct spaces will open up, as they did against us in the second half of our opening game. People sometimes forget that, if the opposition are just as fresh as you are, you have to wear them down initially with your big ball carriers. Wales did not start particularly well at Croke Park but they stuck to a simple, well-managed game plan and ultimately reaped the benefits. Someone like Shane Williams is clearly playing a major part in their success but he owes a lot to the way his team-mates are working him into space. That is the reason he is equalling records. It is not simply because he has got twinkling feet.
And England? Sitting at home alone I felt the same disappointment and frustration as any other Englishman. What pains me is that we have got so much talent in our squad without, as yet, the consistency to match. Conditions were clearly poor but we made a meal of it and Scotland played with the directness I am referring to. They did not particularly look as if they were going to score tries but we should have recognised that fact and starved them of penalty opportunities. In the end we played into their hands.
If I knew an instant solution, then clearly I would retire tomorrow and become a world-beating international coach. It was pretty evident, however, that we had a game plan and did not stick to it. If you have got guys like Simon Shaw, Nick Easter, Michael Lipman and our big props you want them taking the ball up and being really aggressive with their ball carrying. The bottom line is that we need those people to give us more momentum, or "go-forward" as it is called these days, before we worry about playing. Too often we seem to be attempting to play the perfect game of rugby when what is needed is more directness and - that word again - aggression. If you can get the ball going forward, the backplay will instantly be less static.
I guess we will just have to keep working on it. We have got the quality in our squad and there is nothing wrong with our training. I appreciate there is going to be a fair amount of criticism flying around but we have got a good coaching staff who are saying all the right things. We are still trying to build something and it is frustrating to watch other sides doing what we would love to. We have got a host of very good backs in England and two top finishers in Lesley Vainikolo and Paul Sackey but we need to create more space for them.
Hopefully that will happen against Ireland. I am raring to be involved if my injured ankle permits. There was a chance of me being involved for Wasps yesterday but it was decided not to take the risk and to give it another weekend's rest. I am pretty confident I will be fit and available this weekend - if selected.
