Tours at the end of tough World Cup seasons can be intimidating, but next month offers England a big opportunity. And when we think about the setup that Japan and the All Blacks face, Tommy Freeman could be a crucial figure.
Steve Borthwick has had a typical summer selection dilemma in putting together this squad. Does he take over Premiership finalists Northampton Saints and Bath or is there – perversely – a case for retaining more players who were not involved in the play-offs or who lost out in the semi-finals because they spent longer in camp? Either way, Freeman seems essential.
Borthwick continues to be in a period of renewal that has become even more tangible; especially in the back line. George Ford’s withdrawal from the Japan and New Zealand tour, following that of Elliot Daly, provides considerable experience in the format. Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi, Joe Marchant and Jonny May have all been declared ineligible or unavailable in the past six months.
Freeman, who had not played a Test since being sacrificed at half-time of Eddie Jones’ final match against England in November 2022, was pulled out of last year’s World Cup preparations quite early. He returned to Northampton and promptly produced a brilliant campaign, punctuated by a Six Nations with a particularly prominent performance against France.
As his Saints team endured nervous moments at Twickenham on Saturday, Freeman exuded the poise of a polished international. Without him, Northampton might not have prevailed. Borthwick and his English coaches will certainly have included Freeman in their plans.
Air quality
Kicking will be a crucial aspect of England’s assignments in both Tokyo and New Zealand and Freeman has become a huge asset with that in mind.
Saints proactively used him as a specialist fighter, in a similar way to how England had used him in Lyon three months earlier. Despite starting on the right wing, Freeman chased kicks through the middle:
And on the left, where he rose to hit the ball back after Bath regained the lead after the hour:
Freeman’s pursuit of box kicks has also become a reliable way to move around the field. Twice in quick succession in the first quarter, Freeman faced Will Muir in the air. Here he follows Mitchell’s box kick…
…and swerves through blockers to force a knock-on:
A close-up replay shows Freeman watching the ball the entire time, turning his body so that any ricochet falls to his colleagues:
Two minutes later, the 23-year-old crashed into a breakdown…
…but is back on his feet to pursue another attack from Mitchell. This time he collects it:
Regaining possession in such scenarios often leads to tries as the defense is disorganized. Japan and New Zealand will similarly try to outwit England. This overhead shot of Freeman underscored his own solidity:
Before we get into the more salient matters, defensive belief is another area that is very important for Borthwick and where Freeman has proven his worth.
Intelligence and commitment in defense
You can often tell a lot about a player by his composure in open space. In the 13th minute at Twickenham, Saints press on the edge of the Bath 22 when the ball squirts out of a breakdown:
Ben Spencer’s nod to Sam Underhill sparks a transition attack and the Saints are conflicted:
Freeman watches a four-on-one effectively and responds excellently. He immediately realizes he has to delay Bath so Fin Smith can cross and make contact with him. Freeman, initially on the right flank, follows the field before withdrawing as Underhill feeds Cameron Redpath:
Instead of biting into Redpath, he backs up and turns his body so Smith can overtake him and form a conventional drift defense. It’s only when Redpath moves to Muir that Freeman accelerates again, and he’s quick and robust enough to force his opponent into contact:
Later in the first half there was another crucial intervention. This comes as part of a kick rally. Finn Russell spots Smith in the backfield and hoists a high ball for Muir to chase:
Bath only found joy in their kicking game when they aimed the ball away from Freeman to other players in the back three – after Muir had outwitted George Hendy to score, for example. Here’s Freeman waving towards the action:
Muir climbs to catch and brush off Smith, but Freeman is on the spot and completes a heavy tackle:
Saints escape in the next phase as Spencer’s kick pass goes into touch.
Boosted by his move to outside center in the second half, which we will explore later, Freeman recorded eleven tackles and missed none. Only Alex Coles, with 12, scored more for Saints.
England will inevitably come under pressure from the All Blacks. Freeman’s athleticism and anticipation will be put to good use.
Synergy in attack
There were three Northampton players in England’s starting backline against Ireland and France at the end of the Six Nations. Others, such as Fin Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Sleightholme, could soon join them. That coherence, which is clearly visible this weekend, can only benefit the fluency.
Freeman, about 6 feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, was used early on as a direct carrier. He starts this line-out on Smith’s right shoulder…
…and generates a quick ruck after an inside pass from Burger Odendaal:
In the post-Manu Tuilagi era, Freeman’s strength will be called upon in heavy traffic.
Saints scored two fluent tries in the first period, each from two-phase attacking moves and using the same formation, with two back rowers in midfield.
For the first, scored by Freeman himself, Tom Pearson takes a pass from Smith and charges forward. Note the views of Freeman and Furbank:
While Fraser Dingwall, Odendaal and Smith continue to move in the same direction and threaten the other side of the breakdown, Furbank remains hidden as he darts towards the near side to join Freeman. The aim is to tackle the Bath attackers in a stretched defensive line:
This move, reminiscent of a Joe Schmidt favorite, allows Furbank to cut through. Freeman quickly raises his hand to warn his teammate and is ready to discuss the following:
View the whole:
Sleightholme’s score came from a similar base, although Freeman is flatter this time with Juarno Augustus and Pearson:
The next phase sees Saints execute their preferred shape, with Dingwall being the first receiver and Odendaal cutting a short line. Smith stays at the back with Freeman, Furbank and Sleightholme wider:
Freeman doesn’t touch the ball here – Smith’s pass is fired over him – but his presence helps Saints get past Bath, as the defense must stay narrow to respect his threat:
A versatile forward, Freeman can facilitate more improvement from England, especially around club-mates Northampton.
The possibilities of versatility
Backs that can cover more than one position are valuable in the modern game. They allow coaches to load six forwards onto the bench or adjust for injuries.
Freeman has switched between wing and outside center for Saints this season and can also fill in at full-back. Against Bath, Odendaal’s withdrawal sent Freeman into midfield.
There he has less room to roam in the attack. However, his defense remained effective. Here he starts opposite Ollie Lawrence as Spencer feeds Russell:
Russell goes in and Matt Gallagher is stopped by Alex Moon and Courtney Lawes. Freeman dives, spoils the breakdown, then takes the ball away from Russell when he receives it and wins a turnover:
In the final minutes, another moment illustrated Freeman’s defensive prowess. Deep in the Bath half he looks at Russell…
…and reads the kick pass quickly, readjusting to help Tom James Lawrence and then jackall:
Freeman was also part of the match-ending tackle on Orlando Bailey, having gone the length of the field from the first maul:
Outside centers are being urged to blitz aggressively in Felix Jones’ system, but Freeman has already spent time in that role against Scotland at Murrayfield. If Borthwick were to move there, either mid-match or from the start, he could deploy Freeman, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and another strike-runner such as Sleightholme or Tom Roebuck in the same backline.
Daly looked like a security blanket for England in the last Six Nations, starting four games on the left wing and wearing the number 23 shirt for the win over Ireland. In his absence, Freeman has the opportunity to step in as his successor. Translate his Saints form and England will benefit in the coming weeks and well into the future.