England will be expansive by November vows Johnson's king of attack

Man with a plan: Martin Johnson

Brian Smith was last week recruited by the Rugby Football Union as attack coach under new team manager Johnson, in the hope that he can provide England with a cutting edge missing since the 2003 World Cup.

In his last role, as director of rugby at London Irish, the former Australia and Ireland international built up a reputation as an innovator and under him the Exiles' team was arguably the most exciting in the Guinness Premiership.

The first test of the new management team - which also features defensive strategist Mike Ford and forwards coach John Wells - will come in four home Tests against the Pacific Islands, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in November.

After the dismal recent performances on tour in New Zealand, Smith has vowed to
initiate improvements by the time that quartet of matches ends against the All Blacks on November 29.

'I want us to threaten the defensive line from every position,' he said.

'Players want to play an exciting and expansive brand of rugby and they want to win. I believe we can do both those things and that's the sort of game I'm interested in coaching.

'Things won't happen overnight but they certainly will happen. By the end of the November series there will be an England style of game in place that players will have to fit in to.

Vow: Brian Smith

'Hopefully that's an expansive, attacking approach that's also very effective.'

The Tests will be England's first under the new Experimental Law Variations that have been trialled in the southern hemisphere and are to be rolled out in Europe this season.

With attack in mind, Smith is particularly looking forward to the new regulation which forces defences to stand five metres behind the scrum, affording more space to the team in possession.

'With the new ELVs there's a lot happening at the moment,' he told the RFU's podcast.

'I spent my first day going through footage of the Tri-Nations and Currie Cup games looking at the way teams are deciding to attack and defend under these new laws. With defences now having to stand five metres back, clearly there's a bigger opportunity to get 'go forward' from the scrum. That's what the game is about - getting over gain line.

'Outside of the new scrum law, the biggest challenge is what to do from lineout now you can have as many players as you like. It's interesting times for those who are students of the game.'