As Scotland got their Six Nations Calcutta Cup match underway in testing conditions, it was telling that the first kick of the game went high to England's Jonny May. This was a game where the England winger would see little of the horizontal ball as his side resorted to a kicking contest in the swirling wind and rain.
The Saracens man coped admirably and many areas of the media ranked May highly among the backs. England won but unfortunately for May on a personal level, his two individual try-scoring aims were thwarted for now.
Following the second round of RBS Six Nations Matches, Jonny May's two tries in the opening defeat to France keep him in contention for an individual award. In 2019, the England winger headed the try scorers list with six five-point scores and those two efforts in 2020 leave him just behind Wales' Josh Adams who has crossed the line on three occasions.
If we take a look at the Six Nations odds for top try scorer, Adams is narrowly in front with May just behind. According to the Betfair exchange, the battle will be between these two as we then have a big gap in the betting to George North. With three games to go, it remains an open battle but can Jonny May claim the accolades for a second year in succession?
Frustrating Afternoon
Against Scotland, May's composure under the high ball was in contrast to that displayed by some of his teammates. In treacherous conditions, Scotland attempted to run the ball at times but their opponents insisted on the high kicking game. England's approach ended in farce on a few occasions as wind-assisted kicks – most notably from scrum half Willi Heinz – drifted straight out.
Ellis Genge emerged as a more likely try scorer, and match winner, and while Jonny May would have publicly been happy with the win, England fans felt he should have seen more of the horizontal ball.
Future Aims
If we remember that Josh Adams' three tries all came against Italy on the opening weekend, we should, perhaps, be backing Jonny May to pick up that 2020 top try scorer award. England's most dangerous player has that target in his sites but he also has wider aims.
With 29 five-point scores from 54 caps, May is just two behind Will Greenwood and Ben Cohen who sit in joint-second place on England's all-time list. If he reaches that target in this year's tournament, Rory Underwood's tally of 49 will remain in the distance but at the age of 29, May has a chance of overtaking that mark.
While the top try scorer betting suggests otherwise, we shouldn't rule out France's Charles Ollivon who sits level with Adams on three tries. Ultimately, however, this could come down to two men.
With England playing Italy in Rome on the final weekend of the campaign, the England man looks to be a more likely candidate to take this season's top try scorer accolade. Jonny May will, however, be hoping for kinder conditions that allow his side to revert to the passing game as the tournament moves forward.
